Evening star., 1932-12-07
TEETH-PRESERV|NG
DIET IS ANNOUNCED
important Discovery Is Made
by Missionaries to
China.

By the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, December THE first
100 Per cent scientific proof of the spe-
cific diet which will preserve teeth,
namely phosphorus and vitamin D, was
credited yesterday to two missionaries to
China, DR.. and Mrs. r. Gordon Agnew
Their announcement of the final step
in 10 years research, experiments on
$50 children. was hailed by DR.. E. ".
McCollum of Johns Hopkins University
one of the worlds foremost dieticians,
as milestone in scientific progress"
Their work, he said, eliminates con-
fusion about the diet needed for teeth
Vitamin D comes from sunshine and
cod liver oil, or their substitutes The
phosphorus foods in order of their rich
ness are egg yolk, milk, meats, leafy
vegetables and the seeds, grains, roots
and tubers.
Saliva Important Factor.
The saliva, DR.. McCollum said. is
probably the means of tooth protec-
tion, through phosphorus it receives
from the blood
The diet announcements were made
governors of the West China Univer-
sity, to which the Agnews are returning.
DR.. Agnew said they found their
clue in analysis of 5000 diets of Chi
nese and Tibetsns, who have better
teeth than Americans. They re-
turned to the University Of Toronto
for scientific investigation and were
able to cause 100 per cent decay In
teeth OF rats by diet alone
Finally this year the feeding of chill
dren began. Decay was not only pre-
vented among those with the rich
phosphorus -vitamin D balance, but de-
cay already started stopped its progress.
"The significant fact" said DR.. Nc.
Collum, rs that the Agnews for the
first time, consciously and under scien-
tif1c control, have succeeded in produc-
ing and preventing dental carries decay
practically at will, and to degree ap-
preaching 100 per cent. Their work
gives further strength to the conclu-
sion that dental carries can be largely,
perhaps, wholly prevented by correct
eating.
Misconceptions Cleared.
"The Agnew work enables us to dis
pose Of certain misconceptions more or
less widely held in the past. The pop
ular belief that tooth decay Is due to
impaction and fermentation of food
within hssures of the teeth is doubtless
true In certain cases. We will probably
never be able to do without the tooth
brush.
"One Of the Oldest, most widely held
and most erroneous popular beliefs has
been that tooth decay is largely due to
eating too much sugar and other sweets.
Although sugar itself does not decay
teeth, sweet-eating contributes indi-
rectly because sugar satiates the ap-
petite so quickly that a lack of the
more essential food elements usually
results. The Agnews appear to have
conclusively demonstrated this truth
in the experimental research they have
just reported.
Another theory that gained wide
acceptance is that decay is caused by
a deficiency of vitamin c. 1t has
nothing to do with the primary cause
Of dental carries.
"The Inference to be drawn from
this research work Is that If we get an
adequate supply of vitamin D, drink
plenty of milk and eat plenty of vege-
tables and other foods rich In phos-
phorous, nearly all Of us can avoid
dental carries"
Asked after the luncheon to suggest
a specific diet, DR.. McCollum specified
a quart of milk daily, eggs several
times a week, leafy vegetable at least
once a day, and salad twice day,
and "after them anything you like"