The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-02-09

DO SWEETS HARM THE TEETH? The natural sourine of milk is . kind of Fermentation brought about by the action of tactic vicilli, nor- mally present in pure fresh milk, on the lactose or milk sugar which is converted by this fermentation into lactic acid. Such lactic Fermentation is a wholesome and healthful state and soured milk or buttermilk (soured milk from which the fat has been removeG Is universally re- garded as Q wholesome or healthful beverage or food. In recent years various artidcially fermented milk beverages have had their vogue notably Bulgarian sour milk, popu- larized by the late Metchnilkoff, and Acidophilus milk. Bulgarian sour milk, as MetchnikoH suggested, was made by first slimming off the cream, then boiling the skim milk for i've minutes, cooling to about body temperature, then adding to it some culture of a special strain of tactic bacillus which Metchnikof found in the alimentary tract of
 many Bulgarians who attained re- n,arkable longevity and retained re. markable vitality, which Metchni- koff ascribed to the use of fermented milk beverages in that country. Acidophilus milk is usually made by dairies in similar fashion, except that a different strain of tactic bacillus culture is used, one which bacteriologists in this country con- slider the predominating and most desirable strain, called Bacillus aci- dophilus.
 I believe plain old sour milk or genuine buttermilk If you can Ind 1t, is as healthful and as delightful @ beverage as any scientific or hi-fa- lutin substitute you can drink.
 If you are fond of sour milk or buttermilk, or one of the scientific fermeted milk beverages, fine and dandy. Wade right in and here's health to you. If you prefer rsce fresh milk, as I do, very good Eddy. You get all the inakings just the same, for you inbibe the milk su- gar (lactose) and the lactic bacilli in the sweet milk, and the fermen- tation will occur in your alimentary tract where it is most beneficial.
 The chief reason why tactic fer mentatio1 is desirable in the ali- mentary tract is that the tactic acid produced by the action, of tactic bacilli on sugar or starch of any kind renders the environment unfa- vorable for the multiplication and activity of germs of putrefaction or possibly disease germs.
 We had discarded the notion that sugars and candies and sweet were injurious to the teeth and we were sailing along happily sucking lollypop when, Jerusalem!-Russell W. Bunting, D. D. Sc., Professor of Oral Pathology, School of Dentistry, University of Michigan, swooped past taking all the wind out of our sails with his. vigorous contention that Bacillus acidophilus is the &C., tive causative agent of dental car- les. Yes, the very same strain of tactic acid bacillus that predomi- mates in the alimentary canal in health, the same strain you may have taken freely in acidophilus milk. Dr. Bunting attributes the cavity formation not to any specific damage done by the Bacillus acido- philus. not to infection, but rather to the acids which these bacilN pro- duce during fermentation. and maintains that the extent of dental carries is independent of or unre- lated to mouth cleanliness, depend- ing rather on the numbers of aci- dophilus bacilli present. I say the sails-but we still have a firm grip professor took the wind out of our on our lollypcp, you may rest as- sured.
 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Wheat
 Please state how much vitamin B
 a healthy person needs daily and
 what is the richest food source of
 vitamin B. .(E. H.).
 I A.