Influence of a Barley Product on the Eruption and Caries of Rat Molars

¹ The Netherlands Institute of Nutrition, Wageningen, The Netherlands

Studying the effects of a barley product substituted for 20 per cent of a diet composed to average human consumption data —RAN—it was seen that the third molars erupted earlier in the young rats of the first and second litters of the second generation fed the barley-containing food than in those fed RAN. The rats studied were 26 and 29 days old, respectively.

Macroscopic dental caries studies in the parent and first generations rats, ages nearly 2 years old and 75 weeks old, respectively, revealed less caries in the barley-fed groups than in the others.

The fluorine content of barley might have been important in both effects. The inhibitive effect on dental caries might, however, also be due to lessening of the consumption of the cariogenic RAN food. The caloric value of the barley product is 3.7 calories/ Gm.