What is Digg?51 Comments
- crossgrain, on 03/14/2008, -1/+25Now all we need is a hooker that prevents AIDS
- inactive, on 03/14/2008, -3/+18Did you notice the inventors teeth? Looks like too late for him.
- gn0stik, on 03/14/2008, -1/+9His teeth are that way from testing his cigarettes that cure cancer.
- haxderek, on 03/14/2008, -0/+7How come this wasn't around when I was younger?
- IphtashuFitz, on 03/14/2008, -0/+7Saw a thing about this on tv this morning. Apparently this guy is already being hit up by all sorts of food/candy vendors. If this stuff actually works like he claims then it sounds like he's won the lottery.
- TheLD, on 03/14/2008, -0/+4Smint have been doing something similar for years except in mint form: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smint
- elitexero, on 03/14/2008, -1/+4Honestly, would you take advice on what's healthy from this guy? That'd be like buying 'stabilized' explosives from a guy with one arm.
- wicketr, on 03/14/2008, -1/+3I tell all the ladies I have a lollipop that prevents cavities.....it hasn't worked for me yet.
- Cenobia, on 03/14/2008, -1/+3*****! I ***** hate licorice.
- WallsOfPeril, on 03/14/2008, -1/+3Looks like a fun lab to work in.
- fluidfilm, on 03/17/2008, -0/+2Responses to a couple of comments: the researcher is not a dentist, he's a microbiologist. His teeth are crooked, which is not a result of tooth decay (Though it looks like he could use the services of an orthodontist...) The lollipop does not contain fluoride. It contains an extract of licorice that in lab studies does a good job of selectively killing off Streptococcus mutans, the primary bacterium that causes tooth decay. They have completed safety trials and are conducting efficacy trials now (though they take many years to complete.) Listerine does kill bacteria and so does Chlorhexidine, the preferred antibiotic treatment for infections in the mouth. The problem, according to the researcher, is two-fold. One, broad-spectrum antibacterials kill off most of the 700 beneficial bacteria in the mouth as well, leaving a space for opportunistic infections from viruses and other microorganisms that live on and in us. Healthy bacteria crowd out and compete with more pathogenic microorganisms, keeping us healthy. We have to start thinking of our skin, mouth, and gut as ecosystems, not just "bacteria are bad." Bacteria are essential for digesting food and maintaining health. Two, after killing off most of the bacteria in the mouth, the first ones to grow back are the pathogenic ones, and they have no competition for food and resources, so they can thrive, and of course develop resistance over time. I hope that clarifies some things. We'll have to see in the long run if the lollipops work. They were originally developed for disabled kids and the elderly who have trouble maintaining their oral health.
- disingenious, on 03/14/2008, -0/+2I give it a year before they discover it causes cancer. Or contains lead. Or causes cancer in lead. ;)
- noctu, on 03/14/2008, -0/+2add caffeine and u got a customer!
- thekms, on 03/14/2008, -0/+2Read: licorice
- peestandingup, on 03/14/2008, -1/+2He'll be killed soon by the Dentist mafia.
Seriously, most Dentists don't have the patients best interests in mind.
"Hmm, cavities. Tsk Tsk" *Cha Ching* - ItsMyWii, on 03/14/2008, -0/+1I'll take 20.
- source1984, on 03/14/2008, -0/+1I'm a dental student and I approve this message! hah, but seriously, i love researchers who look like they're having fun in their lab. i wish i could work for that guy.
- sfcitybootcamp, on 03/14/2008, -0/+1what's next - sunglasses that excrete saline solution?
- blipblopblip, on 03/14/2008, -0/+1They should make a bubblegum that contains this and is sweetened with only Xylitol
- eryx, on 03/14/2008, -0/+1now if they could only make smoking healthy I would be all set
- limevelyn, on 03/15/2008, -0/+1My kids will be soooo happy to know this!!
- cl2yp71c, on 03/14/2008, -0/+1*Jumps for joy*
- bakedblog, on 03/14/2008, -0/+1This looks like a good idea, I'm sure it will catch on real quick with parents. Wish they had it when I was a kid would have saved my mom some cash.
- inactive, on 03/14/2008, -0/+1Talk about your mixed signals... sheesh...
- aserer511, on 03/14/2008, -0/+1this would do well digg jr
- themastersb, on 03/15/2008, -0/+1It was the very first thing I noticed.
- miko555, on 03/14/2008, -1/+2i ***** hate you
- leerayIG88, on 03/14/2008, -0/+1On today's news, the new lollipop gives you cancer.
- inactive, on 03/14/2008, -0/+1What about the cyanogenic glycosides in your natural and organic food?
- mOdQuArK, on 03/15/2008, -0/+1Well, it's just an extract from the licorice plant (and most licorice candies apparently use "anise"-flavoring instead anyway). The online web store says the lollipops are orange flavored.
- sanman, on 03/15/2008, -0/+1Anyway, where can you buy such special cavity-fighting lollypops?
- sanman, on 03/15/2008, -0/+1dammit, you mean listerine doesn't come from licorice?
freakin misleading brand names
[spits it all out] - sanman, on 03/15/2008, -0/+1Okay, here it is, I found it:
http://www.c3-jian.com/products.php
also marketed as "Dr John's Herbal Candy"
Jian --> John ? - sanman, on 03/15/2008, -0/+1http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/news/ng.asp?n= ...
- digthebest, on 03/17/2008, -0/+1Yeap, licorice tastes sweet. Chinese kids like to chew them.
- fluidfilm, on 03/28/2008, -0/+1Yes, this approach is pretty new (15 years?) but I think it will be central to "cultivating" this garden in our bodies. We can't live without bacteria, but some of them will kill us or make us sick. Bonnie Bassler at Princeton is doing some interesting work in this field. Here's a story we did on her work, ideas that might lead to a new kind of antibiotic: http://www.sciencentral.com/articles/view.php3?lan ...
- LilCarrots, on 03/14/2008, -0/+0Maybe that's what the inventor used.
- fluidfilm, on 03/17/2008, -0/+0Oh, and the lollipops don't taste like licorice, they taste like any other sour orange lollipop. Licorice in the U.S. is usually flavored with anise and contains lots of sugar, so won't have the same effect. There is an Ayurvedic licorice toothpaste (that DOES tastes like licorice) made by Auromere. Chinese and Indian Ayurvedic remedies for oral health have included licorice for thousands of years; that was part of the initial inspiration for the lollipop research.
- macbookhair, on 03/14/2008, -0/+0Why would they need to do that? They don't dry out your eyes.
- Dedo0910, on 03/19/2008, -0/+0Thanks for the detailed explanation. This perception of bacterial flora as an ecosystem is changing the way antibiotics and antimicrobials are being developed - think of it as the next step in customized medicine. Imagine killing the bad and enhancing the good bacteria. By the way, the lollipops were also distributed in large quantities to Native American tribes who don't have access to good dental care.
- crossers, on 07/11/2008, -0/+0so funy, but I think it is very good for children!
http://www.ocflex.com/
http://www.trgovinca.org
http://www.chasr.org/ - fluidfilm, on 03/17/2008, -0/+0Actually, he is part of a commercial venture called C3-Jian that develops products, and they contracted Dr. John's Candies to manufacture and distribute the lollipop They're already on the shelf. Details of the active compounds in the licorice were published 2 years ago, and are publicly available, so he might have some competition. But yes, I imagine he's going to make some $$ off of this idea! The smart thing is that they made a treatment that does not require FDA approval, so they could get it to market almost instantly. Next they're working on candy treatments for periodontitis and bad breath - which are each caused by different bacteria. I have a feeling these things are going to be EVERYWHERE shortly. They do say to only do the 10-day treatment every 3 or 6 months, not to use them all the time, because bacteria could eventually become resistant to the licorice compounds.
- fluidfilm, on 03/14/2008, -0/+0I don't know... growing saliva bacteria all day? Yuck. Well, at least they probably get unlimited lollipops.
- nonchallant0819, on 03/30/2008, -0/+0This is a great story... found this one through http://www.google.com
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http://www.TopNotchCarpentry.com - luchid, on 03/14/2008, -2/+1The downside is she chops off your penis. No more AIDS for you!
- kamakazi17, on 03/14/2008, -1/+0lol best first comment i've read in a while
- LilCarrots, on 03/14/2008, -4/+1Doesn't listerine kill bacteria too?
- bajanboost, on 03/14/2008, -4/+1"Just a safety test ... Heaheehaaheeee"
- Fat *****... - inactive, on 03/14/2008, -4/+0this is nothing. here is what really prevents cavities from forming:
http://www.funnyjunk.com/pages/awesome.htm
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