Why drinking milk will help to keep you smiling

3 YOUR morning bowl of cereal will help wash bacteria away, say the experts. When we eat sugary foods, bacteria in plaque on our teeth produces acids that can harm the tooth enamel.

Researchers at the University of Illinois found that after volunteers ate a bowl of dry, sugary cereal, drinking a glass of milk effectively reduced the amount of acid on the teeth.

Of course,very few of us will eat dry cereal in the morning, but experts say a glass of milk is worth including at breakfast, whatever you eat. Milk helps neutralise the acid in the mouth, and the combinations of minerals in dairy products – such as calcium and phosphate – help strengthen the enamel on teeth.

If you’re not a milk drinker, having a small piece of cheese instead has the same effect.