Effect of yogurt and pH equivalent lemon juice on salivary flow rate in healthy volunteers — An experimental crossover study

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Xerostomia is a common clinical problem, and different medications have been tried in its management. In the present study, routine dietary products are used to assess their effect on salivary flow. AIM: To assess the efficacy of yogurt and lemon juice on increase in salivation and its comparison with that of unstimulated saliva. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 40 volunteers (aged 19-48) were selected. The pH of yogurt was calculated, and equivalent pH lemon juice was prepared. First, normal resting saliva was collected as baseline followed by every 1 min for 5 min. Patients were given lemon juice or yogurt and then crossed over to the other group to assess the impact of the stimulants on salivary flow from 1 to 5 min. RESULTS: The results were analyzed statistically. Comparisons between baseline saliva secretion and that by yogurt and lemon juice (using the ANOVA test) showed that there was a significant increase after treatment at the end of the experiment for both yogurt and lemon juice. However, yogurt showed a significant increase in saliva secretion compared to baseline than lemon juice. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that yogurt is a potential candidate for the treatment of dry mouth.