By Cathryn Conroy, Netscape News Editor

Cheese reduces your risk of tooth decay. And you can eat it any way you want--plain, sprinkled on top of pasta, with crackers, or on top of a hamburger. Researchers from Dental School of Newcastle upon Tyne in the United Kingdom knew that previous research indicated cheese reduced the risk of tooth decay, most likely because it places calcium right on the teeth. But they wanted to find out what type of cheese consumption had the most benefit.

HealthScoutNews reports that the British researchers assembled 16 volunteers and compared the effects of a half-ounce of cheese eaten by itself, a control meal without cheese, and a meal that included cheese in the recipe. Results: Every form of cheese no matter how it was consumed--alone or mixed in with other food--was beneficial and improved the calcium levels in teeth. The study was published in the British Dental Journal.