It's no surprise that candy isn't good for dental health. But as popularity of sour candies rises, so does the rate of tooth decay.

Most of these sour candies have extremely low pH levels -- as a comparison, battery acid has a pH level of 1 as do many of these candies. Some of the candies are so acidic they can cause permanent damage to tooth enamel -- particularly in young children whose protective enamel is immature. Gummy and sticky candies seem to cause the most damage because of the length of time kids suck on them before chewing and swallowing.

While it's best to avoid these treats altogether, if you're going to let your children indulge, make sure they don't suck or chew on them for a long time and have them rinse their mouths with water afterwards. A glass of milk can also help neutralize the acid from the candy. Don't have your ckids brush their teeth immediately after eating sour candy -- brushing the surface after an acid attack can actually increase the damage the acid causes.

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We all want a set of beautiful pearly whites, don't we? But a white smile goes well beyond appearances; strong, healthy teeth are important for your overall health.

For sparkling white teeth, in addition to proper oral hygiene, avoid foods that can stain. The general rule of thumb is if it can stain a white t-shirt, it can stain your teeth. Coffee, red wine, and tea are common culprits.

But there are plenty of foods you can add to your diet to improve the health of your teeth. And -- bonus! -- the foods that are good for your teeth are good for your general health as well. Check out the gallery for a summary of the foods mentioned in the video.

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A diet heavy in proteins and cereal grains can cause blood to become too acidic, causing muscle tissue to waste away. Add fruits and veggies to your eating routine, though, and your body's pH will turn more alkaline. Potassium is the secret.

RealAge recommends we get at least 3,000 mg of potassium every day but suspects they'll recommend even more after reviewing the latest science. The government currently advises we get 4,700 mg. One caution: Don't start taking a potassium supplement without first consulting your physician -- too much of this mineral can be toxic.

If peaches aren't your fruit of choice, check out the following gallery for some other great potassium sources.

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With the Olympics coming up, the use of supplements to enhance performance is big business. I asked my pal Jose Antonio, PhD, Sports Nutrition expert what was hot and gave me this scoop. Besides safe and effective supplements like creatine, protein powders, and even fish oil, there's a new kid on the block. It's called beta-alanine!

Beta-alanine is basically an amino acid that has been shown to help fight off the fatigue-promoting effects of lactic acid. When muscle pH drops from intense exercise, beta-alanine helps buffer this increased acidity. Technically, it is muscle carnosine (which is made from beta-alanine) that does the buffering.

What could beta-alanine help as far as Olympic events? Sports like wrestling, the long sprints such as the 400 meter dash, boxing, and team sports in which there is a lot of sprinting can be helped. In fact, a recent study from the International Journal of Sports Medicine proved that beta-alanine significantly improved muscular endurance. So for those of you seeking that extra performance edge, look out for beta-alanine!

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Research shows that women who drink even small amounts of alcohol can spike their breast cancer risk. But getting enough folic acid can help.

A long-term Nurses' Health Study shows that the proper intake of the B vitamin may reduce breast cancer risk for those who consume more than the equivalent of one glass of wine per day.

Want to get enough folic acid in your diet? Ask your doctor about a multivitamin containing the recommended amount or make a commitment to consuming lots of fortified cereals, leafy greens, citrus fruits, and juice.

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What you put inside your body eventually shows on the outside, reports Reader's Digest. Just ask the 100 dermatologists who analyzed the skin of 4,000 women ages 40 to 74. What they found is that eating habits, weight, history of sun exposure, and menopausal status all affect the skin. Specific to diet, though, the good doctors discovered the following.

• Women with higher vitamin C intake had significantly fewer wrinkles. Makes sense since vitamin C is key in the formation of collagen, which protects the skin from damage and keeps it strong and elastic. For best results, be sure to get vitamin C not through a supplement but in its natural form -- think orange juice, citrus fruits, and tomatoes.
  

• Those who ate plenty of the nutrient linoleic acid had skin that was less dry and fragile. Known to keep skin moist, this stuff can be found in green leafy veggies, nuts, and plant-based oils.

• Women who ate more carbs and fat had more wrinkles.

It makes sense than that we put in our bodies what is truly good for us, on the inside and out. Check out the following gallery for 11 healthy -- and antioxidant-rich -- goodies.

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Flaxseed is fast becoming a new health buzz word. It's scientific name translates as "most useful," and this is exactly what flax has become in the world of nutrition.

Flax is fiber-filled and can aid in digestion and relieve constipation. It's a good source of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an essential fatty acid, and can cut the incidence of sudden heart attacks. It's also been implicated in the decrease of menopausal symptoms -- try 1 to 1.5 ounces of flaxseed a day and see if it brings you some relief.

Adding flax to your diet isn't hard. It can be purchased in seed, oil, or powder form and can be sprinkled or drizzled on salads, bagels, hot or cold cereals, and more. There are just two rules for the use of flax: Limit your intake to two tablespoons per day and store your goods in the refrigerator to slow oxidation.

So tell us: Do you flax?

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Frequent stomachaches affect many people, but how do you know when a stomachache is just a stomachache? Could it be something worse? It might just be heartburn, but one of the most common sources of a stomachache is an ulcer. Everyday Health reminds us to look out for these symptoms when a stomachache hits:

• Sharp, sudden or persistent pain
• Bloody, black or unusual vomiting
• Bloody, black or unusual stools.
  
• Weight loss
• Poor appetite
• Bloating
  
• Belching
• Nausea

If you have any of these symptoms, see your doctor immediately. These could be signs of an ulcer -- or something worse. Don't take your chances.

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Sleep deprivation is unhealthy. Get four hours of sleep or less per night for 12 consecutive nights, and you're more likely to suffer lack of coordination, judgment, and reaction time; experience crummy moods; feel body pain; and even gain weight.

For all you sleepy heads who can't seem to get a wink of slumber, these tips are for you.

• Sip on some chamomile tea. It contains glycine, a chemical that acts as a mild sedative and muscle relaxant. Drink this potion an hour or more before bedtime if nighttime trips to the bathroom are a problem.

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If you get heartburn more than twice a week, you ought to embrace the basic tenets of a healthy lifestyle. Not only will they keep you in fighting shape, they'll solve that indigestion problem too.

Heartburn, sometimes a sign of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), can be minimized, even cured, with the right kind of exercise. Try walking, biking, swimming, yoga, and gentle weight training. Steer clear of high-impact aerobic activity -- this can make reflux more intense. And try to wait two hours after eating before exercising.

Gaining weight can also make GERD worse. A rise in your body mass index can bring on or worsen symptoms, especially if the pounds land in the abdominal region. Eating smaller portions works too by decreasing acid. Make sure to eat meals three hours prior to bedtime since symptoms are often worse at night.

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Have you ever wondered if carbonated water was bad for your health? I've heard both sides, that it's good for dieting because it can help you feel fuller, and that it might have negative side-effects due to acidity and lack of fluoride. So is it or isn't it a bad idea? Honestly, there haven't been enough studies looking at just water (as opposed to other carbonated beverages) to really know for sure, but experts say that all arrows point to a very small risk, if any, for negative health effects. A bigger risk? Not drinking enough water of any kind, period.

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We're usually too wrapped in in calories to consider another important factor to what we're drinking -- the acidity. Acidic drinks can not only lead to ulcers, but they can rot your teeth too. Fitsugar has a handy breakdown of the worst offenders acid-wise. What are the some of the worst offenders?

• Coke, with a pH of 2.63
• Pepsi at 2.49
• Gatorade at 2.95
• Doctor Pepper at 2.95
• Minute Maid at 2.8

For comparisons sake, consider this: Neutral pH (water) is 7.0. Battery Acid is 1.0 and you mouth's normal pH should be about 6.2-7.0. So if you haven't quit drinking soda for the sake of your health, maybe you should consider giving it up for the sake of your pearly whites?

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In addition to the many many many reasons not to drink soda, here's another: It rots your teeth. Does this really come as a surprise to anyone? I mean, with all that sugar and calcium-sucking acidic carbonation, how could it not? I think the real question is: Why is the soda industry doing better than ever, now that we know all we do about how bad it is for us? Or to paraphrase: Why are we still drinking it in huge quantities?

I consider myself lucky because growing up, I wasn't allowed soda, and these days I still don't have a taste for it. My parents weren't health nuts either -- they were just old fashioned and believed that homemade was better than mass-produced. So to me it really is baffling that people can't give up soda. What is it? The taste? The caffeine? The carbonation? Are we slaves to the advertising? I'll take healthy teeth, bones and body over a coke any days.

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When you think of indigestion you think of stomach acid. In most cases it is not the stomach acid creating the indigestion but a lack of it. Hydrochloric acid and pepsin, an enzyme working in an acid environment are needed to break down food effectively. A shortage of the two will result in sluggish digestion of food and indigestion. In this pill popping era we live in, getting rid of indigestion could be as simple as a shot of Apple Cider Vinegar after a meal to get rid of the bloating and indigestion we sometimes experience. Now I am not a doctor and this is just my personal experience, but for the last 5 weeks I have been using natural organic Apple Cider Vinegar with "Mother" that I bought in a health food store and it has worked wonders for me. So much that I recommended it to a friend and it is helping with their indigestion problem also.

Vinegar is a popular folk remedy to be sure, and there is limited science research behind it. One thing doctors agree on is that in limited doses, vinegar will not hurt you and it just might work. So you can be the judge.

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Obese caucasians are at higher risk for developing acid reflux disease than obese individuals of other races. In a group of 80,000 patients obesity was found to increase risk by a fairly significant amount for Caucasians, while it seemed to have little or no effect on acid reflux for African-Americans or Asians.

I'm interested to know why this is, but unfortunately experts have no idea. What they do know is that Caucasians with the largest waists are as much as 85% more likely to get heartburn -- that's a big number! Seems unfair, but what ya gonna do? Try to slim down, that's what.

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