Changes in salivary pH following consumption of different varieties of date fruits

OBJECTIVE: Consumption of date fruits leads to chemical changes in saliva, including variations in pH values. We conducted this study to assess the effect of the consumption of different types of dates on salivary pH. METHODS: We recruited 15 children (aged 6–15 years) who were instructed to consume one piece of specific types of dates (Safree, Nabtat Seif, Khalas, Sukkari, and Segae) for 5 consecutive days. On the 6th and 7th days, the children consumed a quarter of a grapefruit (positive control) and chewed on a sterilised cotton pellet (negative control), respectively. Salivary samples from unstimulated kids were collected at least 1 h after breakfast every day and the salivary pH was recorded. RESULTS: When compared with the pH values before date consumption, the lowest mean salivary pH value among the date-consuming groups 5 min after salivary stimulation was noted after the consumption of Khalas (6.26), followed by those after consumption of Safree (6.31), Nabtat Seif (6.36), Segae (6.44), and Sukkari (6.45). The highest difference in mean values was observed for Khalas (.47), followed by those for Sukkari (.45), Nabtat Saif (.44), Segae (.38), and Safree (.35). The pH of saliva collected after grapefruit consumption was the lowest, whereas chewing cotton pellets led to an increased salivary pH. CONCLUSION: This study showed a decrease in the salivary pH following date consumption, but not to a value as low as the critical value. These findings suggest that dates do not have detrimental effects on salivary parameters.