to relieve heartburn, US researchers have found.

According to doctors at the University of Alabama in Birmingham, chewing gum stimulates saliva production which in turn clears away the irritating gastric acids that are responsible for heartburn.

And although the results of the research are still preliminary, it looks as though any sugar-free gum will do.

"We used sugar-free gum because sugar gum has some things in it like carbohydrates, which can give you acid pHs,'' lead researcher Dr. Swarnjit Singh said. "In our study, we used Trident sugar-free gum.'' Reflux, or heartburn, occurs when digestive acids well up into the oesophagus, the muscular tube running from the throat to the stomach. In many cases, the condition also sends sufferers scurrying to the medicine cabinet for a swig of liquid antacids or chalky acid-neutralising tablets.

To test the acid-clearing potential of gum, the Alabama doctors asked 10 reflux patients to chew gum for half an hour after each meal and during any heartburn episode that occurred in two 24-hour monitoring periods.

Seven of the 10 patients reported decreased heartburn while chewing.

In addition, doctors also reported that by increasing salivary flow the gum reduced the periods that acid lingered around the patients' oesophageal tissues.

That reduction is important because "the more time the acid remains in contact with the oesophagus, the more reflux and the more chance of causing damage,'' said Singh, from the university's division of gastroenterology.

Patients with mild heartburn commonly swallow antacid tablets or liquids. In more serious cases, doctors will prescribe drugs that curb acid production.

Singh said gum might offer an attractive therapeutic alternative for pregnant women, who frequently suffer with heartburn but don't want to expose their unborn children to drugs. He's awaiting medical centre approval for a follow-up study in pregnant women.

*** Becoming sick or poisoned from contaminated food is an old problem that has taken on new dimensions, says the Mayo Clinic Health Letter.

Newly recognised contamination sources and changes in food-handling practices and eating patterns are making the problem more widespread and diverse, the publication says. These include more food that is processed centrally (which can spread contamination to all distribution sites), increased restaurant dining and decline in food-handling skills at home.

The letter also cites publicised outbreaks of salmonella in ice cream, Vibrio vulnificus in raw oysters and E. coli from fast-food hamburgers.

In an effort to combat the problem, the clinic offered these ways to handle food safely: At the store, don't buy food in cans or jars with dented or bulging lids.

Refrigerate perishable items as soon as possible after buying.

Wash your hands with soap and water before preparing food. Rinse produce thoroughly or peel off the skin. Wash knives and cutting surfaces after handling raw meat and before preparing other foods to be eaten raw. Launder dishcloths and kitchen towels frequently.

Use a good meat thermometer. Red meat should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit, poultry to 180 degrees and fish until it flakes easily with a fork. Avoid undercooked eggs with runny yolks. Skip the hollandaise sauce and Caesar salad, which usually contain raw eggs.

Keep track of expiration dates when storing food. Use or freeze fresh meat within three to five days after purchase. Use or freeze fresh poultry, fish and ground meat within one or two days. Refrigerate or freeze leftovers within two hours of serving.

When eating out, insist that red meat be cooked medium or well done. Ask that seafood be cooked thoroughly.

*** Ascots Restaurant in Pembroke is hosting a visiting European chef this week, which it has dubbed Mama's Week.

Chef Maria Cicala, from the Italian Riviera town of San Remo, began making a variety of home-made pastas and other authentic Mediterranean dishes for local diners on Wednesday.

Ascots, which is hosting Chef Cicala for one week only, is showcasing her dishes with special lunch and dinner menus and through cooking demonstrations.

Anyone who would like more information should call Ascots at 295-9644.

Reservations are recommended.