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Nutrition for Your Teeth
Sara Cook,
Nutrition and Lifestyle
Coach
Nutrition is something that
people sometimes forget about when it comes to their teeth. Good
nutrition is vital to having strong, healthy, white, cavity-free
teeth and gums. There are thousands of different products on the
market these days that say they will improve your teeth and will
make them look white again. Most of these products are filled with
harsh chemicals and artificial sweeteners. Using these products can
make your teeth less healthy than before and can cause more cavities
to form in your mouth.
A tube of toothpaste-what’s really
in it?
Most commercial toothpastes are filled with detergents,
abrasives, moisturizers, sweeteners, dyes, preservatives, and
anti-plaque substances and even sweeteners! Can you believe that?
You’re brushing your teeth to prevent cavities and the toothpaste
itself contains sugar or artificial sweeteners. Check out your tube in
the bathroom now! You’ll be shocked what you find! Try natural
toothpastes, which are free of harsh ingredients. Most health food
grocery stores have a couple of choices. Read your labels!
Fluoride
There has been a long debate between the American Dental Association
and anti-fluoride activists about whether fluoride should be
routinely added to toothpastes and to the water supply. In large
quantities, fluoride is a toxic pollutant. When used excessively it
has shown to discolor teeth permanently, cause mouth sores, change
bone structure, and is suspect in causing birth defects, brain
lesions and cancer. In addition, there is no properly conducted
research showing that fluoride prevents cavities. We tend to use
toothpastes that do not contain fluoride. You can read the research
and make your own decision on that topic!
Sodium Lauryl
Sulfate
This chemical is used as a foaming
agent in toothpastes and in shampoos. Sodium Lauryl sulfate is a
skin irritant. Agents in this chemical are strong enough to break
down engine grease, not to mention oils in the skin. This chemical
can cause skin dryness and lead to irritation. Ingesting sodium
lauryl sulfate, which is an active ingredient in most toothpaste,
has been linked to a range of health problems, including eye
infections and hormone imbalances. While people spit out foamy
toothpaste residue, sodium lauryl sulfate can penetrate the mouth’s
mucosal lining that has an absorption rate of 90% and will go into
blood vessels. Again, check your labels!
Artificial Sweeteners
Artificial sweeteners are linked to diabetes, obesity,
osteoporosis, hypoglycemia, atherosclerosis, chronic fatigue,
hypertension, tooth decay, cancer, heart disease, depression, PMS,
hyperactivity and aggressive behavior. Most natural toothpastes get
their fresh taste from plant extracts such as parsley, cinnamon oil,
mint and xylitol, which are healthier alternatives.
To protect your teeth from disease, use natural
dental products and check your diet to make sure it’s optimized for
healthy teeth and gums. Here’s the scoop on keeping your pearly
whites “all that”:
Food/substances to watch out
for:
Sugar
Sugar, natural or processed, is the worst substance for your
teeth because it causes tooth decay. Foods like raisins, caramels,
toffees, slowly dissolving hard candies, sugary coffee, sodas, and
fruit juices are not quickly diluted by saliva and have a major risk
in the formation of dental cavities. Avoid sugary foods and try to
fight your cravings for sugar. Avoiding sugar might be hard at
first because of habit, but once you eliminate all sugar from your
diet, you will feel healthier. If you do eat it, rinse your mouth
out as soon as you can with water.
Fruit
If you need a boost of energy, eat hard fresh fruit like apples,
berries, oranges, banana, and kiwis. These will help naturally clean
your teeth Also, if you drink fruit juice, get the kind that says
100% juice and make sure it does not have any added sugar. Fruit
juices can be very deceiving and make people think they are drinking
something healthy, but what people do not know is that most
commercial fruit juices are packed with sugar to give it a better
taste.
Simple Carbohydrates
Crackers, wafers, white breads, white pasta, pastries,
doughnuts, sweet rolls, and processed cereals are retained on the
tooth for a long period of time and they eventually break down into
carbohydrates and then turn into sugar, leading to decay. Eating
complex carbohydrates (foods in their natural form) instead of
simple carbohydrates is the best way to avoid this. Simple
carbohydrates are foods that have been stripped of their nutrients
and then sugar is added to them during processing to make a more
tasteful, yet addicting, product for consumers. When shopping, get
100% whole grain bread, pasta, cereal, and other whole grain flour
products. If you need more variety, try brown or wild rice and
unprocessed corn products.
Sticky Foods
The longer food remains in your mouth, the greater the chance
for tooth decay. After eating, you should rinse your mouth out or
brush your teeth. Try to rinse your mouth out after every meal and
to brush your teeth at least twice per day. This will really help
to keep the plaque from developing. It is also important to floss
your teeth and brush your tongue. Bacteria will form in between the
teeth and also reside in the rough corrugated surface of the
tongue.
Nicotine
Smoking and chewing tobacco products cause bad breath, decay,
gum disease, damage tooth enamel, and eventually will lead to tooth
loss and could even lead to oral cancer. Stopping this habit can be
really hard and painful for people, but it will be worth your while
in the long run. Your teeth and breath will be very pleasant and
you will be able to smell and taste foods better, not to mention the
improvement made to your health.
Foods to include into your diet
everyday
It is important to eat a healthy diet to maintain healthy
teeth. Eating a variety of fresh, organic foods every day will give
your teeth a glow. Try shopping for foods at a local health food
store if possible. Here is a list of foods to eat that help protect
against gum, cell damage, and promote healing.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a very powerful antioxidant. Vitamin C is vital
for the production of collagen, the main protein building block for
fibrous frameworks of all living tissues, which makes it more
resistant to bacterial penetration. Vitamin C also helps in
maintaining healthy capillaries, which aids oral tissue in staying
healthy. Insufficient consumption of vitamin C may lead to oral
health problems like swollen and bleeding gums and loss of teeth can
result.
Flavonoids
Flavonoids are a large group of plant polyphenols and they are great
antioxidants. These compounds usually occur bound to sugar
molecules. Phytochemicals play a role in maintaining health and
help with oral hygiene. Polyphenols are a broad class of antioxidant
phytochemicals that are found throughout the plant kingdom.
Flavanoids are found in foods such as apples, almonds, barley,
grapes,
tea,
maize, cinnamon,
cocoa,
peanuts, wine, blueberries, black berries, and strawberries.
Coenzyme Q10
Coenzyme Q10 is a fat-soluble, vitamin-like substance in every
human cell. It's involved in key biochemical reactions that produce
energy in cells. It also acts as an antioxidant. CoQ10 is naturally
present in a variety of foods. Eat foods such as organ meats such as
heart, liver and kidney as well as in beef, soybean oil, sardines,
mackerel and peanuts that are particularly high in CoQ10. This
enzyme is good for you because it is an antioxidant and helps with
cell repair and disease for the whole body.
Calcium
The best way to get your calcium is through dark leafy green
vegetables, nuts, organic dairy such as yogurt, cheese, and milk,
soy products like tofu and soy milk. Not getting enough calcium and
vitamin B is related to osteoporosis and tooth loss.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is found through organic dairy products like yogurt,
cheese, and whole milk, as well as sunlight. Vitamin D aids in the
absorption of calcium and phosphorus.
Potassium and Phosphorous
Eat plenty of vegetables and whole fruits. As mentioned
earlier, do not drink sugary fruit juices. The foods that are the
healthiest and that contain the most nutrients are the unprocessed
whole foods.
Vitamin B
Vitamin B vitamins niacin, riboflavin, biotin, and folate.
Vitamin B is found in most meat
products. Soy products, salmon, and other fish are good sources of
these B-vitamins. Vitamin B deficiency in this vitamin can lead to
bleeding gums, mouth sores, and inflammation of the tongue and
mouth. If you are a vegetarian make sure you are eating soy
products with every meal.
Vitamin E
This vitamin is found in beans, nuts, seed, and whole grain
foods. Vitamin E helps fight and prevent gum disease, especially
gingivitis (the inflammation and infection of the gums).
Supplements
Supplements should also be taken along with your healthier diet
to get more support for healthier teeth. These supplements should
not be taken in the place of food.
Diet Typing
Here at Caring Medical we have designed a test called
Diet Typing to help patients get on the right diet to
improve with energy, weight, disease, pain, and overall health and
beauty. This test will tell us which foods you need to be eating
more of and which foods you need to eat less of. This is a blood
test that test your blood pH (is your blood acidic or alkaline?) and
oxidation rate (how fast your process foods). With these two tests,
our natural medicine doctors can know your body chemistry, which
will help us design the right diet for you body. Since everyone’s
body is different, everyone needs their own specially designed diet.
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The
Hauser Diet is unique in that
it explains why there is not one diet for everyone. The Hauser Diet is
actually five different diets: