You often hear of eating to lose weight or eating to get your metabolism up to speed. How about eating for better dental health? Did you know that what you eat can affect your whole body? And we are not talking about just the apple a day theory. You can dramatically change your dental health simply by eating the right foods and also making sure you follow a well-balanced, healthful diet. Advancements in research today connects poor nutrition to poor oral health. You are also at greater risk for a number of other serious problems.
To begin, all food contains sugar or at least converts to sugar, even something as healthy as an apple. The sugar is directly connected to bacteria which excretes or you may say poops acids. The acids from these bacteria attack the teeth and that is the beginning of tooth decay or commonly known as a cavity. Here is how to eat your way to a cleaner mouth.
Teeth enamel need calcium and phosphorus to help re-mineralize your teeth. This is a natural way to put back minerals that are removed by the acids in your mouth. The best food with that combination would be milk products, fish, meat protein like chicken and any kind of nuts and anything in the legume family like peas and dried beans. Because these foods have both calcium and phosphorous they protect teeth enamel.
Believe it or not, onions have a powerful antibacterial properties. A Korean University showed that onions destroyed 4 types of bacteria that causes cavities and gum disease in an experiment. The downside is of course winding up with onion breath but the benefits outweigh the side effect.
If you love sushi, did you know that wasabi stops bacteria from sticking to your teeth? This information about this spicy green blog a cousin to horseradish comes from Research in Japan.
Brushing and Flossing
Brushing and flossing is still the ultimate way of getting rid of the bacteria in your mouth. If you cant brush or forgot to brush, the best way to cleanse your mouth and disturb the bacteria growing in the mouth is to drink pure water without any sweeteners. Since bacteria doubles within 24 hours, disturbing them by rinsing or brushing your teeth will substantially reduce the growth of any bacteria. That being true, if you do not have a toothbrush, just a good rinse and a gargle is a good enough cleanse to keep you healthier. It is still better to do that than to do nothing and allow bacteria to grow.
Therefore any foods with high water content would be a good choice for a healthy mouth. These would include any firm or crunchy fruits and vegetables like apples, pears, celery. All of these foods will also stimulate saliva which is another source of water in the mouth to battle bacteria growth. Saliva washes away food particles and acid build up. Try to eat acidic foods like citrus, tomatoes and lemons as part of your larger meal so the acid damage is minimized.
For more information contact Willow Dental Care Vancouver
