6 Cavity-Fighting Foods to Include in Your Diet
Living
during a pandemic comes with surprising sacrifices. Mundane things like
going to the shopping mall, getting your hair done, and visiting the
dentist have become a risky endeavor, and most of us are trying to space
out all of these activities as much as possible. If you were forced to
skip your scheduled trip to the dentist this year or want to make sure
you won’t need one any time soon, there are several things you can do to
promote long-term oral health. Apart from the obvious brushing and
flossing, you should also be mindful of what to eat.
Firstly,
avoiding certain foods that often contribute to cavities and oral
health issues is a good idea. To learn what those are, read our previous
article titled Foods and Drinks That Can Damage Your Teeth. But it's not just about limiting yourself, as certain delicious foods can also help you fight tooth decay. The
foods and drinks we list below will help prevent cavities, bad breath,
and tooth decay, so make sure to include plenty of those in your daily
diet, though chances are you’re already doing so, as many of these foods
are quite common.
1. Dairy
Dairy
products like milk, cheese, butter, and plain white yogurt are among
the best foods to eat for long-term oral health. Rich in calcium and
phosphates, dairy products help remineralize teeth. This is extremely
important, as we lose these important minerals while we eat, and putting
them back in your teeth essentially helps rebuild tooth enamel, which
the first line of defense against cavities.
Apart
from that, cheese helps your body produce more saliva, which also helps
repair the enamel. Lastly, dairy, especially grass-fed dairy, is rich
in vitamin K2, a vitamin in which most of us are deficient that is vital
for healthy teeth. Other foods rich in vitamin K2 are eggs,
liver, natto, and beef.
2. Tea
Certain
drinks can help prevent cavities and other oral issues, too. Though
wine has been suggested to help promote oral health in some studies,
there is still little evidence to support that claim. In addition,
drinking alcohol daily isn't a good idea, and red wine specifically is
also known to stain teeth, so we cannot recommend it.
A
drink that's much better for your teeth is green or black tea (but not
herbal tea). The ingredients in tea that will benefit oral health are
polyphenols, a type of antioxidant capable of killing plaque bacteria
that produce acid that degrades the tooth enamel. Do keep in mind,
however, that you should stick to unsweetened tea, as sugar can increase
the risk of cavities, as you may already know.
3. Citrus Fruit
Most
acidic foods, like tomatoes, aren't good for the teeth, as acid
degrades the tooth enamel, but citrus fruit like lemons, grapefruit, and
oranges, can be enjoyed in moderation and offer some benefits for oral
health. These fruits contain a lot of vitamin C, which can reduce gum
inflammation that is capable of causing gum disease. This is because
vitamin C strengthens the blood capillaries in the mouth and make your
gums more resilient.
4. Fatty Fish
Fatty
fish like salmon and tuna are known for their multitude of health
benefits, but these fish also naturally contain the perfect cocktail for
tooth health. Firstly, fatty fish is high in omega-3 fats, which are
suggested to benefit brain and cardiovascular health. However, most
people aren't aware that omega-3 fatty acids can also support gum health
and may even help reduce gum disease, an extremely common health issue.
If your gums bleed or hurt when you're flossing or brushing your teeth,
increasing your intake of omega-3s may help deal with that issue.
Apart
from that, fatty fish is also rich in vitamin D, which also helps
prevent cavities, as well as vitamin K2 and A, which can remineralize
the teeth and aid in the repair of tooth enamel.
5. Leafy Greens
Here's
another reason to eat more leafy greens, especially dark green ones
like spinach, kale, Swiss chard, and arugula. Apart from containing many
minerals that can help replenish the enamel, leafy greens are also
capable of balancing out the microflora in your oral cavity.
This
is because leafy greens are rich in prebiotics, which are essentially
food for the beneficial bacteria that live in your mouth. By increasing
the number of these beneficial bacteria, the number of harmful ones that
can cause tooth decay simultaneously decreases, making your teeth
cleaner and plaque-free in the short term, and more resilient to tooth
decay in the long run.
6. Cacao Nibs
The
last item on this list may be less common than the other ones, but it
has a good amount of research backing its effectiveness at reducing the
number of harmful bacteria in the mouth. Cacao nibs are essentially
crushed up cacao beans. Unlike chocolate, cacao beans don't contain any
sugar, but they are naturally rich in polyphenols, the same antioxidants
present in tea we discussed earlier.
Research from 2019 has revealed that a mouth rinse based on cocoa beans eradicated cavity-causing bacteria called S. mutans as well
as a prescription mouthwash. Unlike the latter, however, the
cacao-based mouthwash didn't harm the beneficial bacteria in the mouth.
So, munching on some cocoa nibs as a snack or springing some on your
morning oatmeal or granola is a good idea.
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