The winners are:
Dairy products, Whole grains, Berries, Nuts, Seeds, fresh fruit, vegetables such as carrots & celery, Salmon & similar fish, dark chocolate, honey, liquorice, & xylitol sweetener.
What is tooth decay?
Tooth decay or Dental caries causes the destruction of the outer layers of your teeth, this happens due to poor oral hygiene, were the acids in your mouth together with the residue sugars form bacteria that leads to the erosion of your teeth. According to AIDI (Associazione igienisti dentali italiani) we can prevent damage to our teeth by following these 4 simple rules:
1) Brush your teeth at least twice a day using a toothpaste that contains fluoride;
2) Use dental floss regularly;
3) Eat nourishing food & try to limit cakes & sweets;
4) Visit regularly a dentist for a professional check up & cleaning.
Did you Know?
Dental caries are not only a prerogative in children, but also in adults over the afge of 50 because our teeth get old too & in time become fragile, vulnerable & more exposed to plaques & decay.
Apples
The world health organisation suggestes to increase consumption of fruit & vegetables for a healthier diet but in particular for healthier teeth. “An apple a day keeps the Doctor (dentist) away”. Nibbiling & munching apples (rich in fibre) help us form & maintain a sufficient quantity of saliva to help us keep our teeth clean, and the flavonoids found in the fruit prevent the growth of bacteria in our mouth.
Cheese
Eating cheese helps improve oral hygiene preventing the loss of the mineral component found in our teeth. Moreover cheese contains casein, a protein that helps in the remineralization of the calcium present in the enamel of our teeth, useful to contrast acids that cause tooth erosion. The quantity of cheese does not even need to be so much, merely 5g are already enough to reduce tooth decay.
Cocoa
What have tea, coffee & cocoa in common? Polyphenols! These one of a kind vegetable nutrients have a very important role in preventing dental caries due to their bacteria fighting capabilities. The polyphenols found in cocoa reduce the formation of Streptococcus & Streptococcus sanguinis – bad bacteria that produce acids capable of making holes in our teeth. Now, just to make things clear, here we are talking about bitter cocoa powder & not chocolate bars.
Blueberries
Flavonoids are reknowned for their antimicrobial effect & it is also thought that hey can help prevent tooth erosion. Blueberries just like many other berries are rich in these organic acids. The flavonoids found inside berries prevent bacteria from sticking to teeth or mouth this way they help avoid bacteria such as Escherichia coli. They are also an excellent source of fibre & vitamin C.
Peanuts
Peanuts are amongst the least carie causing foods (not peanut butter). As we previuosly explained they belong to the legume famiy & are an excellent source of manganese, niacin, copper, fibre, folate, magnesium, phosphorus, thiamine, vitamin E & zinc.
Black tea
Drinking unsweetened Black, oolong or green tea regulary protects teeth in a very efficient way, due to the flavonols they contain such as, Epigallocatechin gallate which reduces effectively the proliferation of harmful bacteria, moreover tea leaves also contain fluoride that is a very important component to help protect the mineral compund of our teeth.
Yoghurt or kefir
Natural yoghurt or kefir mixed together with fresh sweet fruit act as a natural toothbrush preventing sugar from sticking to our gums & teeth. The best is that we personally add the fruit to the yoghurt in order to get a lower sugar provision and also a tastier product. Yoghurt contains phosphorus & calcium, 2 indispensable minerals for the rimineralization of our teeth. however these minerals are often removed by the acids found in our mouth.
A study held out on 2058 children showed that the consumption of fermented dairy products was associated to less caries. It also showed that adults who drank yoghurt or fermented dairy products, had lower acidic PH levels and way under the corosion critical point.
Take a look at our tried and tested method: Anti-Diet
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