Healthy Mouth, Healthy Body

A good smile starts with what you eat

 

Inflammation in your teeth and gums can be a sign of inflammation in your body. Cavities and periodontal disease occur because the oral tissues affected have developed chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation occurs as a result of a prolonged attack on bodily tissues by a harmful agent in which the tissues involved cannot easily overcome. This leads to diseases such as tooth cavities or periodontal disease. Tooth cavities are the most prevalent disease known today. Periodontal disease affects over 80% of the population during a lifetime. In other parts of your body, it may manifest as heart disease, lung disease, diseases of the gut, diabetes and even Alzheimer’s disease.

Diseases in the mouth develop because of what we put into our bodies to cause chronic inflammation. Yet, the diseases in the mouth are not separate from diseases that may occur in our bodies. Body detoxification can help reduce the risk of accumulating toxins that contribute to chronic inflammation. Detoxification of the body must start with what is put into the mouth. Whatever is fed into the mouth for consumption ultimately determines the state of health of the body and the mind. An overabundance of toxins and a shortage of antioxidants causes stresses in body cells that prevent their normal function. These stresses are known as oxidative stresses because there is an imbalance between the antioxidants and free radicals. Free radicals are a result of the conversion of oxygen into energy, which is a normal process within cells. Antioxidants are substances that remove these free radicals to help keep the cells functioning normally. But when an imbalance is created due to a lack of antioxidants to destroy and remove the excess free radicals, damage to cells and proteins within the body will occur that contribute to oxidative stresses affecting cells, fatty tissue, protein and carbohydrate compounds, enzymes and even DNA within tissue. These stresses are major factors in the development of many diseases and autoimmune disorders.

Foods that Create Stress on the Body

There are several types of food that can help form oxidative stresses. These foods include sugar, processed foods, refined flour, trans fats and alcoholic drinks. When these foods are consumed in high amounts over frequent periods of time, oxidative stresses occur in the mouth contributing to cavities and periodontal disease which can mirror or be signs of symptoms damaging other parts of the body not visibly seen.

Why is sugar so bad? To clarify, it is the processed sugar which creates oxidative stresses. Naturally occurring sugars are nutritive and contain enzymes, vitamins, minerals and nutrients to aid in the digestion, utilization and storage of these sugars within our bodies. Processed sugars are sugars that have undergone a manufactured process to alter the ingredients which impart no nutrient value to human consumption. Void of any nutrients, the processed or refined sugars require our own bodies to either manufacture or use our own nutrient reserve compounds to convert these sugars into a form of immediate energy or into storage for later use. Frequent nutrient reserve usage slowly depletes our own nutrient balance resulting in oxidative stresses when these reserves cannot be properly restored.

 

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