A GUT FEELING Oral Bacteria’s Impact on Digestive Health
When deciding what to eat, most people consider factors like diet, flavor, and convenience. But an often-overlooked part of that decision is what the trillions of bacteria in our guts would benefit from most. Research shows that oral and gut health are influenced directly by the food we eat, as well as our dental hygiene!
“Gut health and mouth health are related,” says author and dentist Dr. Michelle Jorgensen. “You can look at your teeth to gain a lot of knowledge and information about what is going on in your gut. If you have gum disease or a problem with bacteria in your mouth, it’s usually a sign that things are going on with your gut biome as well.” Tooth decay and gum disease increase the risk of harmful oral bacteria, and studies have shown that oral bacteria can translocate to the gut, altering the local microbiota. A particularly nasty oral pathogen called porphyromonas gingivalis is known to damage teeth and supporting tissue and disrupt gut bacteria, causing inflammation throughout the body. Luckily, we can take proactive steps to contribute to our gut health, such as improving dental hygiene. Brushing our teeth twice daily, flossing regularly, and visiting the dentist regularly can prevent the build-up of harmful oral bacteria. Research shows that a diverse diet leads to increased diversity in gut bacteria and that the latter is associated with decreased obesity rates, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and other diseases. Studies also show that eating a variety of fiber-rich plants and nutrient-dense foods yields great benefits, whereas consuming too much alcohol, caffeine, or fatty red meats can have the opposite effect. Instead of a beer with dinner, how about an antioxidant green tea? Rather than a thick cut of beef, why not a serving of lean salmon? So, for your next meal, try eating something that both you and your gut enjoy!
Ancient Smiles Rediscovered WHY POMPEII’S TEETH WERE THE ENVY OF ANTIQUITY
famine or struggle. However, they did not have access to sugar or preservatives, which may have contributed to their effective dental hygiene. The inhabitants’ teeth also may have been primarily aided by what ultimately spelled their doom: Mount Vesuvius. The volcano was the source of fluoride in their water that strengthened their teeth and may have been their source of resilience against cavities and other dental malformations. Pompeii and Herculaneum were also notably wealthier than most cities in the Roman Empire, and their dental hygiene may have benefited as a result. After all, if they could afford better dental care, then perhaps it contributed to their overall remarkable oral hygiene. Whatever the causes, the facts are
In 79 CE, Mount Vesuvius, a volcano in Southern Italy, erupted catastrophically. The eruption buried the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum and thousands of their inhabitants in ash and mud. Pliny the Younger, a Roman citizen who lived nearby, wrote an eyewitness account in letters he sent to a historian named Tacitus. In one of his letters, he wrote that the cloud from the volcano “looked mottled and dirty with the earth and ash it had carried up” and that the cloud “could best be described as like an umbrella pine, because it rose high up in a kind of trunk and then divided into branches.” Thanks to the efforts of historians and archaeologists, the remains of those who died as a result of the disaster are preserved forever, much like Pliny’s words. As a result of being buried by the volcanic ash and mud, the victims’ remains were encased in pumice shells. In the 1800s, archaeologists poured plaster into these shells, creating sturdy replicas of the bodies to display for tourists and
historians alike. Fast-forward to today, archaeologists use modern technology like scanning and 3D-printing the plaster casts, CT scanning, and biochemical analysis of skeletons to uncover the victims’ diets and dental hygiene. When the remains from Pompeii were analyzed, researchers discovered their teeth were remarkably clean and contained fewer cavities than their modern counterparts. Dental surgeon Elisa Vanacore says, “The Pompeiians have healthy teeth, only in the rarest cases marred by decay.” Dr. Vanacore attributes this to the Pompeiians’ “mainly vegetarian diet and an almost total lack of sugar in the diet.” At the time of the disaster, the Roman Empire had access to a diverse array of foods, though they were especially fond of olives, olive oil, and grains — except for barley and millet, which they only ate during times of
clear: The Pompeiians had pearly white teeth. If you want to capture the secrets of their success, try cutting out
sugar and increasing the amount of fruits and vegetables in your diet. We don’t have to live in the shadow of a volcano to take good care of our teeth; diet and hygiene each play a large part in our dental health!
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DR. HEMA GOPAL: 25+ YEARS IN PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE
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