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An t i - Ag i ng DENTISTRY MONTHLY NEWS
OCTOBER 2020
FINDING A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHOLE-BODY HEALTH The ‘Whole’ Story, Continued
Good whole-body health starts at a microscopic level. Last month, we focused on immunity and the microbiome — the microscopic bacteria that work with your immune system to keep you healthy. This is the topic of my latest book, “The Toxic Overload: The Truth About Your Body’s Natural Defenses and How to Experience Whole-Body Health.” Not many people realize how important the connection between the microbiome and the immune system is. On top of that, not many people realize how important a healthy microbiome is to overall good health. This month, I want to talk more about how having a healthy microbiome can improve whole-body health. To start, there are numerous studies that confirm the connection between gum disease and other diseases within the body. This includes heart disease, lung disease, diabetes, arthritis, colorectal cancer, Alzheimer’s, and even premature delivery among pregnant women. How can gum disease be linked to so many different conditions? It all comes back to the mouth being the gateway to the body. If the mouth isn’t healthy, there are more opportunities for harmful bacteria to enter the microbiome and infiltrate your body. Gum disease generally starts with swollen or bleeding gums. This is gingivitis. As the gums become inflamed and injured, bacteria can get into the bloodstream. They also push themselves into the small gap between the gums and the base of the teeth. Both of these actions can cause further damage to the gums and surrounding tissue — including bone — as the bacteria release toxins into the surrounding tissue. As harmful bacteria build up and release more toxins, the problems can get worse. If not addressed, this can put your body in a state of continual infection which is generally perceived as inflammation. Essentially, inflammation spreads through the bloodstream as inflammatory markers make their way through the body. While we’ve talked a lot about the microbiome in the mouth, we also have to look at the microbiome in the gut. This, too, is a key component in staying healthy — and may be one of the most important. The microbiome in the gut plays a major role in digestion, but it also plays a significant role in how our brain functions. Good bacteria in the gut stimulate the production of serotonin and dopamine, which are
mood transmitters. Gut bacteria that becomes compromised can cause problems with digestion and can cause problems throughout the entire body. This can even lead to an increase in anxiety and depression. This is why diet is so important — often more important than people realize. What you eat influences your overall health and also the health of your gut bacteria. Because these two influence one another, your goal is to achieve a certain level of harmony. When you eat a diet containing a lot of nonorganic fruits and vegetables, for example, you are potentially introducing harsh chemicals to your digestive system. These chemicals come from the residue of pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides that may be present on the foods you eat. While washing nonorganic foods is necessary, it isn’t always enough. Often, the harsh chemicals will seep into the skin and flesh of fruit or vegetables, meaning they’re still there when you eat them. The best way to avoid this is to source quality organic foods. There are many other outside factors that can harm your gut bacteria as well, including eating meat and dairy products that contain antibiotics, smoking and vaping, and drinking alcohol. Your microbiome can be very resilient, but there is only so much it can do against these types of influences. When your microbiome is altered by these influences, your overall immunity can be impacted. For example, if you take antibiotics, you will decimate a large portion of your microbiome, which includes the bacteria in your mouth, your gut, and elsewhere in the body. As a result, it becomes more difficult for your immune system to combat bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens that enter your system, thus harming your overall health. The best thing you can possibly do is to be aware of what you are putting in and on your body. Avoid anything labeled antibiotic or antibacterial. Eat a diet rich in organic foods and say no to smoking and vaping. The more you do to live a healthy lifestyle, the healthier your microbiome will be. And when your microbiome is healthy, your immune system is healthy. This harmony helps you achieve the best whole-body health.
-Dr. Maddahi
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THE BEST FALL SPICES TO BOOST YOUR FAMILY’S HEALTH
Something for Your Brain: Turmeric Recent research has found that turmeric can reduce inflammation. A compound in turmeric called curcumin has been shown to help reduce the pain and swelling associated with arthritis. The anti-inflammatory properties of turmeric may also help reduce inflammation in the brain, which has been linked to depression and Alzheimer’s. How to add more turmeric to your diet: Homemade curries are a great way to get a good dose of turmeric. You can also add turmeric to roasted vegetables or taco seasoning. Something for Your Stomach: Ginger If you’ve ever drunk ginger ale on a plane to calm your upset stomach, then you’ve already experienced the healing properties of ginger. Ginger can be used to treat nausea, including nausea due to motion sickness and pregnancy. Studies show that ginger can also offer relief to cancer patients suffering from nausea caused by chemotherapy. How to add more ginger to your diet: There are many baked goods that call for ginger. Your morning coffee or tea could also benefit from a hint of ginger.
It’s the season of fall spices. Pumpkin spice — which is actually a mix of many different seasonal spices — is a favorite, but it’s not the only one we should try this year. Seasonal spices are a fun way to literally spice up your meals, and many of them also have surprising health benefits! Something for Your Heart: Cinnamon Cinnamon can actually help lower your blood sugar levels, which is especially beneficial for folks with Type 2 diabetes. The Johns Hopkins Medicine website also reports that cinnamon has heart-healthy benefits. For example, studies show that cinnamon can reduce high blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels, thus decreasing the risk of developing heart disease. How to add more cinnamon to your diet: Sprinkle cinnamon on oatmeal or plain yogurt for a warming boost of flavor. You’ll also find cinnamon in pumpkin spice, a seasonal favorite.
These are just a few spices that are also superfoods! Do some research to discover the secret benefits of your favorite spices.
How It Works and What Causes It Inflammation is a serious issue that affects millions of people. We all experience inflammation at one time or another, but many people experience inflammation on a regular basis. It can be uncomfortable, painful, and even debilitating, and it can lead to other serious health complications. Inflammation can happen just about anywhere in the body. It’s caused when your immune system attacks what it perceives as foreign bodies. During this “attack,” blood flow increases to the areas where these foreign bodies are concentrated. While your body is trying to protect you — and it does so effectively most of the time — this process can cause other problems, including pain and swelling. Over a long period of time, you may even experience tissue damage in inflamed areas. This is chronic inflammation. In many people, the immune system response is an overreaction or is related to a disorder (this includes allergies and autoimmune disorders). Inflammation is also related to diet and lifestyle. People who have high-fat or high-sugar diets and people who lead sedentary lifestyles experience much higher rates of disease related to inflammation, including high blood pressure, heart disease, joint problems, and several forms of cancer. Inflammation Basics
Inflammation can also occur when your microbiome is compromised. For example, if harmful bacteria are able to enter your bloodstream via your mouth because your microbiome was unable to keep them out, infection and inflammation may be the result. The best way to reduce inflammation is to maintain a healthy lifestyle and do what you can to reduce sources of inflammation, whether they are internal or external. Eat a diet rich in nutritious, organic foods and couple this with daily regular exercise, which is also extremely important. This is a great way to help you to maintain a healthy microbiome, which works in concert with your immune system, and to decrease inflammation in the body.
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Balance Within the Body
Avoiding ‘Probiotic Die-Off ’
The microbiome is an important part of our body. While we talk a lot about the microbiome within the mouth and the good bacteria that work with our immune system, it’s also important to give care and attention to the good bacteria, also known as probiotics, which live further within our digestive system. These bacteria call our gut home. The average person has about 100 trillion good microorganisms working within their body. One issue that many people deal with is “probiotic die-off.” Even when we eat a diet rich in healthy foods, the good bacteria in our digestive tract are still susceptible to many negative influences that ultimately lead to the die-off. But what causes probiotic die-off? More often than not, die-offs are triggered by a disruption to the “balance” of our digestive tract (and, really, our bodies in general). Antibiotics can cause significant harm, which we’ve talked about in the past. Antibiotics are devastating to all forms of bacteria in your body, good or bad.
strive to avoid antibiotics when possible. When selecting food items, always be sure to read all labels and make sure you’re buying goods that are not treated with antibiotics. Another big threat to probiotics is medication in general. When you change a dosage, or start or stop a medication, probiotics in your body can be adversely affected. Taking new supplements or changing your supplement dosage can have a similar effect. Significantly changing your diet can also harm your gut flora. If you introduce new foods or alter your diet in a sudden, major way, your digestive system may be “shocked” by the change, resulting in a die-off. For most of us, simple and small changes to our medications or diet isn’t going to have much, if any, impact on our existing gut flora. While our microbiome is sensitive, incremental changes can go a long way in keeping it healthy as we work to keep ourselves healthy. The truly important part is avoiding foods and behaviors that have a negative impact on our microbiome, such as eating foods treated with pesticides or meats treated with antibiotics, as well as smoking and consuming alcohol. Refer a friend, get a brighter smile!
This includes antibiotics prescribed by your doctor and antibiotics present in food, such as certain meat and dairy products. In general, we should
Also known as Jerusalem artichokes, sunchokes will give your spinach salad a little something extra! Inspired by FoodAndWine.com. Warm Spinach and Sunchoke Salad
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INGREDIENTS •
DIRECTIONS 1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. 2. In a large cast-iron skillet, heat 2 tbsp olive oil until nearly smoking. 3. Add sunchokes, garlic, and crushed red pepper. Season with salt and pepper. 4. Move skillet into the oven and roast for 25–30 minutes, until sunchokes are just tender. 5. In a large bowl, add the prepared spinach. 6. Remove skillet from the oven and
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided 1 lb sunchokes, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch pieces 15 garlic cloves, peeled Pinch of crushed red pepper Kosher salt and black pepper 1 lb leaf or curly spinach, stemmed and large leaves torn 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar 1 Honeycrisp apple, sliced
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add vinegar and remaining 2 tbsp olive oil, then pour mixture over the spinach.
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7. Toss gently until spinach is wilted. 8. Add apple and half of the cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste. 9. Transfer to a serving bowl, toss, top with remaining cheese, and serve.
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4 oz clothbound cheddar, crumbled (1 cup), divided
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Finding Harmony in Whole-Body Health
3 Healthy Spices to Try This Fall
Understanding Inflammation
Keep an Important Part of Your Microbiome Healthy
Warm Spinach and Sunchoke Salad
5 Steps to a Safer Hotel Room
knowledge that one of the germiest items in a hotel room is the remote control.” To avoid the ick, pick up the remote while wearing gloves and drop it into a Ziploc. Then, remove your gloves and seal the bag. Now you can use the remote without touching it directly! 4. Invest in a rubber door wedge. Viruses aren’t the only risk in hotel rooms — break-ins are another concern. To keep your room secure, bring a rubber door
5 Steps to a Safer Hotel Room Keep Strangers and Viruses Out With These Quick Tips
Staying home is the best way to protect yourself and your family from illness, but sometimes life gets in the way. Maybe you need to travel for work, to help a relative, or just to keep your kids from bouncing off the walls. If you have a hotel stay on the books, worrying about safety is understandable. But by taking these precautions, you can protect your loved ones and increase your odds of coming home healthy. 1. Bring a sanitation kit and use it! Most hotels are going above and beyond to sanitize their rooms these days, but it never hurts to take extra care. Before you check in, pick up cleaning supplies like disinfectant spray, wipes, plastic
bags, and gloves. Then, use them to wipe down your room. Focus on big surfaces as well as features like faucet handles, doorknobs, lightswitches, and microwave buttons. 2. Skip the decorative linens. Many hotels don’t wash decorative bedding like comforters and fancy pillowcases. To be extra safe, strip these off the bed and wash your hands afterward. If you’re chilly, opt for the hotel’s spare blanket (it’s probably hiding in a closet) or bring one from home.
wedge. They cost less than $10 on Amazon and make kicking in a door much more difficult.
5. For maximum security, bring a door alarm. Simple travel alarms hang from the handle of a door and have two prongs that slide between the door and its frame. When the door opens and the prongs separate, that triggers the alarm. These simple devices send thieves running, and Lewis N. Clark makes a model for just $14.99.
3. Quarantine your remote control. As USA Today puts it, “It’s common
Hopefully, these tips give you some peace of mind on your next trip. Happy trails!
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