The Link between Oral Health and Weight Loss

You can think of your mouth as the gate to your body. The more you put junk in your body, the more waste you have to deal with. This means more trip to your dentist for a dental 24 hour service. And by junk, this means sodas, chips, and candies. Your favorite sugary and salty treats leave acidic and harmful chemicals in your mouth. This plays not only with your taste buds but with the bad bacteria that live in your mouth. This leads to plaque formation, cavities, and even gum diseases. Consequently, all that starchy and sugary food and drinks will accumulate in the body that leads to weight gain and eventually to obesity.

The current state of your oral health leaves clues and important signs of your overall health. It also has a direct link to weight gain or loss. When you take care of your teeth and gums, you lose the flab and prevent obesity.

A diet low in sugar. Your dentist would always tell you to stop chewing on sticky and gooey candies and treats to protect your teeth and gums. Sugary treats and commercialized products that are loaded with sugar are not only bad for your teeth but are also bad for your figure. People who usually suffer from tooth decay due to excessive consumption of sugary foods also suffer obesity and diabetes. One of the efficient ways of securing wholesome teeth is to give up your sweet treats. This will reflect on your smile and your body. Hence, saying goodbye to pies, cakes, candies, and sodas gives you time to pick fruits that are rich in nutrients, unlike those candies and sweet treats. You get the best of both worlds as you consume sweet and fresh fruits and manage your weight at the same time. Besides achieving the desired figure, consuming low sugary foods will keep tooth decay at bay.

A diet low in processed foods and meat. The modern society leads a fast-paced life. Biting into empty calories and foods high in fat has been a norm. This is one of the leading causes of obesity, heart diseases, and the high mortality rate.  Ditching these kinds of foods will help you realize that plant-based foods are way cheaper and fresher. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes offer a wide variety of vitamins and minerals that boost your immune system and help you fight bacterial infections, reduce inflammations and prevent cancers. They are also rich in fiber that cleans your teeth, massages your gums, and cleans the digestive tract.

Increased water intake. Your oral health constantly needs water to wash away food particles and maintain the alkalinity in the mouth. You have to drink plenty of water and ditch the juices and sodas that are loaded with chemicals and sugars that potentially lead to tooth decay. Water is the key for your body to remineralize your tooth’s enamel. Drinking water also makes you feel full longer thus you won’t eat as much. It’s one of the secrets to weight loss.

There’s no perfect diet and diet alone doesn’t prevent tooth decay and other dental problems. However, plant-based foods as a foundation for your diet could definitely help you achieve healthy teeth and weight loss.