Today, most of you may realize that maintaining a good diet will help keep your mouths better. At the same time, a healthy diet also enhances your health in other ways. But very few of you might think about the exact foods you should eat to keep your teeth healthy. Hope you know that calcium is essential for strong bones and good solid teeth. Remember you should avoid sugary drinks and foods at all costs. But do you realize that you should be consuming many high fiber foods daily to improve your oral health?
A recent study conducted by researchers in New Zealand figured out why high fiber foods are good for your oral health. Higher fiber and whole grain intake can benefit your oral health. That is right. You should include fiber in your daily diet if you want your oral health to stay healthy over time.
Previous studies have already established that food rich in fiber and wholegrain is beneficial for your oral health. Read below to understand better the actual mechanism that makes it happen.
Fiber Foods and Your Dental Health Benefits
Recent research shows that men and women who consume fiber-rich foods are less likely to suffer from periodontal disease in the long run. It means your teeth and gums will remain in good condition over time. Moreover, you will not suffer from many issues because of the high fiber diet you consume.
Do you know that fiber foods are beneficial for your oral health? These fiber-rich foods need a longer time to chew, which stimulates saliva production in your mouth. More saliva from the salivary glands will help cleanse your teeth too. In addition, these fiber foods often have a preventive effect on dental caries and dental erosion.
If you want to prevent conditions like gum disease from occurring, it is worth thinking about how much fiber you should add to your diet every day. If you are not eating high fiber foods like bananas and apples regularly, you should make an honest effort to start including them today.
Remember that there is one thing you need – to lead a healthy lifestyle full of energy and zest. Yes, it is a strong set of teeth. Having healthy teeth will allow you to eat the nutritious foods much-needed to feel great and stay fit.
Your teeth are not only meant to chew your food. A beautiful smile is a delightful way to greet people, new friends, and even old ones. Properly aligned teeth also help you to speak clearly. As you already know, the health of your teeth affects so many different aspects of your life. So neglecting their care could prove bad for your health.
At a very young age – we all have learned the importance of brushing our teeth. Remember that it is only one aspect of responsible dental care. Note that what you include in your diet can directly affect the health of your teeth as much as any oral hygiene routine. Especially stuff like fast food. Moreover, you must also be aware of sugar and acid’s dangers to your oral health.
How do High Fiber Foods Benefit Your Oral Health?
Several researches have recognized the link between a high fiber diet and good dental health. However, the reasons still need more confirmation.
Scientists have identified a few potentially beneficial mechanisms – when you consume these high fiber foods.
Cleansing action. The fiber present in high fiber foods might gently scrape and buff your tooth surfaces. In the process, it removes plaque on teeth and tartar build-up on the surface of your tooth.
Oral bacterial inhibition. The bran layer of whole grains contains certain substances that inhibit oral bacteria’s growth. These foods may help control the development of such bacteria in your mouth.
Chewing increases saliva production. Note that consuming high fiber foods involves a lot of healthy chewing. This process will increase your mouth’s production of cleansing, antibacterial saliva and stimulate blood flow to your teeth and gums.
How Fiber Foods Help Your Teeth
Foods high in fiber, like leafy vegetables, nuts, fruits, and seeds, usually require a lot of chewing. When you chew vigorously, the saliva production in your mouth naturally increases.
Saliva is very healthy for your teeth and gums. The saliva in the mouth will help clean sugar and other food particles off of your teeth. Moreover, the saliva also neutralizes the acid that comes with other foods.
The most significant benefit of having more saliva is its antibacterial properties. Did you ever wonder – why your instinct is to stick your finger in your mouth when you get a paper cut? It is because your saliva is a natural antibiotic. The saliva helps fight the germs that cause infection.
Similarly, saliva can also fight the bacteria that cause tooth decay. So, stimulating salivation is probably one of the best things you can do to protect your teeth and gums.
Other Health Benefits of Fiber Foods
The great thing about fiber foods is that it has other benefits too. Fiber foods can benefit every human body system. You are less likely to develop type 2 diabetes symptoms when consuming fiber foods.
Your heart will stay healthy when you include lots of fiber foods. You can also lose weight when you eat more fiber food. In addition, you will have fewer digestive ailments as well.
There are a variety of fiber supplements available today. But none of these are as effective as eating a bowl of fresh food high in dietary fiber. Especially when it comes to your dental health.
But when you take supplements, not much chewing is involved. What is worse, the gummies and powder often contain sugar that makes them more palatable. They are actually harmful to your teeth and gums.
Long term benefits of fiber foods:
1 Constipation
As you might be aware, constipation can negatively impact the quality of life. Constipation increases the risk of colon cancer. Some fibers help absorb water in your colon, thus helping to give your stool bulk. It increases the bulk of your stool to move through your colon faster, helping to relieve constipation.
2 Type 2 diabetes
Since diabetes can increase your risk of developing heart disease, fiber plays a crucial role in meal plans for people with diabetes.
Means high fiber diets are directly linked with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. In your small intestine, the increased viscosity of the intestinal contents decreases with the rate of digestion.
If you eat more fiber, the complex digestion process slows down the glucose and lipid absorption into the blood. As a result, you will have a more stable blood glucose level.
3 Cardiovascular diseases
A high fiber diet is often associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease or CVD. High fiber diet is also linked with coronary heart disease.
This viscous fiber forms a gel in your small intestine. As a result, you tend to feel full for longer. Moreover, only when you eat fiber food does the gut microbiota produce short-chain fatty acids.
4 Weight management
Fibers can help you better manage your weight. As you might be aware, diets rich in fiber foods often make you feel fuller for more extended periods – even after you have finished your meals. It means by consuming less food, you can reduce obesity and overweight issues.
Note that high fiber foods and weight loss plans work hand in hand. So start today. High-fiber foods tend to make you feel full and have a low glycemic index (GI). It means they can help manage your appetite and will have less of an effect on your blood glucose levels too, compared to other food options.
5 Gut health and the microbiome
Recent studies on the gut microbiome indicate that fiber consumption can directly influence the composition of bacteria and other microbes in your intestine. Gut microbiota can efficiently ferment fiber and produce short-chain fatty acids, which can improve the functioning of the immune system.
What Are These Best High Fiber Foods?
High-fiber foods often refer to foods that are high in dietary fiber. So to get the fiber you need, there are a number of foods items you can choose from that are rich in fiber, these includes:
Vegetables – Green vegetables rich in fiber are generally usually darker in color. But there are exceptions. High fiber veggies include broccoli, carrots, celery, beetroot, kale leaves, leafy vegetables, greens like spinach, silverbeet, pak choi, kale and even potatoes.
Fresh Fruit – High fiber fruits include oranges, apples, pears, bananas, and berries.
Whole Grains – Whole grain foods are generally high in fiber. They include intact whole grains and finely milled whole grains like whole grain bread, brown rice, oats, wild rice, barley, and bran. Try choosing bread with at least 3 grams of fiber per slice.
Seeds & Nuts – Always keep a watch on your calories. But try loading up on pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, quinoa, almonds, sunflower seeds, and pistachios.
Beans and legumes – Add more lentils, beans, and peas to your soups, casseroles, and salads.
How Much Fiber Should You Eat per Day?
The Heart Foundation recommended – fiber intake per day is 30 grams for men and 25 grams for women. Moreover, children between 4 to 8 years old should consume at least 18 grams.
Note that girls between 9 and 18 should gradually increase their intake from 20 to 22 grams. Boys of the same age group should consume 24 to 28 grams at identical times. However, experts suggest that eating more than these recommended amounts is always better.
To simplify, this recommended fiber intake:
- approx. 4 servings of wholegrain or whole meal foods daily,
- approx. 5 servings of vegetables, legumes, or beans daily, and
- approx. 2 servings of fruit daily.
Make Healthy Diet Changes Today
Realizing that high fiber foods are a good positive change to your diet is not enough. In fact, you should try to make drastic changes to your diet and food habits to benefit from these foods.
Starting today, try making an honest effort to add more fiber-rich foods to your diet. In addition, you should cut out things like soda or sweet foods that you might be eating throughout the day. If you consume sugary foods, eat them all simultaneously. It will heal you to easily clean your mouth and leave it plaque-free. Thus preventing cavities to develop in your mouth over time.
Though it is not clear how fiber rich foods may help prevent a range of dental conditions. There is evidence that shows that to be the case. However, make sure you eat enough fiber foods not to worry about gum issues and other dental problems.
Do you know the benefits of eating dates fruit? Once you read the article you will include it in your diet today!
Long term benefits of fiber foods: