You need to reduce your daily sugar intake to maintain healthy teeth, says a study. It should not exceed five teaspoons.
To keep all of your teeth until old age, start by reducing your sugar intake. This is what we can learn from a study by the University of Newcastle (Great Britain), published on December 10 in the Journal of Dental Research. It would therefore be necessary to halve its average daily consumption to achieve this.
Halve your sugar consumption
The treats usually reserved for holidays have become habits, to the detriment of our teeth. Paula Moynihan, professor of nutrition and oral health at Newcastle University and author of the study, laments the resulting decline in dental health since the 1950s. His team has carried out a review of 55 studies on the subject since the mid-twentieth century. She drew an association between the high consumption of sugars and the increased number of cavities.
“Part of the problem is that sugary foods and drinks are now a staple in the diets of many people in industrialized countries, when they were previously a treat for birthdays or Christmas. We have to reverse the trend, ”says Paula Moynihan. Because sugars attack teeth throughout life. To prevent them from being damaged, it should limit its consumption to 5% of the calories ingested each day. This corresponds to 5 teaspoons.
Fluoride is ineffective
Since 1990, the World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended limiting its consumption of free sugars to a maximum of 10% of daily caloric intake. Free sugars are carbohydrates added to foods that may naturally contain them. This is explained in particular by the cardiovascular risks associated with a sweet diet, but also those of type 2 diabetes.
Researchers have also found that fluoride does not protect against tooth decay caused by sugar. It’s supposed to, but people who drink fluoridated water or use fluoride toothpaste still have cavities. “Fluoride undoubtedly prevents teeth from being damaged, but […] it does not get rid of the cause: sugary diets. Furthermore, not everyone has a good exposure to fluoride through their drinking water and / or fluoride toothpaste. There is therefore no need to rely on your toothbrush: to maintain perfect teeth, you have to resolve to eat less sugar.
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