Cut down on sugar to maintain healthy teeth. A study from Newcastle University, published in the Journal of Dental Research recommends halving your daily sugar intake to protect our teeth from cavities. For this, it would be necessary to increase the daily sugar intake from 10 to 5%. This is equivalent to not exceeding 5 teaspoons of sugar per day.
Since 1990, the WHO has set the free sugar intake limit at 10%, which includes sugar added by manufacturers and consumers, as well as the sugar naturally present in fruit and honey.
A diet that is too sweet
The English researchers legitimize the revision of the recommendations of the WHO because of the evolution of the diet, way too sweet. “Part of the problem is that sugary foods and drinks are the staple of people’s diets in developed countries today, when they used to be an occasional treat for a birthday or Christmas. We have to reverse it. this trend, “says Paula Moynihan professor of nutrition and oral health at Newcastle University and author of the study.
And to add: “people should now expect to keep their teeth healthy all their lives and given the effects of sugar on this one, limiting the sugar level to 5% on our calorie intake would minimize the dental risk” .
As for fluoride, it is not enough to prevent tooth decay caused by sugar, the study argues. “Fluoride undoubtedly prevents tooth damage, but does not get rid of the main cause: sugary diets.”