How a Paleo Diet Could Be Good for Oral Health

Many of us in the western world are suffering from poor oral health. It seems that in most cases, we are losing fewer teeth than we used to and retaining our own teeth for longer thanks to good dentistry but more of us are suffering from cavities than ever before. This is particularly true of those in the poorest section of society, who tend to have more sugary diets than those with more disposable incomes. It has been argued that the paleo diet could be the answer to our problems with oral health. Read on and see if it could help you.

What is a paleo diet?

A paleo diet is all about eating just like our ancestors did. The theory is that this is the diet we were created to follow so it will ultimately be what is best for us. To get an idea of the things that someone following a paleo diet would eat, think back to hunter-gatherers. They would typically eat a lot of meat and anything that they could forage such as nuts, seeds, berries and some vegetables.

What causes our modern oral health problems?

Cavities are the main issue that dentists such as Pure Dentistry have to deal with. The overriding cause of this is the amount of sugar that is in our diet. Many of us consume sugary drinks that cause a lot of the problems and sweets are everywhere, tempting us constantly. Even if we try and eat healthily, sugar tends to be hidden in many foods marketed towards those trying to eat a healthy diet. Salad dressing, for instance, is full of the stuff. Carbohydrates are also extremely bad for the teeth, avoiding sugar isn’t the only thing that you have to worry about.

So how can the paleo diet help?

Those who eat paleo tend to choose fresh and natural food. They also avoid refined carbohydrates as well as processed food that can be ladened with sugar. By cutting down on starch and sugar those who eat paleo automatically reduce their consumption of acids that can attack teeth and cause decay. They wave goodbye to the bacteria that attacks teeth and fill their mouths with good stuff that supports oral health. The paleo diet also really supports good oral health thanks to the vitamins and minerals that are in high supply in the foods that are usually consumed. Vitamins A and D, for instance, are essential for good dental health and can be found in high quantities in many types of meat and vegetables. Iron, again found in meat and leafy greens, is also great at helping the body fight gum disease. Many following a paleo diet also choose to consume dairy and so they have plenty of calcium in their diet which helps make teeth strong. All in all, the paleo diet helps people get the vitamins that are important to good oral health.

The paleo diet can help people drastically improve their oral health. It won’t fix decay problems that have already affected the teeth but it will prevent further problems that could ruin your smile.