
Effects of Tongue Scraping on Plaque, Gingivitis, and Cavities
Tongue scraping and tongue brushing have been practiced for centuries in many continents around the world, but do they do anything?
Topic summary contributed by volunteer(s): Emily
Not drinking enough water can result in a whole slew of health issues including dental cavities, urinary tract infections, constipation, and heart disease. The recommendation is 4-7 cups per day for women and 6-11 cups per day for men.
Green tea contains natural fluoride from the tea plant. This suggests that it may help prevent cavities. However, children should not drink green tea as their primary beverage. Drinking a few cups a day is fine, but too much can result in fluorosis (discoloration of the teeth).
Since raisins contain a lot of natural sugar, it has been thought that they cause cavities. However, when studied more closely, raisins were found to potentially reduce the risk of cavities. The formation of cavities depends on three factors: acid, adherence, and bacteria that makes up dental plaque. Raisins are not acidic and do not stick to the teeth as much as foods like chips, cookies, and crackers. Fresh fruit is best, as apples and bananas disappear almost immediately.
Phytates are found in beans, grains, nuts and seeds. People who eat a healthy plant-based diet consume twice the amount of phytates as omnivores. Phytates may protect against diabetes, dental cavities, coronary heart disease and a variety of cancers.
The information on this page has been compiled from the research presented in the videos listed. Sources for each video can be found by going to the video’s page and clicking on the Sources Cited tab.
Tongue scraping and tongue brushing have been practiced for centuries in many continents around the world, but do they do anything?
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Based on the potential benefits of proper hydration such as reduced bladder cancer risk, how many cups of water should we strive to drink every day?
Unlike most other anticancer agents, the phytates naturally found in whole plant foods may trigger cancer cell differentiation, causing them to revert back to behaving more like normal cells.
Coronary heart disease, our #1 cause of death, was found to be almost non-existent in a population eating a diet centered around whole plant foods.
Dr. Greger has scoured the world’s scholarly literature on clinical nutrition, and developed this brand-new live presentation on the latest in cutting-edge research on how a healthy diet can affect some of our most common medical conditions.
Green tea consumption may help prevent cavities, but excessive consumption among young children may lead to dental fluorosis, due to the natural fluoride content of the plant.