Time for a bit of science. We promise we’ll make it interesting.
At Peppersmith we spend a lot of time talking about the positive effect of our favourite naturally sourced ingredient xylitol, but we thought it was about time we talked a little more about the negative effects of sugar on both teeth and also our insides in general.
How does sugar damage our gnashers?
It’s pretty well known that eating sugary foods is bad for teeth, but why exactly? When we eat sugar, it feeds the bacteria in our mouths which makes them multiply. And multiply. And multiply. This bacteria then produces acid which erodes our tooth enamel, and also produces plaque. (See example below of PH levels in mouth).
The more acid attacks and plaque, the more holes in our teeth, and the more fillings we need. And nobody enjoys having a filling now, do they?
Ways to avoid the sugar damage
These days it’s easy to get your hands on great naturally derived sugar substitutes like xylitol, but we know it can be pretty hard to avoid sugar all together. Plus, some foods containing natural, unrefined sugars also contain lots of essential vitamins and minerals – fresh fruit for example, and we wouldn’t want to tell anyone to stop eating their 5 a day.
To get some advice on ways to keep our gnashers in good condition whilst still snacking on the odd apple or banana, we sought some advice from some of our local dentist friends. Dr Mihir Shah from Battersea Park Dental says it’s all about reducing the frequency of acid attacks. The amount of sugar we consume has very little effect compared with the amount of time that the sugar is in our mouth. Mihir encourages us to reduce the number of times a day we snack on sugary foods like fruit. Keeping sugary snacks to meal times is best, but don’t panic, if you really are a serial snacker then popping a couple of Peppersmith afterwards could see you right.
If you want more tips from our dentist pals about ways to keep your teeth in tip top condition, click here.
What happens to our insides when we eat sugary foods?
We know that sugar doesn’t have a great affect on lots of our organs, but we fully admit we’re not medical experts. Explaining the effects gets quite complicated, but we think that this Ted Talks video does a pretty good job of it. Give it a watch and be prepared to want to swerve the sweet stuff forever more.
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