It’s like I’ve always said: Good oral health doesn’t begin in some dental torture chair. It begins with your diet — and a new study shows how loading up on essential fatty acids can help.
Researchers in Japan have found that seniors with the highest levels of docosahexaenoic acid — an omega-3 fatty acid better known as DHA — have the lowest risk for dental disorders like tooth loss and periodontal disease.
These conditions are caused by our age-old enemy, and I don’t mean terrorists, commies or Huns. It’s inflammation… and the omega-3s are on our side in that battle.
The Japanese researchers followed 55 seniors with an average age of 74 for five years, and found that those with the lowest levels of DHA had 1.5 times the number of dental problems, according to the study published in Nutrition.
We all should be taking care of our mouths…but if you’re up there in years, you know the deal: Lose your teeth and you can pucker up for a gummy kiss goodbye to the ability to chomp down on the best cuts of meat.
But the steaks, er, stakes are even higher than that — because there’s a real connection between your teeth and your ticker. In fact, dental and heart problems often go hand-in-hand.
One study last year even found that people with high levels of bacteria in their mouths were more likely to suffer from heart attacks.
Let’s bring this full circle now…because another new study finds that you can kill those bacteria with a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids like DHA, EPA and ALA…which, not coincidentally, are also important to overall cardiovascular health and good circulation.
Turns out the way to the heart isn’t through the stomach after all — it’s right there in the mouth.
Take good care of both by making sure you get enough fatty acids. Then, avoid fluoride toothpastes and rinse with hydrogen peroxide instead…and you’ll keep yourself alive and chomping.
With a bite every bit as bad as my bark,