Most people who think of “fighting aging” think of one’s appearance — of “showing their age”… wrinkles, looking tired, having less energy, etc. But there’s a pretty important one that left unattended can lead to such things as:
Atherosclerosis and Heart Disease
Stroke
Diabetes
Respiratory Disease
And, for women, it’s recently also been linked to an elevated risk of esophageal, breast, and gallbladder cancers.
What is this “aging factor” that can lead to all of the above? Your mouth. Even if you’re “up in years” and still have beautiful pearly whites, you could still have this problem. Despite great hygiene habits, periodontal disease is prevalent in “seniors”.
The first sign may be bleeding gums, which can be a sign of infection in your gums. Your teeth can even become so loose they fall out. And even the jawbone can become infected. Increased risks of the diseases listed above are linked to gum disease and oral health.
The good news is that these things don’t have to happen… they are not inevitable…. especially if you learn to protect your dental health as much as you do to protect the health of your body.
We found a list recently of four specific supplements that are said to be helpful in maintaining oral health. According to registered dental hygienist Bobbie DelSasso, RDH, BS, Loma Linda University, the supplements in the list below were so good at combating the effects of periodontal disease, that the study participants didn’t need any additional dental treatment.
Here’s that list:
Grape Seed Extract
CoQ10
Echinacea, and
Folic Acid
Here are the details of each:
Grape Seed Extract — you may already know that this is considered a powerful antioxidant with 20 to 50 times the potency of Vitamins C and E. This is believed to be why it is so good at preventing bacteria to colonize — and that is a big — some would say huge — benefit for dental health, and especially for periodontal disease. Plaque is considered to be a type of bacterial biofilm, which is hard to breakdown even with antibiotics, so preventing them from forming is the best strategy since they are so hard to get rid of… so that’s why Grape Seed Extract’s ability to prevent their development is so valuable.
CoQ10 — this nutrient is essential for cellular energy and immune system function. The stronger and better your immune system is, the better you can fight off infection… including dental infection. Your body’s stores of CoQ10 decreases with age, and if you take statin drugs which huge numbers of people do, they deplete your body’s supply of CoQ10 even more.
Echinacea — clinical trials found that it is very effective against infections. It’s effective in your mouth because it inhibits enzymes that break down tissues, which likely helps to prevent bacteria from gaining a stronghold in your mouth.
Folic Acid — Folic acid has become well-known for its importance for pregnant women, but it’s important for seniors too. Folic acid deficiency has been linked to Alzheimer’s Disease and vascular dementia. But it also is important for healthy development of your gums. It has been found to help prevent gum disease and to help speed healing during treatment for gum disease. It’s also seen as a good item to help avoid a recurrence of gum disease.
Remember what you were told even as a child—take care of your teeth!