In a recent BBC Future article, Jasmin Fox-Skelly looks at the oral microbiome and what to eat to keep it healthy. Her main point is that oral health is as much about what you do eat as what you avoid.
A crowded community
Fox-Skelly explains that the mouth hosts around 700 bacterial species, plus viruses and fungi.
- Streptococcus mutants feeds on sugar and turns it into acid that wears away enamel leading into holes or cavities. More than 80% of Americans have cavities by their mid-30s.
- Helpful species such as Veillonella, Actinomyces and Neisseria can block harmful strains from taking hold.
- Porphyromonas gingivitis thrives in pockets between teeth and gums. It causes gum disease and has been linked to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s and other conditions.
- One US study found people with certain decay-linked bacteria or Candida yeast in their saliva had a higher risk of pancreatic cancer. Lower microbial diversity has been associated with depression.
What to eat, and what to skip
Brushing alone will not maintain this community, Fox-Skelly writes. Everything you eat, your microbes eat too.
- Sugary drinks and refined carbohydrates feed cavity-causing bacteria. White bread, crackers, biscuits and pretzels break down into sugars quickly.
- Leafy greens, beetroot and radishes supply nitrate, which Neisseria converts into nitrite. In one trial, older adults drinking beetroot juice twice daily saw blood pressure fall.
- Polyphenols in tea stop plaque from sticking to teeth, says Christine Wu of the University of Illinois Chicago. Her research also found cranberry juice inhibits plaque growth.
- Cheese boosts saliva, which clears sugar and buffers acid. In one small Italian study, five days of Grana Padano shifted mouth bacteria in a healthier direction.
- Fermented foods such as kefir add bacteria that compete with the harmful ones. Garlic contains allicin, which attacks cavity-causing microbes.
Within the broader family of these sugar loving microbes, Streptococcus, there are some [bacteria] that don’t produce much acid at all, and they’ll actually attack some of the microbes that do produce acid. They’re like freedom fighters – they have their own antibiotics that they use as weapons. So if you have these bacteria then you’re going to be in good shape.
– Laura Weyrich, associate professor of anthropology and bioethics at Pennsylvania State University in the US (Source: BBC)
Pattern over superfoods
Gaetano Isola of the University of Catania tells the BBC there is no single superfood for the mouth.
- What matters is the overall diet. Frequent refined sugar favors acid-producing microbes and shifts the community out of balance.
- His advice is to favor whole plant foods: vegetables, whole fruit, legumes and whole grains.
- A study he worked on found people following a Mediterranean-style diet had less severe gum disease. Frequent red meat consumption tracked with worse outcomes.
- Brushing and flossing still matter. Fox-Skelly notes scientists do not yet know how ordinary mouthwash affects the microbiome, though chlorhexidine rinses are known to disrupt it.
Laura Weyrich of Pennsylvania State University sums it up in a way she admits is boring: a balanced diet, plenty of greens, lean protein, less sugar. “It’s the same thing that everybody always says – which is kind of boring – which is sticking to a diet that’s well balanced and has lots of vegetables, lots of leafy greens, lean proteins and limiting your sugar intake, especially sugary drinks.”
Fox-Skelly’s closing suggestion is a salad, some good cheese, and a cup of tea. Your body benefits, and so do the microbes doing the work.
Acknowledgement: This summary was generated using AI writing tools as part of my AI exploration process. For more information, check out the original article listed below.