The word carb is often thrown around in many conversations especially when it comes to food, dieting, and overall health. Some would say they have to live without it and some can’t last a day without it.
Consuming foods rich in carbohydrates affect our oral health since these foods enter our body through our mouth. To know if it is good or bad for you, you have to know what carbs really are and understand its role in your dental health.
Carbohydrates are split into three categories which are the sugar, starch, and fiber. The sugars are the sweet kinds of carbs; starches are the more complex type of sugar and fiber are the types of carbs that humans have no ability to digest; yet are still beneficial to the breakdown and sweeping of the digestive tract. Carbs are used by the body to give us energy.
Eating carbs are important in our daily diet since it is the source of energy for our cells to function at the molecular level. The confusion and controversy start when you eat certain types of carbs and decide to make these regular choices a daily habit.
To make things simpler, you can seek help from our 24 hour dental emergency hotline and find out the ways of dealing with carbs.
Whole carbs are food that are in their natural form or the unprocessed foods. They have all the natural sugars and fiber intact. These foods include vegetables, whole fruits, legumes, potatoes and whole grains. Because of the dietary fiber and simple sugars these foods contain, their passage to your mouth is smooth and helpful in a way. Chewing on crisp and healthy fruits and vegetables brush away bad bacteria and stimulate your gums. The act of chewing also promotes the production of saliva that washes away food particles and bacteria from your mouth.
Refined, on the other hand, are the processed carbs. You can see them readily available like sweetened drinks, fruit juices, white bread, pasta, cakes and other pastries. It is easy to see that the refined carbs are sugar-rich and manufactured to satisfy the palate yet stripped off of the nutrients and the much-needed minerals of your body. Refined foods are the ones associated with health risks and weight gain. These also cause tooth decay and gum diseases as bacteria proliferate in the presence of high sugar content in the food that you eat.
The next time you think about consuming foods, think about how much refined and whole carbs comprises your daily diet. Some would say that you should avoid them altogether and some would say stick to the whole. Having the right perspective would definitely help you get that balance that your body needs.
The teeth and gums are prone to attack in the daily consumption of sugary treats and snacking on refined carbs definitely would take a toll on your oral health. There are a lot of foods that are rich in fiber and minerals that are less harmful to your body and your teeth. Opt for the simple sugars. At the end of the day, there isn’t a bad carb and good carb, all depends on your choice and in complete moderation.
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