Your diet affects a lot more than just your digestive health. What you eat also plays a crucial role in the health of your teeth and gums. In our last blog, we discussed the importance of the pH level of your saliva. High acidity leads to more tooth damage, increasing the risk of tooth decay and gum disease.
It’s crucial that you eat a diet high in alkaline foods, and avoid or limit acidic foods and drinks like citrus fruits and coffee. Alkaline foods not only balance pH levels in the mouth, but they also balance stomach acids. This can help with indigestion and acid reflux issues.
Here are just a few alkaline foods that are amazing for dental health:
1. Green Leafy Vegetables & Herbs
Leafy green vegetables supply an excellent source of essential vitamins and minerals and also have an alkalizing effect on the body. Try including a few servings a day of spinach, kale, parsley, basil, arugula, or mustard greens in your meals.
2. Root Vegetables
Root vegetables like sweet potato, taro root, lotus root, beets, and carrots are great alkaline foods. Enjoy these root veggies by roasting them on a sheet pan, or by using them in soups, salads, and stir fry.
3. Cruciferous Vegetables
Cruciferous vegetables get their name from the Latin name for crucifix because when they bloom they resemble a cross. They are a diverse group of vegetables that have risen in popularity due to their cancer-fighting properties. Cruciferous vegetables also rank high on the alkalinity scale. Some popular ones include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and cauliflower.
4. Nuts & Seeds
Not all nuts are quite the same when it comes to acidity and alkalinity. If you are in need of a quick alkaline snack, reach for these nuts or seeds: almonds, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, or sunflower seeds. But avoid peanuts, walnuts, cashews, pecans, and Brazil nuts, which are acidic.
5. Avocado
In recent years, avocado has boomed in popularity as a “healthy” fat. In addition, it has anti-inflammatory properties and helps alkalize the body. Avocado goes great in salads and soups, as well as on scrambled eggs and toast.
6. Onions & Garlic
Onions and garlic are staples in a variety of cuisines because of the flavor they offer. Raw garlic is not only alkaline, but also a great anti-inflammatory. And both white and red onions have a ton of nutritional benefits and are alkaline as well. In fact, lightly cooking onions increases their alkalinity. Both onions and garlic are also prebiotics that help the digestive system utilize probiotics more effectively.
Compassionate Flagstaff, Arizona Dentist
The proverbial saying “you are what you eat,” is certainly true to some degree. When it comes to oral health, the types of foods you choose can make all the difference. At Country Club Dental in Flagstaff, we encourage all of our patients to eat a well-balanced diet filled with alkaline foods that will benefit their oral and overall health.
Photo by Adolfo Félix on Unsplash (9/17/2020)
