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There are numerous diets out there for those who want to lose weight, get healthy, or bulk up and only a few survive the test of time. One such diet that has survived is Paleo, the caveman-inspired diet that encourages the consumption of fresh fruits, veggies, nuts, and meat. Discover more about this popular dietary lifestyle and how it can improve your oral health.
The Paleo Diet Explained
If you’ve never tried Paleo yourself, you’ve probably overheard people talking about it at your gym, CrossFit class, or Yoga studio. Essentially, Paleo is a diet that harkens back to our ancestors, and the way that they ate before agriculture. Long story short, that means no bread and dairy, since our highly-active predecessors would not have eaten those foods. Instead, Paleo encourages you to eat as many fruits, veggies, nuts, and meat as you want.
Benefits Worthy of a Caveman – Why Try Paleo?
Aside from the dental benefits, the most common reason that people try the Paleo diet is that it helps them rapidly lose weight in a safe way. That’s because bread has excess carbohydrates, and those refined carbohydrates are a major culprit behind weight gain – not fat. Here are some of the common benefits reported from those who’ve tried the Paleo lifestyle:
- Shed Pounds – Lose weight fast due to low carb intake
- Grow Muscle – High protein diets support muscle growth
- Improve Digestion – By avoiding sugar and processed foods
- Highly Nutritious – Fresh fruits and veggies are loaded with vitamins
- Understand your Food – Because you’re making high-quality diet choices
How the Paleo Diet Can Benefit Your Teeth
Paleo is known to have a lot of benefits for your bodily health in general, but what about for your smile? Check out these three ways that the Paleo lifestyle is beneficial for oral health.
1. Eliminate Cavity-causing Sugar & Processed Foods from Your Diet
Everyone knows how damaging sugar can be for your smile. If you follow the Paleo diet, only fresh natural foods are allowed. Since no packaged products like Twinkies or Frosted Flakes are allowed on Paleo, you’ll eliminate almost all sugar from your diet simply by following the basic rules. That lack of sugar in your body will help your lose weight, but it will also keep your oral health in excellent condition.
2. Eat as Many Nutritious Veggies as You Want
The beauty of Paleo compared to other diets is that there is no limit to the amount of food you can have, so long as it’s from the right food groups. This means you can load your plate up with fresh, nutritious fruits and veggies for every meal. Putting vegetables at the forefront of your diet not only ensures that you’ll lose weight and be healthy, but is also great for your teeth depending on the specific vegetable – here are some examples of how plant-based foods are good for your teeth:
- Leafy Greens – Stimulate saliva and clean your teeth as you chew
- Carrots – Their fibrous texture and chewing action are excellent for the teeth
- Garlic – Effective at alleviating toothaches.
- Cucumber – Great source of fiber and chewing action helps gums and teeth
- Apples – Requires a lot of chewing which stimulates saliva production.
- Strawberries – Contain malic acid which whitens the teeth.
And those are just a few examples of the benefits fruits and veggies provide for your teeth. If you try the Paleo diet, then the absence of bread, sugar, and dairy opens the door for exploring fresh fruits and veggies that are great for your body and smile.
3. Low Carb Diets are Excellent for Your Teeth
Diets that limit or prohibit grains are known to be beneficial for oral health. The primary reason for this is that breads and refined sugars are leading causes of cavities. By completely eliminating grains and sugars from your diet, you drastically cut back on these threats to your smile.
Ask Dr. Troyan about the Foods that are Best for Your Smile
Just as certain foods are great or terrible for the body, the same is true for your oral health. Learning how your diet is affecting your smile is an important step in keeping your teeth and gums as healthy as possible. Dr. Troyan leads a friendly, professional dental team and can help you pick the treatment that’s ideal for you – contact our dental offices in Hoffman Estates and Norridge, IL today.
