Carbohydrates and Covid19
Hi Everyone,
I hope you and your loved ones are healthy and well. Our Complete Dental Health team is staying safe and hopes to see you again soon.
I wanted to write again about another intersection of dental health and staying healthy during the Covid19 pandemic. One of the surest ways to keep your mouth healthy is to limit carbohydrates. Unhealthy carbohydrates include sugars, grains, and processed foods – processed packaged foods are high in added sugar. We all have bacteria in our mouths, but when we eat sugars and processed foods we create an overgrowth of harmful bacteria that can cause cavities and gum disease. Fortunately, unlike proteins and fats, there are no essential carbohydrates. We can have healthier mouths by eating fewer carbohydrates. So add more vegetables, but avoid too many fruits or grains. Avoid soda and juice especially.
Not only will reducing carbohydrates make our mouths healthier, but fewer carbs can make us more resistant to Covid19. Eating sugar has been shown to rapidly decrease the activity of neutrophils, an important type of infection fighting white blood cell. More importantly, the biggest risk factors for people who fare badly with Covid19 are obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. All of those conditions are increased or caused by insulin resistance. How do we develop insulin resistance? Right, eating carbohydrates and sugar. So how can we have healthier mouths and be more resistant to Covid19? Right again, reduce our intake of sugar, carbohydrates, and processed food.
I know that’s not a fun suggestion in the midst of sheltering in place when people are baking favorite treats and enjoying comfort food. But the benefits of cutting carbs are worth it. Even a few weeks of reducing carbohydrates in the diet can improve insulin resistance and improve your immune health. At a minimum you may avoid cavities. But sticking with it could save your life.
How do you know if you have insulin resistance? Tell your physician that you’d like an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and an insulin level test. If you already worry about obesity, diabetes, or heart disease, don’t wait for your doctor’s diagnosis – cutting carbohydrates and processed foods now will surely be beneficial.
If you have questions about how to implement a low-carbohydrate diet in your life, the dietdoctor.com website is excellent. Or you may want to look at LowcarbUSA.org. I’ve had a lifelong sweet tooth, but the information on those sites helped me lose thirty pounds by cutting carbohydrates.
If you have questions feel free to call or email. And as always, we are still here for your urgent dental needs.
Be well,
Tim Collins
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