The Mouth-Gut Connection: Vital Insights To Your Health
& 3 Things To Do NOW To Improve Oral Health
WHY MOUTH HEALTH = GUT HEALTH (in the words of a gut health dietitian)
First off, I’d like to take a trip down story-telling lane. I once worked with a client who came to me with a variety of symptoms - metabolic things like weight loss stagnancy and blood sugar imbalance as well as common gut symptoms like loose stool, bloating and random bouts of belly pain. This client also happened to have a chronic history of mouth problems like cavities and gingivitis.
Interestingly, in my workup and her test results, we found she had significant overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria (dysbiosis) in her gut. Once we targeted this overgrowth with herbal therapies (including oral targeted antimicrobials), food, and lifestyle support, not only did her metabolic and gut symptoms get better - so did her mouth problems. Her dentist was shocked and confused at her next teeth cleaning and asked what she had done to improve so much in her mouth….
Our takeaway, mouth health <-> gut health
More specifically (and scientifically), the oral cavity is rich in a variety of species including bacteria and biofilms. The bacteria that accumulates in the mouth can surpass just the environment of the mouth and impact the rest of the body. The researchers in this article explain “every time you swallow, you are seeding your GI tract with bacteria, fungi and viruses from your mouth”.
‘There is good evidence that the oral microbiome influences the organisms downstream and might be a hidden source of infection in people with chronic gastrointestinal dysbiosis (aka an imbalance in the ‘good and bad guys’ of the gut) which could be a root behind your symptoms of constipation, diarrhea or chronic bloating. And it doesn’t stop there, mounting evidence shows the link between the health of the oral cavity and systemic disease such as cardiovascular disease’.
Hence why I ask about the mouth/dental history for any client who works with me!
Are you convinced yet that this is a priority?! Keep scrollin’ for my easy tips…
>The health of our oral microbiome goes beyond just the mouth - it has systemic impacts on our state of health!
Image: Ask the dentist; Dr. Mark Burhenne
3 Things You Can Do Now For A Healthier Mouth:
Choose mineral-rich foods often with an emphasis on non-starchy, bitter veggies (dark leafy greens, cauliflower), bioavailable animal protein (like grass fed beef, wild fish), whole animal/plant fats (grass fed butter, ghee, avocado, raw seeds) and be mindful of the refined/processed carbs
Reduce the white breads, fried foods, breaded foods, pastries, crunchy snack foods, alcohol, sweetened drinks, candy….these lead to increased inflammation, an acidic mouth environment (which can demineralize teeth) and plaque buildup (a biggie contributor to oral dysbiosis or more ‘bad bugs’). Choose sweeteners from an unprocessed basis that come with immune system benefits like raw or manuka honey.
Consume mineral-rich animal protein like grass fed beef, organ meats, wild seafood/shellfish and organic dairy often which offer us highly absorbable sources of minerals like calcium, magnesium, boron and phosphorus that we need for strong bones and teeth.
2. Tongue scraping supports the removal of bacterial/biofilm buildup on the tongue that can accumulate overnight. Simply scrape the tongue gently in the morning with a scraper like this one.
PS: Avoid alcohol-based mouth wash like Listerine - think of it like hand sanitizer for your mouth! It disturbs a healthy oral microbiome. If you need mouth wash, use a microbiome friendly one like Risewell. Eliminate fluoride use as well - it competes with iodine binding as well as reduces magnesium and can therefore negatively impact the thyroid and has been linked with higher risks of hip fractures, bone cancer and arthritis.
Mouth taping @ bedtime - because mouth breathing (especially while sleeping) can actively increase our risk of cavities due to overgrowth of ‘bad’ bacteria in the mouth when the mouth is dried out/open. Studies have also supported that those who mouth breathe can have a higher cortisol and blood sugar level as well as a higher risk of insulin sensitivity. I use gentle medical tape and simply tape my mouth up before bed nightly!
PS: Supporting healthy deep sleep each and every night is important to optimize the time where our gut lining can really RESTORE & REPAIR. Sleeping with your mouth open hinders that process as it not only can disrupt quality sleep, mouth breathing is a diuretic - aka it can cause you to get up and pee during the night more often.
Are you an oral microbiome nerd like me? I highly recommend the book: Heal Your Oral Microbiome.
PS: We are supposed to nose breathe as much as possible since the nasal passages help warm and filter the air we breathe.
Mouth breathing causes us to consume unfiltered, dirty air and causes a drying of our mouth which becomes a perfect breeding ground for bacteria. More on my IG here.
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References:
https://askthedentist.com/oral-microbiome/
https://www.drkarafitzgerald.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/2015-Oral-Microbiome-Nelson-Dooley-Olmstead.pdf
