We all love to eat sweets. When we try something sweet, our sense of taste sends a direct message to our brain: This is really delicious! And dopamine begins to be released in the body, which makes us happy and satisfied. However, according to scientific research, sugar negatively affects our health. Increases the risk of diabetes and obesity. As well as some types of cancer, is not good for our bloodstream, and also negatively affects the health of our teeth.
According to a report by the World Health Organization. Sugar use should be reduced to less than 6 teaspoons per day. Given that one can of Coca Cola, for example, contains as much as 10 teaspoons of sugar. It is clear that we have to give up a lot in order to stick to the recommended daily amounts of sugar. For every true gourmet, it is not easy at all. But if we want to preserve our health, we must find a way to stick to these recommendations. And why sugar is so harmful to our health – read below.
Demineralization and remineralization
Many different types of bacteria live in our mouths. Some are good for the health of our teeth while others are harmful. A certain group of harmful bacteria produces acid in our mouth whenever we consume foods that contain sugar. These acids remove minerals from tooth enamel, which is the protective outer layer of our teeth. This process is called demineralization.
The good news is that our saliva helps the tooth enamel to constantly regenerate, doing a natural process called remineralization. Minerals from our saliva such as calcium or phosphates. Along with fluoride from toothpaste and water. Compensate for minerals lost during an acid attack and help the enamel regenerate itself. That way, our teeth stay strong for a long time.
However, if we take a lot of sweets and starches into our body every day, the remineralization process can be difficult. Constant repetition of the cycle of “acid attacks” causes a deficiency of minerals in the enamel. Over time, the enamel shrinks and destroys and creates excellent conditions for the formation of caries.
Caries is a hole in the tooth that is caused by tooth decay, ie. as a result of the action of harmful bacteria that digest the sugar in food and produce acid.
If you do not pay attention to what and how much you eat, do not worry about dental hygiene and do not go to the dentist regularly, caries can spread deeper into the teeth, can cause pain and tooth loss is possible. Symptoms of tooth decay include toothache, pain when chewing food and sensitivity to sweets, and to hot and cold food and drink.
How sugar affects general health
Consumption of sweets stimulates the secretion of the hormones of happiness and pleasure dopamine in our body, but at the same time, the sugar we take into the body reaches our stomach where it is broken down by digestive juices and transmitted to the intestinal tract. Enzymes begin to break down every part of sugar into two types of molecules – glucose and fructose. However, when it comes to refined corn syrup, which is most commonly found in desserts, it usually has more fructose than glucose. If consumed too often, these molecules can cause great damage to our body.
If we take in large amounts of sugar every day, we can create chaos throughout our body. Over time, diabetes and obesity can develop, and the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, as well as breast, uterine, and colon cancers, also increases. One scientific study found that people who regularly consume foods rich in sugar are twice as likely to suffer from severe heart disease, regardless of the fact that they do not have problems with being overweight. Another study suggests that excessive sugar intake can cause non-alcoholic fatty liver, which can even lead to failure of this organ.
How does sugar affect the health of our teeth?
The bacteria that form dental plaque, which is one of the main causes of dental disease, use sugar as a source of energy. If we provide them with a sufficient amount of sugar through food, these bacteria multiply quickly, which leads to the spread and thickening of dental plaque. Some of the bacteria turn the sugar into a sticky film, so they stick to the surface of the teeth, making it difficult for saliva to wash the bacteria out of the teeth.
Sugar attracts bad bacteria and lowers the pH in your mouth
Sugar is like a magnet for bad bacteria. The two destructive bacteria found in the mouth are Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sorbrinus. Both of these bacteria feed on sugar that is taken into the body through food and thus form dental plaque, a sticky, colourless film that forms on the tooth surface. If the plaque is not washed away with saliva or with the help of a toothbrush. The environment in the mouth becomes more acidic, which inevitably leads to the formation of caries.
The pH value tells us how acidic or basic a solution is, with pH 7 being a neutral value. When the pH of the plaque falls below the neutral value or is less than 5.5, the acid begins to dissolve the minerals and destroy the tooth enamel. This causes damage to the tooth surface in the form of holes.
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