While proper nutrition benefits the entire body, it’s easy
to forget the entire body also includes your gums and teeth. By consuming the correct
vitamins and nutrients, whether through supplements or food choices, you can better
protect your overall oral health. To ensure you’re making the right choices for
your oral health, here are several essential nutrients for both gum and teeth
health.
Calcium
We’ve
all heard that calcium is good for bone health, but it's also crucial for your
teeth, with the National Institutes of Health stating calcium helps develop
and sustain healthy teeth. To get your daily dose of calcium, you should try
dairy products, such as yogurt and milk, which have a kind of calcium your body
can easily absorb. Canned, bone-in sardines and salmon are good calcium sources
as well, with vegan options including leafy green vegetables, fortified
cereals, and blackstrap molasses.
Phosphorus
Another
essential nutrient for healthy gums and teeth is phosphorous, which, according
to the University of Maryland Medical Center, is one of the most prevalent
minerals in the human body, with much of it being in the teeth. Phosphorus is
necessary for the repair and maintenance of your body's tissues, and it works
with calcium in order to keep teeth strong. Fortunately, phosphorous is in many
protein-heavy foods, such as eggs, dairy, meats, legumes, and nuts, as well as
dried fruits, whole grains, and some carbonated drinks. Most individuals get plenty
of phosphorous in their normal diet without requiring supplements.
Vitamin D
This
micronutrient plays a huge part in maintaining healthy teeth and your overall
health, telling the intestinal tract to absorb calcium you've consumed and then
transport it to your bloodstream. Without the right amount of vitamin D, the
human body would leach the calcium right from the bones. Certain foods have
been fortified with vitamin D, such as breakfast cereals, milk, and other food
items. You can check nutrition labels to see if the foods you like have vitamin
D in them.
Vitamin A
In
addition to being good for the eyes, vitamin A is good for the mouth as well,
helping to develop and sustain tissues, such as the mucus membranes and the
teeth. This essential nutrient has two forms: provitamin A and preformed
vitamin A, with the latter being found in poultry, dairy, meat, and similar
animal products. As for provitamin A, it’s found in vegetables and fruits, with
the body converting it to its active form.
Vitamin C
There
are many nutrients that are good for teeth, but others, vitamin C in particular,
are good for gums. Vitamin C, per the Mayo Clinic, is necessary for the creation
of blood vessels as well as other teeth-supporting tissues. Also, this nutrient
is crucial for healing, so much so that patients with severe deficiencies in vitamin
C can suffer from bleeding gums. To get a good dose of vitamin C, you can
always check out berries, citrus fruits, spinach, brussel sprouts, and similar
vegetables and fruits.
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