5 Best Foods for Your Teeth

Added by Drew Canole 

Brushing, flossing and avoiding certain foods can keep your teeth and gums healthy.
Did you know that certain foods are actually good for your teeth and gums?
Calcium rich foods help keep your bones and teeth healthy. Foods that contain polyphenols and probiotics can also ensure healthy teeth and a healthy mouth. Fiber rich foods act as bristles and can help keep your teeth clean throughout the day.
Now that you know the basics, here are the top 5 best foods for your teeth.

1. Apples

You’ve heard the old saying,”an apple a day keeps the doctor away,” well it also keeps cavities away. Carbohydrates such as cookies and bread stick to our gums which can cause dental decay. Eating an apple helps remove

An apple a day keeps cavities away.

leftover food particles from your teeth. The milk acids found in apples also help remove stains. Apples are packed with Vitamin C which helps in collagen restoration of your gums.

• Apples are low in calories; 100 g of fresh fruit slices provide only 50 calories. The fruits are however, contain no saturated fats or cholesterol; but rich in dietary fiber, which helps, prevent absorption of dietary LDL cholesterol in the gut. The dietary fibers also help protect the mucous membrane of the colon from exposure to toxic substances by binding to cancer causing chemicals in the colon.

• Apple fruit contains good quantities of vitamin-C and beta-carotene.Vitamin C is a powerful natural antioxidant. Consumption of foods rich in vitamin C helps body develop resistance against infectious agents andscavenge harmful, pro-inflammatory free radicals from the body.

• Apples are rich in antioxidant phyto-nutrients flavonoids and polyphenols. The total measured anti-oxidant strength (ORAC value) of 100 g apple fruit is 5900 TE. The important flavonoids in apples are quercetin, epicatechin, and procyanidin B2. Apples are also good in tartaric acid that gives tart flavor to them. These compounds help body protect from deleterious effects of free radicals.

• In addition, apple fruit is a good source of B-complex vitamins such as riboflavin, thiamin, and pyridoxine (vitamin B-6). Together these vitamins help as co-factors for enzymes in metabolism as well as in various synthetic functions inside the body.

2. Celery

Celery sticks make for a great afternoon snack. Natural fibers in celery can help your teeth clean. Celery like apples is packed with Vitamin C which helps fight inflammation in your gums.

Ditch chips and add celery

• Celery is a functional food. Its leaves are rich source of flavonoid antioxidants such as zeaxanthin, lutein and beta- carotene, which have anti-oxidant, cancer protective, and immune-boosting functions.
• It is also good source of vitamin-A. Vitamin-A and beta-carotene are natural flavonoid antioxidants. Vitamin A is also required for maintaining healthy mucus membranes and skin, and for vision. Consumption of natural foods rich in flavonoids helps body to protect from lung and oral cavity cancers.
• The herb is also rich in many vital vitamins including folic acid (provides 9% of RDA), riboflavin, niacin and vitamin-C, which are essential for optimum metabolism.
• Fresh celery is an excellent source of vitamin-K, provides about 25% of DRI. Vitamin-K help increase bone mass by promoting osteotrophic activity in the bones. It also has established role in Alzheimer’s disease patients by limiting neuronal damage in the brain.

3. Carrots

The natural sugars in carrots will give you a nice boost of energy and the fibers in the carrots will act as a tooth brush, cleaning your teeth. The Vitamin A found in carrots also helps keep your gums and skin cancer-free.

• Carrots are exceptionally rich source of carotenes and vitamin-A. 100 g fresh carrot contain 8285 mcg of beta-caroteneand 16706 IU of vitamin A. Studies have found that flavonoid compounds in carrots help protect from skin, lung and oral cavity cancers.
  
  

  Colorful Carrots
• Carotenes are converted in to vitamin A in the liver. Beta-carotene is the major carotene that is present in these roots. Beta carotene is one of the powerful natural anti-oxidant helps protect body from harmful fee radical injury.  In addition, it also has all the functions of vitamin A such as vision, reproduction (sperm production), maintenance of epithelial integrity, growth and development.
• Carrots are rich in poly-acetylene anti-oxidant falcarinol. Research study conducted by scientists at University of Newcastle on laboratory animals has found that falcarinol in carrots may help fight against cancers by destroying pre-cancerous cells in the tumors.

4. Radishes

Radishes are rich in sulphur and silicon, which are great for regeneration of connective tissues found in bones, skin and gums. Sulphur also helps relieve pain and inflammation while promoting good bacterial flora.

• Radishes are very low calorie root vegetables; contains only 16 calories per 100 g. However they are very good source of anti-oxidants, minerals, vitamins and dietary fiber.
• Fresh Radishes are rich in vitamin C; provide about 15 mg or 25% of DRI of vitamin C per 100 g.  Vitamin C is a powerful water soluble anti-oxidant required by the body for synthesis of collagen. Vitamin C helps body scavenge harmful free radicals, prevention from cancers, inflammation and helps boost immunity.
• In addition, they contain adequate levels of folates, vitamin B-6, riboflavin, thiamin and minerals such as iron, magnesium, copper and calcium.
• They contain many phytochemicals like indoles which are detoxifying agents and zeaxanthin, lutein and beta carotene which are flavonoid antioxidants.

5. Kale

Nutrient dense kale is packed with calcium and loads of fiber. Kale is also rick in flavonoids, which gives it inflammation and antioxidant properties while helping you fight gum disease.

• Kale, like other members of the brassica family, contains health-promoting phytochemicals, sulforaphane and indole-3-carbinol that are appears to protect against prostate and colon cancers.
• Di-indolyl-methane (DIM), a metabolite of indole-3-carbinol has been found to be an effective immune modulator, anti-bacterial and anti-viral agent through its action of potentiating “Interferon-Gamma” receptors.
• Borecole is very rich source of ß-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin. These flavonoids have strong anti-oxidant and anti-cancer activities. Beta-carotene is converted to vitamin A in the body.
• Zeaxanthin, an important dietary carotenoid, is selectively absorbed into the retinal macula lutea in the eyes where it is thought to provide antioxidant and protective light-filtering functions. Thus, it helps prevent retinal detachment and offers protection against “age related macular degeneration disease” (ARMD) in the elderly.
• It is very rich in vitamin A, 100 g leaves provide 512% of RDA. Vitamin A is required for maintaining healthy mucus membranes and skin and is essential for vision. Foods rich in this vitamin offer protection against lung and oral cavity cancers.
• It is one of the excellent vegetable sources for vitamin-K; 100 g provides about 700% of recommended intake. Vitamin K has potential role bone health by promoting osteotrophic (bone formation and strengthening) activity. Adequate vitamin-K levels in the diet helps limiting neuronal damage in the brain; thus, has established role in the treatment of patients suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.
• 100 g of fresh leaves contain 120 mg or 200% of daily-recommended levels of vitamin C. Scottish curly leaf variety yet has more of this vitamin, 130 mg/100g. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant, which helps body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful oxygen free radicals.
• This leafy vegetable is notably good in many B-complex group of vitamins such as niacin, vit.B-6 (pyridoxine), thiamin, pantothenic acid, etc that are essential for substrate metabolism in the body.
• It is also rich source of minerals like copper, calcium, sodium, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure by countering effects of sodium. Manganese is used by the body as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase. Iron is required for cellular oxidation and red blood cell formation.