Popular Dental Treatment Has This Health Consequence
By Kevin DiDonato MS, CES--Level 1 Certified Precision Nutrition and Certified Personal Trainer
It’s about time we faced a very harsh reality: chemicals are EVERYWHERE.
And, those chemicals may be wrecking your health – and the health of everyone around you.
For example, chemicals found in popular shampoos, soup can liners, and water bottles may not only disrupt your normal production of hormones (commonly called endocrine disruptors), but may also be making you FAT – and beyond.
Now, you have heard a LOT of information about these products. But what about other chemical-containing products? Are they just as bad for you?
Well, we don’t have all the answers, but we DO have the answer when it comes to your favorite way to freshen your breath…
Mouthwash
Everyone knows that brushing your teeth removes plaque, food particles, and other bacteria that may rot your teeth and cause bad breath.
But, no matter how hard you try, you may not get ALL the bacteria that cause bad breath.
So you turn to the next step: mouthwash.
Granted, mouthwash does leave your mouth feeling fresh, clean, and free of bad breath.
But what it may also do is destroy the beneficial bacteria that currently reside in your mouth.
And, those bacteria play an IMPORTANT role when it comes to healthy blood vessels and blood flow.
There are certain foods that contain something called nitrates. Now, when you eat these foods, the nitrates are broken down by bacteria living in your mouth and converted to nitrites, which eventually lead to the production of nitric oxide.
Nitric oxide is a very important molecule for maintaining the health of your blood vessels. You see, nitric oxide relaxes your blood vessels, therefore allowing them to open up and blood to flow freely to the rest of your body.
However, when there is less nitric oxide available, your vessels constrict, therefore increasing your blood pressure.
Oh, and nitric oxide is important for better sexual health as well.
The more blood flow you have going to your sex organs, the better chance you have for improved pleasure, sex drive, and performance in the bedroom.
Now, back to mouthwash…
You need to look for a mouthwash that doesn't contain chlorhexidine, which has been shown to destroy the beneficial bacteria in your mouth.
(Here are some mouthwashes that don’t contain chlorhexidine: Aesop mouthwash, Oral Essentials, Georganics Coconut Oil Pulling Mouthwash, and Auromere Ayurvedic Mouthwash.)
And, this may lead to less conversion of nitrates into nitrites, therefore slowing the production of nitric oxide in your body.
Now, researchers wanted to see if mouthwash containing this anti-bacterial chemical really slowed the production of nitric oxide production after eating a meal that contained plenty of nitrates.
They found that people who did NOT have the mouthwash, showed a higher concentration of nitrates and nitrites in plasma and in their saliva.
The group using the mouthwash: there was no effect on nitrate concentration after the nitrate-rich meal.
But, they did notice a significant reduction in the conversion of nitrates into nitrites. They also noted a slowed increase in nitrite plasma concentrations in the mouthwash group.
Simply put, those using mouthwash showed a decrease in the conversion of nitrates into nitrites, which could significantly reduce the amount of nitric oxide produced in your body.
They concluded:
“We conclude that the acute increase in plasma nitrite seen after a nitrate load is critically dependent on nitrate reduction in the oral cavity by commensal bacteria. The removal of these bacteria with an antibacterial mouthwash will very likely attenuate the NO-dependent biological effects of dietary nitrate.”
Reduce Your Exposure
Chemicals are all around you and may be destroying your health.
And those chemicals are found in almost all products, such as shampoos, soap, soup cans, and even mouthwash.
Some chemicals may cause weight gain, disruption of hormones, and infertility.
Plus, chemical exposure may increase your risk for certain cancers and other chronic diseases.
Now, according to the results of this study, ONE chemical found in mouthwash may destroy beneficial bacteria in your mouth, which could decrease the conversion of nitrates into nitrites and the eventual conversion to nitric oxide.
This may lead to poor heart health, loss of sex drive, and high blood pressure.
The best option: look for an all-natural mouthwash that is free of harmful chemicals in order to freshen your breath in the morning.
Your body – mostly your heart – will thank you for it.
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References:
Govoni M, Jansson EA, Wetzberg E, Lundberg JO. The increase in plasma nitrite after a dietary nitrate load is markedly attenuated by an antibacterial mouthwash. Nitric Oxide. 2008 Dec;19(4):333-337.
About Jayson Hunter & Jaylab Pro
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Jaylab Pro was founded by Registered Dietitian Jayson Hunter. Jayson has been recognized as one of America's foremost weight loss experts by America's Premier Experts™. He has also been featured in USA Today for this accomplishment. Jayson is also a best-selling author having co-authored multiple books in health & fitness and business growth. Jayson and the Jaylab Pro team are proud to create content that helps improve the lives of millions of people around the world. We hope you enjoy it just as much as others have.