Could Fad Diets Be Ruining Your Teeth?
Dental experts are warning that fad diets, which tend to become increasingly popular in the summer months, could be damaging the nation’s oral health.
Dr Sameer Patel, from Elleven Dental, claims that people are putting their oral health at risk by engaging in fad diets in a bid to lose weight rapidly. When the summer comes around, many people start diets, which are designed to make them lose weight quickly, in advance of holidays and special events, such as weddings, but this trend can be damaging for oral and general health.
Dr Patel said that diets such as juice diets, raw food eating plans, home-delivered ready meal plans and the 5:2 diet, can be extremely harmful for the teeth. Juices are extremely acidic, many ready meals contain a lot of hidden sugar and milkshakes, which are often part of meal replacement plans, can contain up to 18 grams of sugar per serving.
Dr Patel explained that fruit and vegetables in their entire natural form are considered healthy acids; however, when they are blended into a concentrated form, they are extremely acidic and this is harmful for the enamel. There can also be a problem with sugars, which contribute to the formation of cavities.
Another popular diet, the 5:2 diet, which restricts calorie intake on 5 days, has been linked to bad breath as a result of a process called ketosis. Ketosis is a direct result of diet and no amount of brushing or flossing can get rid of it; it is caused by the body reacting to a low calorie diet, which occurs on ‘fast days’.
Dieting is part and parcel of summer for many people, but experts are advising the public to be careful this summer and to think about their long-term health. The best way to lose weight and keep it off is to adopt a healthy, balanced diet and exercise on a regular basis.
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