DIET AND DENTAL DISEASE
Is Your Diet the Cause of Your Dental Disease?
TOOTH DECAY, CROWDED MOUTHS AND GUM DISEASE ARE NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCY DISEASES
Dr Weston A. Price was a famous dentist in the 1930’s who was the first to make the connection between diet and oral health. He found groups of people from various geographic areas and climates eating varied diets who were “immune to tooth decay”. It was amazing to him and as a concerned dentist he needed to understand why.
WHO WERE THESE PEOPLE “IMMUNE TO TOOTH DECAY”?
Sounds like some new type of super hero, but they were actually just normal everyday folks. Swiss, Scots, Eskimos, Aborigines, Polynesians and Africans living typical lives. So what did all these different people have in common? Well, they all ate ancestral diets. Meaning they ate foods based on the wisdom of their ancestors who learned over time what made them healthy and strong. These ancestral diets had certain commonalities
· 4 times the amount of water soluble vitamins like B and C than the average American
Typical Maori teeth BEFORE a Western Diet was introduced
Photos courtesy of Weston A. Price
10 times the amount of fat soluble vitamins like A, D and a mysterious compound called “activator X” (Vitamin K2) than the average American
Cavities were rare. Crowded teeth were rare too. Their dental arches were wide enough to accommodate all of their teeth INCLUDING wisdom teeth!
WITH “PROGRESS” COMES ORAL ISSUES
Typical Maori teeth AFTER a Western Diet was introduced
Photos Courtesy of Weston A. Price
Typical Maori teeth AFTER a Western Diet was introduced
Photos Courtesy of Weston A. Price
Over 10 years Dr. Price witnessed as these populations transitioned to a western diet which introduced flour, sugar and seed oils. Less time was spent eating their traditional foods, what Dr. Price refers to as “the displacing foods of modern commerce”. So what happened?
Tooth decay – the result was almost immediate Click here to see why
Narrow Faces and crowded teeth – this transition was a slower, generational shift
LESSONS LEARNED AND TEETH SAVED
Dr Price began working with high-risk populations in the US introducing foods rich in fat-soluble vitamins into their diets. Foods high in A and D like cod liver oil, deep-sea fish, fish eggs and liver. He saw no decline in decay. How could this be?
He decided to include foods high in “activator X” – Vitamin K2 - like high vitamin butter oil and cheese. This addition caused decay rates to drop dramatically!
WHY IS K2 SO IMPORTANT?
K2 Helps vitamins like A and D do their job. These vitamins help the body form proteins that get calcium from where its stored (MGP) to where its needed (Osteocalcin) – like your teeth and bones. Without K2 this process won’t happen! Low K2 is also a factor in a number of other diseases/degenerative conditions like arterial plaque, osteoporosis and wrinkles.
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO ENSURE YOU GET ENOUGH A, D AND K2?
Well, having a diet rich in these vitamins like a paleo or ancestral diet is best. Include liver, salmon, pasture raised eggs, fish eggs, Ghee from grass fed cows, and cheese (if Dairy is tolerable) is best. If you feel you may have a problem eating these foods- or just prefer the ease of a pill – consider purchasing cod liver oil capsules, vitamin K2, and Ancestral Supplements freeze dried beef organ capsules.
And don’t worry about over dosing – remember the populations Dr. Price investigated had ten times the amount!
Watch the following video to learn more about the fantastic work of Weston A. Price.
WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WESTON A. PRICE AND HIS WORK?