by Lisa Drayer
5. Mozzarella cheese, part-skim, 1.5 oz.
310 mg
6. Swiss cheese, 1 oz.
272 mg
7. Salmon with bones, 3 oz.
205 mg
8. Turnip greens, cooked, 1 cup
200 mg
9. Cheddar cheese, low-fat, 1 oz.
118 mg
10. White beans, ½ cup
96 mg
sun exposure prematurely ages the skin and carries the risk of skin cancer. Among my Top 10 Beauty Foods, vitamin D is found in salmon and oysters. Other good sources include fortified milk, cod liver oil, and sardines (for more information, see Chapter 2).
MAGNESIUM
Magnesium is a major component of teeth and bones. This mineral works together with calcium and plays many other important roles in the body. Spinach, walnuts, and dark chocolate, three of my Top 10 Beauty Foods, all contain magnesium.
VITAMIN C
We know a deficiency of vitamin C (scurvy) loosens teeth and causes bleeding and swelling in the gums. Vitamin C is extremely important to the health of your mouth, not only for its antioxidant properties but also because it helps maintain and repair connective tissue. This multitasking vitamin is essential for the formation of collagen, which helps keep your gums healthy. Without vitamin C, gums and the connective tissues holding teeth begin to erode. In a study involving more than 12,000 U.S. adults conducted at the State University of New York at Buffalo, people who consumed the lowest amounts of vitamin C were at the greatest risk for gum disease. Vitamin C also enhances immune function and promotes healing. Among my Top 10 Beauty Foods, you'll find significant amounts of vitamin C in kiwi, blueberries, sweet potatoes, spinach, and tomatoes. You can also get your daily dose of vitamin C from foods like peppers, oranges, strawberries, lemons, and broccoli (for more information, see Chapter 1).
OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS
Omega-3s are helpful to gum health because they help reduce inflammation and support bone health. A study published in Clinical Nutrition concluded that alveolar bone destruction in periodontal disease is associated with an imbalance between the omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids and that it makes sense to treat gum disease by increasing omega-3s in the diet because this will shift the body away from the production of arachidonic acid and inflammation-boosting prostaglandins. Among my Top 10 Beauty Foods, you can obtain omega-3 fatty acids from salmon, spinach, and walnuts. (For more information on essential fatty acids, see Chapter 1.)
Eight Tips for Beautiful Teeth
The following eight eating habits will make sure you never have to hide your winning smile.
1. Condense Your Consumption of Carbs
My brother Jeff, an orthodontist, recently asked me, "Which do you think is more harmful to your teeth: having a piece of chocolate cake at one sitting or sipping a cup of coffee with sugar throughout the day?" Believe it or not, the answer is the coffee, because sipping continuously throughout the day provides a constant opportunity for the sugars to attack your teeth (chances are, we eat a piece of chocolate cake pretty quickly!).
Teeth don't really care about portion control. For them, eating one caramel has basically the same effect as eating 20. However, for your teeth, timing is everything. Eating 20 caramels all at once is better for your teeth than eating one caramel every so often, all day. Sucking on hard candy or nibbling on chips and cookies all day nourishes bacteria and bathes teeth with acids that cause cavities. (For 20 or more minutes, bacteria feed off the carbohydrates, and the acids produced go to work on your teeth until your saliva is able to wash away the food particles and neutralize the acids.) If you snack, eat every three to four hours, not every three to four minutes!
Bad for teeth are lollipops, cough drops, peppermints, and sweet candies that bathe the teeth in sugar. If you tend to eat these sweets in succession, your teeth get a sugar bath all day.
Even worse for teeth are chewy or sticky treats like Starburst candies, Tootsie Rolls, Gummi Bears, caramels, and Skittles. Sticky foods stay on teeth longer, and this increases acid formation.
Worst of all for teeth are soft, sweet, sticky foods like cake, candy, bread, potato chips, crackers, cookies, sugar-coated cereals, cream-filled cookies, and so on. Unlike simple sugars, starchy snacks get stuck in between your teeth and linger in the mouth, continuing to feed the bacteria that cause tooth decay. If you don't brush or floss, food particles may hang around for hours or days.
To discourage tooth decay, condense your consumption of carbs, and avoid sticky, sugary treats!
2. Snack with Care
When you crave a snack, reach for some sugar-free gum with xylitol. It increases the production of saliva, which is your body's natural mechanism for washing away food and neutralizing acid, plus xylitol can temporarily slow the growth of the bacteria that cause tooth decay. If gum won't do the trick, choose among the following smile protectors.
Apples. Personally I love the way a crunchy apple makes my teeth feel. Apples are sweet but not sticky, plus they increase the flow of saliva—your best natural defense against cavities and gum disease.
Carrots. Crunchy vegetables clean and stimulate the gums, helping to scrape away food particles. Foods with fiber have a cleansing effect, and they also stimulate saliva flow, rinsing away bacteria and keeping your mouth hydrated.
Cheese. A small piece of hard cheese is good for your teeth. Cheese has calcium and other trace minerals in it, plus hard cheeses have been shown to generate saliva, which neutralizes the pH level in your mouth. That means your mouth is less acidic and therefore less prone to tooth decay.
Cranberries. Scientists have discovered that cranberries contain a compound that can stop bacteria from clinging to the teeth, blocking the formation of plaque deposits. However, cranberries are naturally bitter, so foods with cranberries usually have sugar added.
Dark chocolate. This treat offers beauty benefits to our teeth! Researchers have discovered a cocoa extract that is more effective at protecting teeth than fluoride. A substance called theobromine helps harden tooth enamel, making teeth less susceptible to decay. Unfortunately, even high-quality dark chocolate is only about 3 percent theobromine, but the substance may soon be appearing in commercial toothpaste.
Kiwi. One of my Top 10 Beauty Foods, kiwi has many beauty benefits and is a good choice for teeth because of its high vitamin C content (see Kiwifruit in Chapter 2).
Onions. Granted, raw onions are not your typical American snack, but they do contain powerful antibacterial compounds that help fight cavities. Adding a few onion slices to your salad or sandwich could hurt your breath but help your teeth.
Raisins. A study at the University of Illinois in Chicago found that raisins contain oleanolic acid, a phytochemical that in lab tests inhibited the growth of the oral bacteria that can lead to poor gum health and cavities. At a concentration of 31 micrograms per milliliter, oleanolic acid prevented S. mutans from adhering to tooth surfaces. At 62 micrograms per milliliter, it inhibited the growth of Porphyromonas gingivalis, a leading cause of periodontal disease.
Sushi with wasabi. Known as Japanese horseradish, wasabi contains isothiocyanates that inhibit the growth of cavity-causing S. mutans, according to preliminary research.
3. Avoid Soda—of Any Kind!
In 2003, the average American consumed over 45 gallons of soda per year, according to General Dentistry magazine. You might think that lemon-lime sodas are better than colas or that diet soda is better than regular, but the sad truth is that no soda is OK for your teeth.
Most sodas contain huge amounts of glucose, fructose, sucrose, and other simple sugars. As you sip your soda, the bacteria in your mouth dance with joy. The longer you take to finish your drink, the happier they are.
Carbonated soft drinks also contain acids that can harm teeth, such as citric and phosphoric acid. One recent study that rated the effect of 20 different soft drinks on tooth enamel found that diet sodas were less erosive than their sugary cousins, but they were still harmful for teeth. The most erosive sod
as in the study were 7Up, Coke, Squirt, Pepsi, and RC Cola. The least harmful were root beer and Diet Coke.
4. Take That Mug off Your Desk
We have a tendency to sip drinks all day. With breakfast, we drink juice. At the office, we may have our own mug by the office coffeepot. On the run, we grab a sports drink. Before a presentation, we drink vitamin water. At a game, we drink soda. At a picnic, we have iced tea. When we start feeling tired, we have a caffeinated drink to stay alert.
All these nonsoda drinks can wreak havoc on your teeth. Sweetened sports drinks, energy drinks, iced teas, and lemonades all feed the bacteria that can cause irreversible damage to your dental enamel. Flavor additives such as malic, tartaric, and other organic acids are aggressive about eroding teeth.
If you must drink something other than water or green tea, use a straw. If you sip acidic drinks through a straw aimed toward the back of your mouth, your teeth are less likely to come into contact with erosive chemicals, which helps preserve the enamel.
5. Watch out for Foods That Stain Your Teeth
The following foods and beverages can stain teeth:
Coffee
Tea, iced tea drinks
BEYOND THE BEAUTY DIET
Smoking and Oral Health
There are a thousand reasons to stop smoking, and here is another one: smoking puts you at greater risk of gum disease by interfering with blood flow to the gums. Smoking also is a leading cause of tooth loss, because it disrupts the normal function of gum tissue and the way bone and soft tissue attach to your teeth.
Smoking is associated with brown, stained teeth; bad breath; inflammation of the salivary glands; increased buildup of plaque; increased bone loss from the jaw; delayed healing of oral surgery; and an increased risk of developing cancer.
Red wine
Colored juices, such as grape juice and cranberry juice
Curry
Cola drinks
Dark sauces such as soy sauce
Balsamic vinegar
And, of course, let's not forget the worst culprit of all: smoking, which turns teeth brown.
6. Avoid Dry Mouth
"Dry mouth" sounds a little silly until it happens to you. Considered one of the leading causes of dental disease, dry mouth occurs when you don't have enough saliva to keep your mouth moist, to neutralize acids in your mouth, and to rinse away food particles from between your teeth. Dry mouth is no joke, because it is a leading cause of tooth decay.
Certain medications can cause dry mouth, as can alcohol. Hormonal changes can influence saliva production as well. To keep the inside of your mouth wet, chew sugarless gum and drink more water (as well as green tea—see number 8). A
THE BEAUTY DIET RX
What to Eat (and Drink) for a Sensational Smile
Keep the inside of your mouth hydrated by drinking water or chewing gum.
Drink lots of my beauty beverage, green tea.
Eat plenty of the nutrients you need to nourish your healthy, pink gums and to keep your teeth strong and bright: calcium, vitamin D, magnesium, vitamin C, and omega-3 fatty acids.
Eat sticky carbohydrates with your main meals, so the particles will get scrubbed off your teeth.
Choose snacks that wash easily off the teeth.
Avoid sipping drinks throughout the day. If you must drink something other than water or green tea, use a straw.
To keep your teeth their whitest, avoid foods that stain.
Avoid foods that might break your teeth.
glass of water after a meal will help wash away food particles and decay-causing bacteria, but, unlike most beverages, it won't introduce new sugars to your mouth or add calories to your diet. Plus, water can help you feel full and lose weight.
7. Avoid Those Little Bites That Break Teeth
Ice, peanut brittle, and popcorn kernels are all hard on teeth. If your teeth have any weak spots, chomping on something hard could snap off a tooth fragment. Ice and tooth enamel are both crystalline. When you knock two crystals together, the weaker one usually breaks. Sometimes that could be your tooth!
8. Drink More Green Tea
Because green tea is made from unfermented leaves, it contains greater amounts of polyphenols (and less caffeine) than black tea does. Green tea polyphenols prevent plaque from adhering to your teeth and inhibit the growth of the bacteria that can then cause tooth decay. Also, green tea contains natural fluoride, which helps protect tooth enamel from decay.
The Proper Way to Take Care of Your Teeth
Remember, the most important part of good dental hygiene is commitment.
Brush your teeth twice a day, with fluoride toothpaste. Brush your tongue too.
There is a proper way to brush teeth. Have your dentist or hygienist show you.
Use a toothbrush that has soft bristles. Electric toothbrushes can help ensure that you brush for the right amount of time and prevent hard scrubbing, but they aren't necessarily better.
Replace your brush every three months—and don't share it with anyone! Your toothbrush comes into contact with millions of bacteria in your mouth.
Floss between your teeth every day. This helps remove plaque and food particles from between the teeth and under the gum line—places where toothbrush bristles can't reach.
Try brushing and flossing right after dinner while you still have the energy. This also will discourage evening snacking and help you stay slim.
Use an antimicrobial mouth rinse to inhibit bacterial activity in dental plaque. Some have fluoride, which helps prevent tooth decay.
Visit your dentist regularly—at a minimum, twice a year. Only your dentist or hygienist can clean the tartar off your teeth and catch little problems before they become big.
BEAUTY MYTH
Brushing with Salt Whitens Teeth
Salt has a coarse texture, which works to thin the outer layer of your teeth, resulting in brighter and whiter teeth. This is not much different from using a scouring pad on your body to soften your skin. Using salt as a treatment for whiter teeth will shift stains, but it comes at a high cost, such as sensitive gums and teeth and the potential for cavities.
Expert Advice: Teeth Whitening
Following is some information on teeth whitening, courtesy of my brother, Dr. Jeff Drayer, a New York–based orthodontist, and the American Dental Association (ADA).
There are many different approaches to whitening teeth, from over-the-counter strips to professional procedures. The difference in the result depends on the levels of active ingredients.
Teeth with a yellowish color tend to whiten well with a bleaching process, whereas teeth that are grayish do not bleach as well. Teeth that are stained due to tetracycline may be very resistant to whitening procedures.
Enamel microdermabrasion. Your dentist can use this procedure to file off localized stains or spots.
Whitening mouthwash. These preparations may contain hydrogen peroxide to bleach your teeth, as well as other ingredients.
Whitening toothpaste. This can make your teeth appear a little lighter by removing stains on the surface of the teeth, but it will not actually bleach your teeth.
Over-the-counter tooth-whitening products. These range from "pens" to whitening strips to trays of gel you put in your mouth. These methods may be helpful for maintenance following a professional procedure.
Magnesium's Role in Beauty
Recommended Dietary Allowance
WOMEN
MEN
310 mg (ages 19 to 30)
400 mg (ages 19 to 30)
320 mg (ages 31 and above)
420 mg (ages 31 and above)
By working together with calcium and vitamin D, magnesium helps to maintain strong, beautiful bones and teeth. Magnesium plays a role in over 300 chemical reactions that occur in the body.
10 Good Whole-Food Sources of Magnesium
1. Spinach, boiled, 1 cup
157 mg
2. Pumpkin seeds, ¼ cup
185 mg
3. Soy
beans, cooked, 1 cup
148 mg
4. Salmon, chinook, baked, 4 oz.
138 mg
5. Sunflower seeds, raw, ¼ cup
127 mg
6. Sesame seeds, ¼ cup
126 mg
7. Halibut, baked, 4 oz.
121 mg
8. Black beans, cooked, 1 cup
120 mg
9. Almonds, dry roasted, ¼ cup
99 mg
10. Walnuts, ¼ cup
44 mg
Dental trays with gel prescribed by your dentist. Tooth-whitening kits from the dentist produce faster results because they contain a stronger peroxide bleaching agent than anything you can buy over the counter.
One-time in-office treatment. Your teeth can be whitened by several shades in under an hour, dramatically improving the appearance of your teeth. You may have three applications of whitening gel during one appointment. A special lamp is used to activate the whitening gel and speed up the whitening process. This approach uses a strong whitening agent, so there's more potential for temporary sensitivity.
The ADA advises patients to consult with their dentists to determine the most appropriate treatment to meet their needs.
7
Nutrition for Clear, Bright, Sparkling Eyes
Beauty is how you feel inside, and it reflects in your eyes. It is not something physical.
—Sophia Loren
If I had to guess, I'd say you probably would be willing to run to the grocery store with your hair quickly pulled back in a ponytail. You most likely would take out the dog wearing your boyfriend's oversized sweatshirt. You might even drop the kids off at school in the morning still wearing your bunny slippers. But leave the house without your eyebrows plucked? Not likely! If you got pinkeye, would you let other people see you without eye makeup—and wearing greasy eye medicine? Only if you could wear dark sunglasses, right? Personally I don't like to do errands without at least some mascara and eyeliner. I never know whom I might see—and who might see me!