NATURAL BEAUTY
*
pure ingredients for skin & body
Get a Healthy Smile with Xylitol
Keep your teeth and gums in tip-top shape with this healthy natural sweetener
40
• FEBRUARY 2020
BN0220_D_NaturalBeauty_JS.indd 40
12/20/19 3:58 PM
Photo: Pornchai Mittongtare
Sweet news: daily use of xylitol in your oral care can prevent cavities and help stop plaque from sticking to your teeth. Research has shown that xylitol can even help repair damage to the enamel. And it makes toothpaste, mouthwash, and even floss taste great! Xylitol is a low-digestible carbohydrate found in the fibrous parts of fruits and vegetables such as plums, strawberries, cauliflower, and pumpkin, as well as in fibrous cornhusks and birch trees. Pure xylitol is a white crystalline substance that looks and tastes like sugar. But instead of eroding your teeth like sugar does, it’s actually tooth-friendly. The bacteria in your mouth thrive on sugar, causing them to multiply rapidly. This metabolic process produces acids that can eat away the enamel on your teeth, causing tooth decay. Research shows that xylitol’s molecular structure makes it unable to be digested by the bacteria in the mouth, so they stop multiplying. When you use xylitol in your daily oral care, it stops the acid attack that would otherwise last for over half an hour after eating. According to studies, the amount of acidproducing bacteria may decrease as much as 90 percent with xylitol. When no acid is formed, the pH of saliva stays neutral at 7. When saliva pH is boosted above 7, calcium and phosphate salts in the saliva help to harden weak enamel and repair early cavities.
Photo: adobestock.com
BY SHERRIE STRAUSFOGEL
