Study confirms that sugar is bad for our teeth
This statement was at the core of new research conducted by academics at the University of Newcastle. They found that cutting sugar intake to a maximum of five teaspoons a day can prevent tooth decay.
For more than two decades, the World Health Organisation has advised people to consume no more than 10% of their daily calorie intake in the form of “free sugars”. These are sugars added to food products by manufacturers or by consumers.
However, the study, published in the Journal of Dental Research, found that this amount should be halved to 5% to reduce the risk of developing tooth cavities for life.
According to Paula Moynihan, professor of nutrition and oral health at Newcastle University, the problem is that sugary drinks and foods are an integral part of Western culture’s everyday life, which makes it very hard to maintain our teeth in a good condition over a lifetime.
People today live longer than ever before and their teeth need to serve them well for longer. In order to make sure this is possible, people need to cut down on sugar intake, she explained.
The research also concluded that while fluoridation of tap water could certainly reduce the risk of tooth cavities, it cannot eliminate the causes of decay and damage to tooth enamel altogether.
The best way to fight tooth decay is to reduce sugar intake, researchers concluded.
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