Most people know that the foods they eat affect their overall health, but did you know that they can also affect your oral health? Specifically, there are certain vitamins and minerals contained in different foods that can help improve your oral health by being beneficial to your teeth. Let’s take a look at how some important vitamins and minerals affect your teeth:
Vitamin A
Vitamin A helps to maintain the health of oral soft tissues and also prevents dry mouth. Even though vitamin A does not affect the teeth directly, it still helps to prevent tooth decay by promoting saliva production and keeps the gums firmly attached to the teeth. Vitamin A is found in foods like egg yolks, liver, orange-colored fruits, fish, and leafy greens.
Calcium
Although calcium is primarily known for supporting healthy bones, it also helps to strengthen your tooth enamel. In fact, it is actually a main component of tooth enamel. Eating adequate amounts of calcium also keeps your jaw bone strong and helps support your teeth. Calcium can be found in foods such as milk, yogurt, cheese, broccoli, and salmon.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C works in a similar way to vitamin A in that it promotes soft tissue health. It has also been known to prevent gum disease as well, which allows the gums to remain attached to the teeth. The most abundant source of vitamin C is citrus fruits, but potatoes and leafy greens also contain vitamin C.
Phosphorus
This is another mineral that works with calcium to strengthen bones and teeth. Out of all the minerals found in the human body, phosphorus is the most abundant and is found primarily in the teeth. Phosphorus can be found in foods such as soybeans, seafood, lentils, beef, pork, and cheese.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D plays an important role in the body’s absorption of calcium. In fact, the human body cannot absorb calcium from the small intestine without vitamin D. This means that to get enough calcium, you also need to be sure to get enough vitamin D. However, many people are vitamin D deficient. Being deficient in vitamin D can eventually lead to bone loss. To prevent a vitamin D deficiency, a supplement may be needed. Additionally, vitamin D is found in sunlight, as well as foods such as: canned tuna, fatty fish, portobello mushrooms, and leafy greens.
Potassium
Potassium works independently from calcium and phosphorus, however it still promotes bone health by preventing bone loss. If the pH of your blood becomes too acidic, calcium can be leached from the jawbones and redirected to other parts of the body. Potassium helps neutralize the blood in order to prevent this from happening. Potassium is found in foods such as bananas, lima beans, chard, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, prunes, and avocados.
Vitamin K
Vitamin K contains osteocalcin, which is a bone-strengthening protein that prevents bone loss by blocking substances that are destructive to the bone tissue. Vitamin K is found in leafy greens like spinach, broccoli, chollards, parsley, kae, and brussel sprouts.
