Manuka Honey May Help Fight Tooth Decay. By Dr. Mercola. Honey has been used as a natural wound healer and infection fighter since ancient times, and new research is showing that a specific type of honey from New Zealand - - Manuka honey - - may offer a wealth of additional healing benefits. Manuka honey is made by bees that feed off the flowers of the Manuka bush, a medicinal plant native to New Zealand. All honey contains varying degrees of hydrogen peroxide, which is formed when worker bees secrete an enzyme (glucose oxidase) into the nectar. Manuka honey, however, has healing properties that extend beyond the healing effects attributed to its hydrogen peroxide content alone; properties such as improved dental health. Can Manuka Honey Reduce Plaque Formation? Researchers from India recently explored a number of strategies for reducing dental plaque: Manuka honey, which has potent antibacterial properties Chlorhexidine gluconate mouthwash, a chemical mouthwash often used to treat gingivitis Chewing gum with xylitol, a sugar alcohol that has been found to help fight tooth decay Sixty healthy subjects first received a professional prophylaxis with the purpose of making their teeth 1. They were then divided randomly into three groups, and given Manuka honey, chlorhexidine gluconate mouthwash, or xylitol chewing gum. After 7. 2 hours, their plaque levels were examined and researchers found. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) even approved Manuka- honey- based wound dressings in 2. The verdict is still out on exactly how Manuka honey kills bacteria, but biochemist Professor Peter Molan at the University of Waikato, has named the effect . As he told BBC News. We haven't found anything it doesn't work on among infectious organisms. And, like most refined foods, processed honey can promote disease and damage your health (including your teeth) - - and it will not offer you the same health benefits as raw, high- quality Manuka honey. Find out how Manuka honey helps you control your dental plaque levels and avoid tooth decay. Can someone explain the difference to me regarding Truvia vs Splenda? I have heard Truvia has less effect on diabetics than Splenda for sweet craves. Artificial sweeteners are worse for you than any form of sugar; Fructose, including agave and high fructose corn syrup, is the worst natural sweetener you can consume. Aspartame is a low calorie sugar substitute marketed under brand names such as Equal and NutraSweet. It is a combination of two amino acids: L-aspartic acid and L. Many people believe noncaloric erythritol is a better sweetener than sugar. However, erythritol side effects are dangerous in their own right. Here's why. Aspartame is approximately 200 times sweeter than sucrose (table sugar). Due to this property, even though aspartame produces four kilocalories of energy per gram (17. Not sure what to eat on a ketogenic diet? Here’s a quick food list for you to reference. Below you’ll find a brief overview of what you can eat. Another important point to remember is that typically about 7. Each teaspoon of honey has nearly four grams of fructose so carefully add the total grams of fructose (including fruits) that you consume each day, and stay below 2. This is particularly important if you suffer from signs of elevated insulin, such as: Overweight High blood pressure High blood cholesterol Diabetes Midsection Fat As long as it's used in moderation, eating raw Manuka honey, or alternatively using it topically on your teeth or wounds, is likely to promote health. Even Better than Manuka Honey for Oral Health In my view Manuka honey has some very compelling evidence to be considered as a potent healing agent. It was clearly superior to the chemical mouthwash used in this study. However, I believe there are even more effective alternatives based on my own personal health journey. You might be surprised to learn that despite my outstanding diet, which has me grain and sugar free most of the time, and aggressive exercise program, I have struggled with dental plaque for some time. The plaque has been so bad that it requires monthly visits to the dental hygienist. This has frustrated me for many decades, as despite regular brushing, flossing and using a dental irrigator there has been no improvement in the plaque. Well earlier this month I received my first feedback that I finally found something that worked. After speaking at the Weston Price Wise Traditions event in Dallas in November I was introduced to fermented vegetables and have been consuming them regularly since then. This is the only change I made in my health habits and my plaque was reduced by over 5. There is little doubt in my mind that the beneficial bacteria in the vegetables have altered the flora in my mouth and help reduce the plaque. I am very excited about this improvement and will be doing many articles on it next year. I have also started oil pulling with coconut oil and butter and will see if that provides further improvement. I would still go for regular checkups but I really don't want to do the cleaning if I don't have to. More Tips for Your Pearly Whites. Good oral health and strong, healthy teeth are NOT the result of drinking fluoridated water and brushing your teeth with fluoridated toothpaste. Rather it's all about your diet. Dr. Price, who was one of the major nutritional pioneers of the 2. What he found, and documented in his classic book Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, is that native tribes who were eating their traditional diet had nearly perfect teeth, and were almost 1. But when these tribal populations were introduced to refined sugar and white flour, guess what happened . By avoiding refined sugars and processed foods, you prevent the proliferation of the bacteria that cause decay in the first place. Your Liver: Understanding The Keys To Health. You can’t live without it — not even when hooked up to the most amazing machines doctors and scientists have ever created. If your liver fails and you don’t receive a transplant, you die. Among its most important jobs, the liver works in conjunction with your digestive system to help properly digest all three primary macro- nutrients: fats, proteins, and carbohydrates. It also works diligently to detox your body and keep you in homeostasis by cleansing and detoxifying almost two quarts of blood every minute. Understanding how your liver works is one of the primary keys to unlocking vibrant health. Crazy Important Jobs. Your liver is a wildly busy organ and has many functions. Here’s a list of its most important ones: Helps synthesize (create) amino acids — the key building blocks of proteins. Regulates blood glucose levels to maintain homeostasis. Synthesizes cholesterol and triglycerides (fats) — the key building blocks of cell membranes and absolutely vital to brain & neurological functioning. Creates bile — necessary for the proper absorption of fats & essential vitamins. Breaks down hormones, toxic substances, & medicines so they can be safely removed from the body. Synthesizes the hormone required to regulate blood pressure. Stores glucose, Vitamins A, D, & B- 1. When It Goes Awry. If your liver is overly taxed, any or all of these important functions can be thrown out of balance. In other words, an inefficient liver can cause a myriad of problems in just about every major body system. Symptoms of an inefficient liver include, but are not limited to: indigestionacid refluxhemorrhoidsgall stonesalcohol intolerancenausea or vomiting attacksbloatingconstipationdepressionmood disordersangerirritabilitypoor concentrationoverheating of the bodyrecurrent headaches (migraines)sugar cravingshypoglycemiaonset of type 2 diabetesheart diseaseclogged arterieshigh blood cholesterol levelshigh blood pressurestrokesfatty organs, including fatty liverfatty tumorsweight gaininability to lose weightslow metabolismpot bellycelluliteweakened bonesallergiessensitivity to chemicals and food additives. These, mind you, aren’t necessarily the result of total liver failure. It’s just what happens when your liver is overly taxed and unable to keep up with job of detoxing your body and maintaining homeostasis. A failing or diseased liver presents other symptoms like jaundice, bad breath, rashes, itchy skin, brown spots on the skin, flushed skin, pale stool, and dark urine. If you experience these symptoms, you need to seek out medical treatment immediately. What Taxes Your Liver. Sadly, our modern lifestyle compromises your liver’s ability to keep you well. The biggest dietary culprits include caffeine, alcohol, sugar, food additives, and excessive intake of Omega 6 essential fatty acids. But, there are environmental culprits too: pesticides, herbicides, synthetic chemical fertilizers, and even doctor- prescribed medicines. How To Keep Your Liver Healthy. While exposure to certain environmental toxins may be out of your control, you can control what you eat and drink. Here are a few key tips to keeping your liver in good shape: Avoid Toxic Foods Like Caffeine, Alcohol, Food Additives, & Sugar. These place a huge burden on your liver, particularly in the quantities that most Westerners consume them. By sugar, I’m talking about all refined grains & sweeteners. So, you should avoid all processed white flours, all table sugar, and even so- called “natural” sweeteners like agave nectar. And, if you struggle with weight or insulin resistance, you should even avoid grains and starchy vegetables & fruits like potatoes and bananas. If you have an imbalanced, inefficient liver (of which weight gain and insulin issues are a symptom), even these normally healthful foods put extra strains on the liver’s ability to regulate blood glucose levels. Avoid Excessive Omega 6 Intake. Yellow cooking oils which remain liquid at room temperatures are usually high in Omega 6 polyunsaturated fatty acids. These seed based oils go by many names, including: corn oil, soybean oil, safflower oil, vegetable oil, sunflower oil, canola oil, and others. Do not cook with these oils, and don’t eat food prepared in them when you go out to eat. And lastly, don’t eat any processed and pre- packaged foods which contain them in their various forms. Instead, try replacing these oils with more traditional fats like coconut oil, ghee, or real olive oil. For the best online sources of these nourishing fats, click here. Conventionally raised livestock eat a diet unnaturally high in corn and soy — whether it be cows, chickens, pigs, turkey, or even some farmed fish. Because of this, the foods these animals produce is unnaturally high in Omega 6 polyunsaturated fatty acids and — in some cases — devoid of any Omega 3 fats with which to balance them out. Avoid any animal products from animals fed these unnatural diets. If you eat fish, meat, eggs, and dairy (which you should!), you’ll want to stick to grass- fed, pastured, or wild animals. You can generally find these from local farmers and ranchers, but even they’re available online. Eat More Vitamin A & DThe standard Western diet is strangely deficient in naturally occurring Vitamins A & D, for a number of reasons. We’ve removed most of these essential vitamins from our food supply with our conventional animal feeding operations. Chicken eggs are no longer a rich source of Vitamin D, and we generally don’t prize eating the livers of other animals (which are naturally high in Vitamins A & D). We also don’t eat enough lard or animal fats (another great source for these highly- necessary fat- soluble vitamins). And, we don’t get enough exposure to the sun to make up the difference. Traditional peoples have diets ten times higher in Vitamins A & D than ours. You can attempt to make up for this by eating egg yolks from pastured hens, consuming raw dairy from pastured & grass- fed animals, eating fatty fish, using traditional animal fats from wild/pastured/grass- fed animals (including butter, ghee, tallow, schmaltz, and lard), and getting out into the sun when it’s directly overhead. Again, you can find out which online sources I recommend by visiting my Real Food Resources page. Whatever you do, do not consume synthetic Vitamins A & D, as many studies have shown these to be toxic to the liver. When In Doubt, Eat Superfoods. If you’re at all concerned that you’re not eating the right balance of fats from good enough sources to support your liver, supplement your diet with fermented cod liver oil and freeze- dried liver tablets. These superfoods are rich in Vitamins A & D. When taken in combination with high vitamin butter oil, they are even more effective. And, you really can’t get a better deal than a bottle of fermented cod liver oil. One bottle contains 2. That’s enough to last one person almost 9 months. For the best online sources of fermented cod liver oil, high vitamin butter oil, & freeze- dried liver, click here. Drink Kombucha. As I reported earlier, kombucha is fabulous at supporting your liver in detoxing your body. You can even brew it at home. If you choose not to grow your own SCOBY (kombucha starter culture), the most affordable & reliable online sources can be found here. Eat Generous Amounts of Liver- Supporting Vegetables, Herbs & Spices. A number of vegetables, herbs, and spices are known to support liver function. Eat generous amounts of garlic, onions, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, collard greens, kale & brussel sprouts. And when you eat them, be sure to slather them in traditional fats to make their nutrients even more accessible. Also, feel free to drink tinctures or teas with milk thistle, or cook with tumeric and cinnamon. Stick to Organics. In as much as you are able, stick to eating organic foods since pesticides and other synthetic chemicals place a heavy burden on your liver.
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