Thought Fruit Juices and Smoothies Were a Healthy Option… Think Again!
Bananas are healthy. Strawberries are healthy. Mangos are healthy. There’s a theme here… Fruit is healthy. So why when putting a couple of these fruits together in a blender, are we suddenly faced with health warnings from the likes of the Oral Health Foundation, who claim fruit juices and smoothies could be leading to irreversible damage to the nation’s teeth?
The concern lies within moderation. And like most things, too much of a ‘good thing’ doesn’t necessarily make for the best, or healthiest decision. Take nutrition and exercise as an example.
If someone wants to lose weight, you may expect that person to join a gym and train 4/5 times a week. You may also expect them to diet. Typically when we think diet, we think salads. Now if that person goes to the extreme, and eats nothing but salad for a week, that person will begin to feel tired and lack energy. A diet of just salads gives deficiencies within protein and carbohydrate intake – both of which supply the body with the vital energy needed to exercise.
That person then begins to feel weak and will naturally crave sugars to boost energy levels. To satisfy these cravings that person will more than likely end up binge eating on readily available ‘snack food’ to satisfy the cravings. So to use salads as a metaphor, ‘too much salad’ can actually have an adverse affect on someone losing weight.
Back to the fruit. Fruits contain a variety of nutrients, antioxidants and high levels of natural sugars. The good news… These natural sugars give our bodies energy. The bad news… sugar is bad for our teeth. So what can we do? We need to find a balance.
Every time we eat or drink something acidic, the enamel of our teeth softens and some of the tooth’s mineral content will be lost. And with some fruit juices and smoothies containing up to four times the recommended daily amount of sugar, you can see where the issue lie.
Many of us might opt for a banana or apple to accompany our breakfast, and some mango or kiwi fruit for lunch. Add on top of this a mid-morning smoothie and all of a sudden our daily sugar intake has sky rocketed. Just like the salad scenario, too much fruit is a having an adverse affect on our health.
So what is our recommendation? In a word – water. 2 litres of water a day to be precise (not in one sitting!). Doing so is not only a healthy option for teeth and gums, but drinking water at regular intervals throughout the day boosts metabolism, hydrates skin and improves digestion.
So to conclude. Should you stop eating fruit altogether? No, certainly not – but moderation is key. Should you stop drinking smoothies and fruit juice? Yes. Replacing with water and the benefits are endless…
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Whether an existing patient of ours, or whether you have not had a chance to visit Aesthetika Dental Studio yet, please do get in contact here if you’d like to arrange a dental check-up where we can discuss any concerns you may have over your dental regime.
Aesthetika Dental Studio.
