Traditional diets are the results of centuries of refinement. They include every nutrient that the body needs. When you go by a diet that’s common in your culture, you get to take for granted that you will get all the nutrients that you need. When you switch to an unfamiliar diet, you lose this assurance. You have no way of knowing what ingredients to include in each recipe to ensure that you get balanced nutrition. When people switch to a mostly plant-based diet, for instance, the diet mistakes they make often result in poor dental health.
The problem comes from an inadequate supply of vitamin D and calcium
Knowledgeable vegetarians ensure a well-rounded diet by including many different kinds of vegetables, fruits, nuts and grains in their meals. An opinion published by the Academy of General Dentistry, though, finds that even such well-informed vegetarians often make the mistake of leaving out a couple of important diet ingredients. They often suffer from calcium and vitamin D deficiencies.
People whose diets are poor in these nutrients develop gum disease. Their teeth soften and become susceptible to tooth decay over a period of time. These deficiencies are especially pronounced among people who follow vegan diets in parts of the country that don’t get much sunshine.
What you can do to prevent tooth decay when you are on a vegan diet
Since vegan diets don’t include dairy products, calcium deficiency is only to be expected. It’s easy to make up for this problem, though. You only need to include plenty of almonds in your diet.
Almonds are a rich source of calcium that vegetarians and vegans can turn to. Simply snacking on almonds, though, doesn’t give you enough calcium. Your body needs a few other nutrients to be to absorb the calcium.
Vitamin A: Ready-made vitamin A is only found in foods of animal origin. Fruits and vegetables aren’t a direct source of this vitamin. When someone tells you that carrots, spinach and sweet potato have vitamin A, what they mean is that these foods contain a substance called beta-carotene that is easily converted to vitamin A in the body. To make sure that your body is able to absorb the calcium in your almonds, you get plenty of carrots and other foods that are rich in beta-carotene.
Vitamin K: If you’re a vegetarian, you can get all the vitamin K you need from dairy products and eggs. If you like a vegan diet instead, you should make sure that every meal includes broccoli, cabbage and spinach. Your body needs vitamin K to absorb calcium efficiently.
Vitamin D: Your intestines are unable to absorb calcium if you aren’t well-supplied with this vitamin. Vitamin D also has an important part to play in helping your body build up your bones and teeth.
You can get all the vitamin D you need if you get enough exposure to the sun. If you don’t, you may need to use a supplement.
It can be a good idea to consult a nutrition expert
New converts to the vegan lifestyle often have simplistic ideas about how diets work. They may read that spinach is good for them and simply include some spinach in a salad. They may not realize, though, that in cultures that are traditionally vegan , spinach recipes always include a dash of lemon to help with nutrient absorption.
Diets are complex. If you find that you have a troublesome health problem with a vegan diet like persistent tooth decay, you should try these tips above. If they don’t seem to do the trick for you, you should see a nutritionist.
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