Updated: 04/12/2022 – 18:55
postmenopausal women
Baked goods, sodas and white bread damage oral health
Photo: Getty Images/Stephen Lux
Baked goods such as spritz cakes or donuts carry bacteria that can have a negative impact on oral health.
Processed foods high in carbohydrates, such as spritz cakes and other baked goods, can have a negative impact on the oral health of postmenopausal women.
What we eat affects the microbiome, the bacterial community, in our mouth. Some bacteria that populate the mouth can promote the development of tooth decay and periodontitis. This includes highly processed foods that are high in carbohydrates. A recent study with women after the menopause shows that the consumption of ready meals, baked goods and the like promotes harmful bacteria in the mouth and thus weakens oral health.
Oral Health: Carbohydrates encourage bacteria that cause tooth decay
Foods with a high glycemic index, such as baked goods, sugary sodas, white bread, and yogurt, create a bacterial community in the mouth of postmenopausal women that contributes to tooth decay and even cardiovascular disease.
The scientists were able to establish connections between the amount of carbohydrates, the glycemic load and table sugar and the bacterial species Streptococcus mutans – a known caries pathogen that also promotes cardiovascular diseases – as reported by aponet.de. Leptotrichia, a type of bacteria that can be observed with high sugar consumption, has also been detected. These bacteria are associated with gingivitis. In addition, the research team describes in its study other types of bacteria that were previously unknown in connection with the intake of carbohydrates.
In addition, the study also looked into the connection between the intake of carbohydrates and plaque in periodontal pockets. “This is important because the bacteria involved in periodontitis are mainly found under the gums. If we look at salivary bacteria, we can’t say conclusively how oral bacteria are related to periodontitis because we’re not looking in the right environment in the mouth,” explains Study author Amy Millen of the University of Buffalo.
Periodontitis can have far-reaching health consequences
bacteria that periodontitis trigger, can get through the mouth into the bloodstream and thus into other areas of the body. As a result, they can promote the development of other diseases. Untreated periodontitis is considered a risk factor for the development of cardiovascular diseases, pneumonia and type 2 diabetes.
Periodontitis always begins with deposits (plaque) on the tooth surfaces and in the spaces between the teeth. Bacteria build up in plaque, which can cause inflammation. If the deposits are not removed sufficiently – for example by brushing your teeth – they harden over time and tartar forms.
If gingivitis then develops and is not treated, it is possible for it to progress further into the jawbone area. Gingivitis then becomes periodontitis. The fibers and bones that anchor the tooth are destroyed. So-called periodontal pockets develop, cavities between the tooth root and gums, which in turn are colonized by bacteria. The gum recedes, eventually there is further bone loss and the tooth loses its support. If nothing is done then, the tooth threatens to fall out.
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Sources: aponet.de, dgparo.de
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