Chocolate is Really AMAZING for your Teeth
You don’t believe me?
DARK CHOCOLATE is AMAZING for your teeth!
Dark chocolate is a far better alternative than all other sugar-heavy desserts.
Good quality dark chocolate has traces of cocoa bean husk, which is a great source of antioxidants for the whole body.
But wait, research shows that dark chocolate also has anticariogenic factors, which means that it can protect your beautiful teeth from getting cavities!
Sounds too good to be true? Here is the research!
Research
The cocoa bean husk found in dark chocolate contains tannins, polyphenols and flavonoids (antioxidants), which all play a positive role in the mouth.
They prevent the bad bacteria from sticking on your teeth and they neutralize the oral environment by preventing the bad bacteria from producing acids — acid which can eventually dissolve away your tooth structure.
Another recent study showed that an organic component of cocoa, Theobromine, enhances the potential of remineralization of tooth enamel, making your teeth more resistant to getting cavities.
Pick the Best Dark Chocolate
- Choose a dark chocolate that's at least 70 percent cocoa.
- The darker the chocolate (higher percentage), the higher the antioxidant level — better for your teeth. Over time you may be able to ease yourself into 90 percent cocoa chocolate.
- Dark chocolate with less than 6 grams of sugar per serving is ideal.
- Pick organic Dark chocolate over processed chocolates.
- Raw chocolate is the best choice - it's less processed and it contains the most amount of antioxidants. Though, I must admit that the taste of raw chocolate isn't my favorite…yet.
Recommended Dose of Dark Chocolate
Dark chocolate is high in calories, so always eat it in moderation.
The recommended chocolate intake is 1 oz per day. And If you're like me and you don't like weighing your chocolate, then the following conversion will be helpful for you:
1 oz of chocolate is equivalent to 5-6 dark chocolate Hershey kisses.
When & How To Eat Dark Chocolate
- Best time to eat chocolate is immediately after your meal…and then wash it down with some water.
- Try your best to not snack on chocolate in between your meals because that will lead to your teeth constantly being in a surgary & acidic environment, where tooth enamel will dissolve overtime.
- If you do catch yourself eating chocolate in between meals, then wash away the dark chocolate by drinking water. It's okay if you want the taste of chocolate to linger around your mouth for a few minutes, but don't wait an hour to drink water.
- TIP: Swish the water around in your mouth for a few seconds.
- AVOID eating chocolate right before bed and then immediately going to sleep.
- The sugar from the chocolate will sit on your teeth for hours overnight and it will eventually take its toll on your teeth.
Conclusion
I am not saying you should binge eat chocolate while watching Netflix 😉.
However, if you are a chocolate addict like myself — then simply choose a healthy dark chocolate and eat it at an appropriate time. This practice will keep your teeth looking BEAUTIFUL and your sweet tooth cravings SATISFIED.
How do you like to keep your teeth BEAUTIFUL and SATISIFIED? Share with me in the comments below.
Bibliography
- Amaechi BT, Porteous N, Ramalingam K, Mensinkai PK, Ccahuana Vasquez RA, Sadeghpour A, et al.Remineralization of Artificial Enamel Lesions by Theobromine. Caries Res 2013;47:399-405.
- Ferrazzano G.F, Ivana Amato, AnielloIngenito, Antonino De Natale, Antonino Anticariogenic effects of polyphenols from plant stimulant beverages (cocoa,coffee,tea). 2009;80: 255-262.
- VenkateshBabu NS, Vivek DK, Ambika G. Comparative evaluation of chlorhexidinemouthrinse versus cacao bean husk extract mouthrinse as antimicrobial agents inchildren. European Archives of Pediatric Dentistry. 2011;12(5).
