HEALTH: Making the link for a healthier lifestyle

The experts say there is a strong link between farming, food nutrients, dental health and human health. Here brother and sister team of Dr Vanessa Woods and Dr Alastair Woods from Athboy outline that link. 

Farming, food nutrients, dental health and human health are inextricably linked - fact. This natural relationship is so obvious that we can sometimes fail to put enough thought into it. Let’s remember that nutrition and oral health (i.e. healthy teeth, gums etc.) are firmly linked and oral health is an integral part of overall health.

Food, Tooth and Overall Health-New Thinking for a New Decade

We all experience it, the moment when we lose our first baby tooth, followed by another and then another, making way for our permanent pearly whites. We take care of and maintain our baby teeth for their natural lifespan, eventually being conscious of the fact that when they fall out, only one more will emerge in each space. We should always be cognisant of the nutrition and oral health link. For example, poor oral health can affect the ability to eat certain nutritious foods, while poor nutrition can increase the risk of poor oral health, including gum disease and tooth loss.

As we enter this new decade of the twenties, having enjoyed nourishing and nutritious Irish food over the festive period, grown by Irish farmers, we should take some time to reflect. Understanding the importance of the nutrients in our food for proactive dental healthcare and proactive human healthcare is pivotal.

A nutritious balanced diet is a key component of good health and a key component of a healthy dentition (i.e. healthy teeth and gums). We all take pride in our appearance, be it a new haircut, a new outfit and most importantly, a healthy smile.

Essential Food Nutrients for Proactive Dental Healthcare

The importance of a balanced diet is well established for overall health. We can often forget that in order to digest and absorb the nutrients from our food, we are solely reliant on our teeth as the first step in the digestion process. Although there are many scientific publications relating food and dental health, consumers are not always aware of this science. Such an awareness is very important to purchasing decisions, when it comes to good dental health.

The old adage ‘You are what you eat’ has never been more relevant when it comes to our dental health. In childhood years, a diet with the recommended daily intake of calcium, promotes the development of strong teeth and bones. Dairy (milk, cheese, natural yoghurt) is an important source of calcium and phosphorus, along with other key nutrients required for healthy teeth and bones. While some foods can contain many vital nutrients, they can also have high levels of acid and sugar. Some studies show that eating cheese after a meal or snack e.g. fruit, can help neutralise acid in the mouth, helping to prevent tooth decay.

A challenge that can be commonly faced by the elderly is maintaining a healthy body weight and indeed, maintaining muscle mass. This can in part be attributed to a poor dentition, where it can be more difficult to eat the essential nutrient-rich foods, required for overall health. For example, meat is a nutrient-rich food, packed with protein, which is required to maintain muscle mass. The importance of healthy teeth to physically chew and digest meat, for example, is food for thought.

Studies have shown that increasing the intake of dietary fibre, essential fats and fresh fruit and vegetables, can help to fight against gum disease, being the number one cause of tooth loss in adults.

The Future

There is a real need to engage consumers in the importance of good nutrition for good health. Indeed, adopting such an approach could offer a valuable health strategy for proactive dental healthcare, and as such, proactive human healthcare, because they are not mutually exclusive.

The key role of Irish farmers and the agri-food industry in producing sustainable and nutrient dense food for consumers must be at the heart of this new approach to communication and engagement. We all want to stay healthy for as long as possible and essential food nutrients, proactive dental healthcare and engagement with healthcare professionals are key to achieving this.

- Dr. Vanessa Woods, Founder and Chief Executive of ‘Vanessa B. Woods Communications’, Ireland’s first Science Communications Consultancy, with a mission statement to ‘Communicate Complex Science Simply’.

- Dr. Alastair Woods, Owner and Principal Dental Surgeon at Deansgrange Dental Clinic, Co. Dublin.

FOR MEDIA QUERIES:

Telephone: Dr. Vanessa Woods (087-6845337) LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/vanessabwoods/

Twitter: @DrVanessaWoods