Ageproof Your Body (Part 4)

TAKE GREAT CARE OF YOUR GUMS

Experts are now linking gum disease to health problems ranging from heart disease to some forms of cancer. “There’s still controversy why,” says Bill Kellner-Read, dentist and author of Toxic Bite (Credence Publications). “It’s currently suggested that bacterial infections gaining access to the bloodstream through damaged gums cause the problems.”

IF YOU DO NOTHING ELSE Start to floss as well as brush. If you find floss fiddly, the hot new dental toys to buy are interdental brushes, which swish easily between the teeth. Try Oral-B Interdental starter kit, from R50, and try adding a natural toothpaste with bacteriocides and fungincides to your routine. Try Tea Tree natural toothpaste, R48 from Dis-Chem pharmacies.


THE FOOD THAT HELPS Green tea, which has been found not only to kill the bacteria associated with gum disease, but also to slow down production of gum-destroying proteins that only make issues worse. Aim to drink four to five cups a day.

YOUR EXERCISE PRESCRIPTION Try some yoga. It might seem odd that working out can help your gum health, but recent Brazilian studies have shown that the more stressed out you are, the higher your risk of gum disease. It seems the stress hormone cortisol makes it more likely that bacteria will get into the gums and cause damage.

*HOT OFF THE PRESS Low levels of vitamin D in your body might make you more susceptible to gum disease, and new research from UCL shows that up to 90% of use are low in vitamin D in winter. Boost your levels with foods like oily fish and fortified breakfast cereals, or try a supplement like Solgar’s Vitamin D3, R63 for 60 casules.