Why experts say you should rinse your mouth with BEET JUICE instead of mouthwash
- Leafy vegetables such as beetroot are rich in a molecule called nitrate
- This stops the overgrowth of bad bacteria and reduces acidity in the mouth
- READ MORE: Toothpaste can help people with life-threatening food allergies
Experts suggest that you should rinse your mouth with beetroot juice instead of mouthwash.
Millions of Americans use store-bought mouthwash most days to freshen breath and wash away bacteria. Most products contain fluoride, which kills microbes.
Mouthwash is also used to treat gum disease, which affects about half the U.S. population.
But these have side effects, including dry mouth and antimicrobial resistance.
Instead, research has suggested that a molecule called nitrate, found in green leafy vegetables, has fewer side effects and is more beneficial for oral health.
Research has suggested that a molecule called nitrate, found in green leafy vegetables, has fewer side effects and is more beneficial for oral health.
More than half of the adult population in the US has gum disease, and most will treat it with mouthwash or, in severe cases, with antibiotics
Researchers from the University of the West of Scotland studied competitive athletes, who are prone to gum disease due to their high sugar intake (many use energy gels during exercise, which is essentially pure sugar).
The study showed that beetroot juice (which contains about 12 millimoles of nitrate) protected athletes’ teeth from acidic sports drinks and sugar gels during exercise – suggesting that nitrate could be used as a treatment for athletes to reduce the risk of tooth decay.
However, it may not be a good idea to use it as a substitute mouthwash because it can discolor teeth.
Juice is even more likely to stain because it is a concentrated form of the vegetable, experts warn.
Whipped leafy greens, such as spinach and kale, may be a better option because they are less likely to stain teeth.
Their many health benefits are due in part to the nitrate they contain, which can be converted into nitric oxide in the mouth.
There, nitric oxide helps stop the overgrowth of bad bacteria and reduces acidity in the mouth, which can lead to both gum disease and tooth decay.
Antiseptic mouthwash used to treat plaque and gum disease contains chlorhexidine.
But this ingredient removes both good and bad bacteria and increases acid levels in the mouth, which can lead to disease.
Research also suggests that chlorhexidine could play a role in antimicrobial resistance, where bacteria learn to survive the effects of antibiotics after repeated exposure to the treatments.
Antimicrobial resistance is a global health problem and is estimated to cause 10 million deaths annually by 2050.
Nitrate, on the other hand, ensures a healthy balance between good and bad microorganisms in the mouth.
Existing research has shown that drinking lettuce juice for two weeks reduced gum inflammation and increased the number of healthy bacteria in patients with gum disease.