Oral Microbiome III: A Mini-Course for Drawing up a Meal Plan to Support Your Oral Microbiome, Healthy Teeth and Gums

If, after reading the first and second articles, you asked yourself what the best food for a healthy oral microbiome is, then this article will definitely make you happy.

People love quick and simple solutions, so the idea of a foolproof list of foods to eat and not to eat is irresistable. However, I prefer to serve you a few tips on things to keep in mind and then you can look up more information yourself, if you are interested. In accordance with your preferences and current possibilities, you will then decide what to incorporate into your diet.

Which foods will support my oral microbiome and healthy teeth and gums?

The best foods to support a healthy oral microbiome, healthy teeth and gums are…

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Foods that provide a varied spectrum of nutrients. This is because the nutrients that you get from these foods will help to support your healthy teeth and gums.

That makes sense, doesn’t it? Don’t worry, though, I will not answer this question in just one sentence. In the following lines, I offer you a short overview of nutrients you can focus on.

Let’s get started!

Vitamin D3

Foods rich in vitamin D3 support strong teeth and remineralisation, which is important for protection against cavities. Vitamin D is one of the helpers responsible for supplying teeth with calcium (it is also helped by vitamins A and K2 and magnesium).

Foods rich in vitamin D3:

• Tuna
• Cod liver oil
• Sardines
• Egg yolks 

Supplement:

Safely stored in a bottle, also with its buddy K2, here you can buy quality vitamin D3.

Vitamin K2

Vitamin K2 only gained real attention in connection with D3 (it is recommended to take these two buddies together). Vitamin K2 is very important for building the structure of teeth, though. If you have a K2 deficiency, you are at risk of your pearly whites growing weaker. The risk of chronic diseases also increases.

Foods rich in vitamin K2:

• Natto 
  - Japanese fermented cheese made from soybeans. Its flavour is quite strong, but the content of vitamin K2 is really high. Look for it in healthy food shops.
• Egg yolks 
  - This depends on what the hen eats. It is very likely that hens fed corn or soybean diet will be K2 deficient. How about finding your own personal farmer? ☺

• Sauerkraut
  - The best is homemade, of course. If you have to buy it in a shop, however, there are a few things to keep in mind:
  - Reach for refrigerated cabbage that was not heat treated. Simply avoid cabbage that is sterilised or pasteurised.
  - Have a look at the ingredients. Honest sauerkraut is a true minimalist and it only needs cabbage and salt for its sour happiness. Caraway and mustard seeds are also OK. And that’s enough. If there is vinagre, sodium benzoate, sodium hydrogen sulphate, or another preservative, this is a hint that the cabbage you are holding in your hand may have been pasteurised.
• Cheeses
  - Munster (ripened semi-soft French cheese)
  - Camembert (I am sure you know it. It has been adapted for the Czech palate as Hermelín)
  - Edam or Gouda
  Note: If you have the possibility, try to opt for organic cheeses. It is proven that if cows can graze naturally in pastures, the cheese made from such organic milk has significantly higher nutrient values.

Supplement:

I would also like to add that there is a small catch concerning K2. We Earthlings are not particularly efficient in converting K1 (from broccoli, for example) into K2. That is why it may be better for some people to take it in the form of supplements. This is especially true if you are on a purely plant-based diet.

Calcium

Calcium is very important for your body. Besides its other functions, it helps to make teeth more resistant to oral bacteria. It also participates in remineralisation, which means that it helps to repair the damage done by bacteria. In addition, it also reduces the risk of gum disease. If you decide to supplement calcium, watch your D3 and K2 intake. This team of helpers work synergistically.

Foods rich in calcium:

• Savoy cabbage
• Bok choy (vegetable)
• Broccoli
• Beans and lentils
• Chia seeds
• Leafy greens
• Powdered shells from happy eggs - can be added to porridge or soups

Supplement:

Here you can check out natural calcium and magnesium from sea corals.

Probiotics

Here they are again. Probiotics are loved not only by our gut microbiome, but also by the oral microbiome. It is one of the favourite foods of our friendly bacteria. They will reward us for our care by helping to prevent cavities and gum disease. Bacteria strengthened by probiotics will also help us have a fresh breath!

Probiotic foods

• Kombucha
  - Kombucha is alive! And so, similarly as with sauerkraut, choose refrigerated kombucha. This drink is traditionally made from green or black tea, so one of these teas must be on the ingredients list. If it says made with tea flavouring, extract, or essence instead, perhaps you should put the bottle back and keep browsing. As for sugar, it is added to kombucha as food for friendly bacteria. Even though its presence is necessary, it should not dominate the list of ingredients. Opt for kombucha with less that 10g sugar / portion.
• Sauerkraut

Supplement:

An army of 32.5 billion live bacteria hiding in one capsule? Why not! You can find them here.

Finally, I want to take a second to remind you how important nutrient absorption is. The rate of nutrient absorption is crucial since it determines how many benefits from the ingested nutrients you will actually get, and how many will just pass through your body without any effect. Kristie explores this issue in relation with the “expensive poo” in her excellent article focused on Black Stuff. This is because Black Stuff helps nutrients, vitamins, and minerals to get exactly where they are needed in the body.

What is the main takeaway from this article?

Eat a rainbow! Eat vegetables of all colours and foods where you can be sure that they provide you, your body, and also your oral microbiome with proper nourishment.

• Oily fish
• Happy eggs
• Colourful vegetables (such as broccoli or Savoy cabbage)
• Beans and lentils
• Quality cheeses
• Fermented foods (such as sauerkraut) 

Bibliography: 

Harvard Health, 2021. Fermented foods can add depth to your diet - Harvard Health. [online] Harvard Health. Available at: <https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/fermented-foods-can-add-depth-to-your-diet#:~:text=Fermented%20foods%20are%20preserved%20using,and%20other%20microorganisms%2C%20says%20Dr.> [Accessed 11 September 2022].

Nutrition Reviews, 2009. VITAMIN K DEFICIENCY IN CHICKENS FED CORN-SOYBEAN DIETS. 12(9), pp.274-275.

Ods, 2016. Office of Dietary Supplements - Calcium. [online] Ods.od.nih.gov. Available at: <https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Calcium-HealthProfessional/> [Accessed 11 September 2022].

Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, 2016. White Lies? Five Milk Myths Debunked. [online] Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. Available at: <https://www.pcrm.org/news/blog/white-lies-five-myths-debunked> [Accessed 11 September 2022].

Suzuki, Y. and Okamoto, M., 1997. Production of hen's eggs rich in vitamin K. Nutrition Research, 17(10), pp.1607-1615.