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Eat Yogurt - It's Good For Your Mouth

FitSugar — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 16:00:00 PST

If you eat yogurt, you'll be happy to know that Japanese research found that it may be keeping your mouth healthy. Eating yogurt and other foods that contain lactic acid such as wheat beer, kefir, and some cottage cheeses are associated with better periodontal health. When adults have periodontal disease, this chronic bacterial infection causes receding gums and tooth loss. Aside from brushing, flossing, and regular cleanings, effective ways to deal with this are limited, so this is great news.

This study found that those who consumed 55 grams or more of yogurt a day, or some other lactic-acid drink, had a significantly lower occurrence of periodontal disease. (That's equal to less than half a 6-ounce container of yogurt). More research needs to be done, because the benefits may have something to do with the lactobacillus bacteria found in yogurt and other lactic-acid foods. Since signs of periodontal disease can show up in your 30s, so it's good to start thinking about ways to prevent it now.

Source

3 Disease Cures Hiding in Your Supermarket

Prevention — Mon, 28 May 2012 05:11:10 PDT

We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Prevention here on FitSugar!

Yup! You can demolish these diseases with your diet.

By Molly Raisch, Prevention

Here's one thing to add to your grocery list: disease-fighting foods. A growing body of research shows that you can squash certain symptoms with what you eat. In fact, eating the right foods may be just what the doctor ordered for these ailments:

Dry Eye 
If you suffer from dry eye (you know, that annoying gritty feeling when you blink), then relief may be found in a simple cup of joe, according to researchers from the University of Tokyo's School of Medicine. Study participants were given either a caffeine supplement or a placebo, and they then had their eyes tested 45 minutes later. The results? Not a dry eye in the house for those who'd had caffeine: they produced more tears than their noncaffeinated counterparts. This could be especially good news for women, as dry eye tends to affect postmenopausal women more than any other group.  

7 Diseases That Strike Younger Than You Think

Learn more food cures after the break!

6 Little Instant Health Boosts

Prevention — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 14:42:05 PDT

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Prevention here on FitSugar!

Minor moves that offer major benefits for your mind and body
By Alyssa Shaffer, Prevention

Brush and Floss
Health boost: Cut risk of head and neck cancer by 400 Percent

Take good care of your smile and you'll have more than just white teeth to show for it. New research from Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, NY, shows that people with the chronic gum disease periodontitis have a fourfold risk of developing a type of head or neck cancer (which makes up about 5 percent of all malignancies in the United States), especially in the mouth and throat. The risk was increased even among patients who never used tobacco. Gum disease occurs when the bacteria that live in plaque infect the gums, so brush and floss regularly to prevent plaque buildup.

16 Amazingly Easy Ways to Dramatically Improve Well-being

Hide Your TV Remote
Health boost: Whittle 2 inches from your belly

When switching TV stations, put down the remote, get up, and do it manually. An Australian study found that people who did the greatest amount of light activity during otherwise sedentary behavior, such as watching TV, had 16 percent smaller waist circumferences than those who were inclined to stay put. Even the simple act of getting up and walking around for a minute or so was enough to make a difference, regardless of whether they had a regular workout schedule.

They also had lower body mass indexes and triglyceride and glucose levels, all of which are associated with a reduced risk of metabolic syndrome. More ways to break up an otherwise inactive day: Stand up every time the phone rings at your desk; take the long way back to your desk after a bathroom break; do some stretches before reading a new e-mail.

Super Secrets For a Trim Tummy

Doodle During Work Meetings
Health boost: Improve memory by 29 Percent

People who doodled while listening to a recorded message had nearly one-third better recall of the details than those who didn't draw, according to a study published in the journal Applied Cognitive Psychology. "Doodling acts as a buffer against daydreaming," explains researcher Jackie Andrade, PhD, a professor in the School of Psychology at the University of Plymouth in England. "It provides just enough distraction to stop you from drifting off, but you can still focus on what is being said."

Find more ways to boost your health after the break.

Healthy Gums May Prevent Pancreatic Cancer

FitSugar — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 13:15:00 PST

All cancer is bad news, but what makes pancreatic cancer so awful is that only 5% of people diagnosed with it will live another 5 years.

There are no recommended screening tests, early warning signs or symptoms to alert a person or their doctor that they have pancreatic cancer.

Some risk factors that could make you more susceptible to pancreatic cancer include cigarette smoking and possibly diabetes and obesity.

Oddly enough, periodontal disease (gum inflammation) and tooth loss may also be associated in some way with an increased risk of pancreatic cancer.

The connection it seems is that over time, the bacterial infection that causes gum disease can also cause loss of the bone that anchors the teeth. The inflammation from the infection may set the stage for other serious diseases, like pancreatic cancer.

There has also been recent interest in a possible link between gum disease and coronary artery disease, based on the theory that gum disease may lead to increased levels of inflammation throughout our bodies.

Fit's Tips: So take care of your teeth and gums people. Get regular dental cleanings twice a year, and whatever you do - don't forget to floss.