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And we aren’t referring to John Abraham. UK residents harm their pearlies in more ways than they realise, by ODing on yummy smoothies and juices. DE tells desis why it’s time for some daat ki safai A recently-released UK survey has dentists warn people against regular intake of fruit juices and smoothies. “They can damage your teeth and lead to erosion of the tooth enamel.”
The survey also threw light on poor dental habits, quite common among those polled, including:
* Opening bottles with teeth
* Ignoring bleeding gums
* Using earrings/lollipop sticks to pick teeth
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* Flossing while driving.
Brush, then juice it up
It is best to brush teeth with a fl uoride toothpaste before drinking fruit juice, since this helps strengthen the enamel against the corrosive effect of the acidic juice, dentists said.
Oral health matters
Dental health is often considered to be of secondary importance to other health issues, but the latest scientific research has found strong links between oral health and a range of serious health conditions — heart disease, heart attacks, respiratory disease, strokes, low birth weight babies, and diabetes. The popularity of fruit smoothies was a concern because of their high sugar and acid content.
Smoothie bole toh:
A blended beverage made using natural ingredients — usually fruits and juices, and/or natural fl avours such as chocolate, peanut butter or green tea. Many smoothies use ice or frozen fruit to make them into cold partially frozen beverages.
Types of smoothies:
Shelf Stable: Or ready-to-pour. It is generally poured into machines for mass consumption. Frozen Mix: Thaw, pour, add ice or water, blend. Powder-based formula: Add water or other liquid, and blend.
Fresh smoothie:Here’s a quick recipe. Combine 200 ml of your choice of fl avoured yogurt, 1 1/2 cups frozen fruit (use any combination of fruit), 1 cup juice of your choice and 1 cup ice cube in a blender, until smooth. |
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Fruits score over juice
*Adding milk and/or sugar can lead to tooth decay. If juice is sipped on and not drunk at once, it can encourage tooth decay.
*Eating the fruit is preferable, since chewing and not sipping is better for your teeth and gums. Also, it doesn’t encourage tooth decay because of its high fi bre, water and natural sugar content.
*In a fruit juice, the water is present but fi bre (which helps clean teeth) has been removed, which makes the product more concentrated in sugar and acids, which can contribute to enamel erosion and decay. That goes especially for the citrus fruits and unripe fruits. So, rinse your mouth with water after eating fruit.
*Also, don’t brush up until an hour after a meal. Recent studies suggest the enamel is more damage-prone at that point. A thorough rinsing out of food particles is a better idea. |
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Pick Apples Not Mangoes
* Smoothies are a good option for those conscious about their health and weight, if they are prepared using low fat yogurt, as opposed to using milk or cream. Use fruits with low sugar content (strawberries, peaches, apples, kiwi, pears and citrus fruits), instead of sugar-rich bananas, litchis, mangoes, chickoos, custard apples, grapes, pineapple, and canned fruits.
* Smoothies score over juices since they contain more nutrients from both yogurt and fruit, along with lesser fructose and more fi bre content. |
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