Why a Vegan Diet is Bad for Your Dental Health
The vegan diet is mainly a modern concept, as skulls from our ancestors show that they did not eat large quantities of soft foods, such as fruit. The foods available to our ancestors would not allow a strictly vegan diet, as fresh fruits and vegetables were only available seasonally. Teeth from our ancestors have shown little to no signs of tooth decay, which shows that their diet proved beneficial in maintaining a healthy mouth.
Weston Price was a dentist in the 1930's who began studying anthropology. He dedicated his time to understanding cultures where tooth decay was minimal to nonexistent. Based on his findings, he created a dietary plan that included foods such as bone broths with meats and vegetables, as well as raw milk, butter and unrefined wheat.
While many people who start a vegan diet feel refreshed and energized at first, this feeling usually wears off. A strictly vegan diet can help cleanse or detoxify the body in certain situations. After the initial period of healing or cleansing the body, you then need the proper nutrients to sustain your health.
Many vegetarians may be shocked to find that they have serious tooth decay while maintaining their diet. If the vegan diet is supposed to be so good for your overall health, how is it possible that you can suffer from massive tooth decay? This answer is quite simple--when you eliminate fat-soluble vitamins and amino acids from your diet, you lose the essential nutrients that are needed to maintain healthy teeth.
Fat-soluble vitamins and amino acids are essential to building bones and tissues. While some food products, such as avocados or coconut oil do contain these nutrients, the amount you take in is not enough to achieve optimal dental health. For this reason, I do not promote or endorse a vegan diet.
The main source of these essential nutrients are animal products and protein. When you eliminate all types of animal products from your diet, you lose the nutrients that are necessary in repairing cavities and preventing tooth decay. While a vegan diet may seem appealing to some, I urge you to look past the cleansing benefits and see what it truly is—a diet that lacks the essential minerals and vitamins you need for maintaining a healthy mouth.
Chris Masterjohn, (2005) Vegetarianism Retrieved from http://www.cholesterol-and-health.com/Vegetarianism.html
Photo Credit: Michael Cannon (comprock) from Flickr