Mouthwash – friend or foe for the gut microbiome?
One quarter of people in the UK use mouthwash daily. With an additional 20% of the population using it every few days. Mouthwash by its nature is antibacterial, with many users wanting to kill the bacteria in the mouth that contributes to ‘bad breath’. However the ingredients used do not discriminate – does eradicating odour causing bacteria have a negative effect on our gut microbiome? The short answer is yes, through two main pathways: 1 – The mouth is the first stage of our digestive system. There are some studies that have investigated how disruptions to our oral microbiome can negatively affect our gut microbiome. 2 – Even after an oral rinse, ingredients such as chlorhexidine, triclosan and ethanol (alcohol) can find their way into our digestive system. Summarised below are five potential negative impacts of regular mouthwash use on our gut. More natural alternatives There has been a rise in popularity of more natural alternatives to traditional mouthwash. Such products utlise essential oils such as tea tree, clove, and eucalyptus. Aloe Vera is also used to soothe gums and for its antimicrobial effects. Some experts recommend the use of ‘swilling’ with salt water as a simple remedy to reduce inflammation and fight bacteria. Herbal extracts like peppermint appear to have natural antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. Science News Signature Smiles Care 18th Century Diary https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3886070/
Dishwashers – friend or foe for your gut?
During my seminars and talks, I always touch on the subject of the modern world not being kind to our gut microbiome. Whilst many things that negatively affect our gut microbiome have become common knowledge, I like to share some of the less well known factors. 50% of UK households are equipped with a dishwasher machine. The convenience of loading the machine and coming back to our pots, pans, plates, cutlery, cups, and glasses all sparkling clean – is one that has become the norm for many. Dishwasher tablets have chemicals and detergents that are designed to remove grease, food residue, and bacteria – but herein lies a problem for our gut. Such chemicals have been shown in studies to damage the gut epithelial barrier and reduce microbiome diversity JACI Online. Although it is difficult to measure volume accurately, we know that the residue of these chemicals is present on the ‘clean’ items we unload from our dishwashers. The knives and forks we use to eat, the plates we eat from, the glasses and cups we drink from – could all be directly depositing these chemicals into our gut. So what can we do to limit exposure? Education. Raise awareness with our clients – in all likelihood this is an issue that the average person is completely unaware of. Rinse to remove residues. Some health experts recommend rinsing the ‘clean’ items removed from the dishwasher with water before we use them for cooking or food consumption. Natural Dishwasher Tablets. You can now find more natural dishwasher tablets that use ingredients like citric acid and sodium citrate. Some people swear by them, others report that they don’t remove tough grease and food residues as effectively. Help the Gut Microbiome. It’s likely that the majority of our clients and audiences eaten and drank from items washed in their dishwashers for most of their lives. A gut friendly diet and lifestyle can help to mitigate some of the negative impacts on gut health. Take a Gut Microbiome Test The most comprehensive way of assessing your client’s gut microbiome, in my (biased) opinion, is to take a test with YourGutMap.The test will analyse over 2000 bacteria, and assess the health of the gut microbiome, unlocking 50+ health insights. Unique to each stool sample, each test provides a personalised nutrition plan to naturally increase your clients’ microbiome diversity – starving the bacteria we need less of, and feeding the bacteria we need more of. References from: The Journal of Allergy & Clinical Immunology – JACI OnlineAMDEA
