Blurbs are quick less than 2 minute reads under 300 words based on some interesting find here at Ketogeek and would share with you guys! These are short and quick practical takeaways from some of the studies we read. Science is always growing and piling on so one study or write-up doesn't equate to something set in stone. Lets continue to learn!
PREVALENCE OF ORAL DISEASE & DENTAL CARRIES
Lancet just posted an executive summary(1) which includes two papers that highlight the increased prevalence of oral diseases in low to middle-class households across the globe. According to NPR, "Ninety-five percent of 12-year-olds in the Philippines have tooth decay or cavities. And cavities affect seven in 10 children in India, one-third of Tanzania teens and nearly one in every three Brazilians." It's also important to note that in the United States, one in five children aged 6 to 11 years and one in four adults have untreated cavities and tooth decay amounts to $45 billion lost in productivity(2).
QUICK PRACTICAL ANALYSIS
Following are key highlights of the study:
- Though oral diseases are associated with free sugar, tobacco, and alcohol use, the main highlight here is the overconsumption or the detrimental impact of free sugar(1).
- A big problem is the conflict of interest which ties the sugar industry to dental research which could bias the research, consequent policies and dietary and health outcomes while tipping the focus from prevention to treatment with treatments being potentially pricier than prevention.
- For example, according to NPR, the European Organisation for Caries Research (ORCA) is supported by corporate members such as Mars Wrigley Confectionery, a manufacturer of chocolate, mints, chewing gum, and other sugary treats. Unilever, whose products include ice cream and sweetened beverages, is a corporate member of the International Association for Dental Research (IADR)
- Akin to the movement against tobacco, currently there is no global push against sugar over-consumption.
OUR TAKEAWAY
With the global prevalence and increase in low carb and ketogenic diets, the paradigm might be slowly shifting towards a reduction in free sugar intake which could reduce these highly preventable diseases. However, we must note the difference between "free sugar(1)" and structurally rich(2) sources of carbohydrates, latter which may serve as economic backbones and relatively healthy dietary staples of several developing countries.
Much of the dietary and lifestyle trends in developed countries eventually trickle down into developing countries over time and we think that our future health products should reflect such improvement. Hence, in our Energy Pods, the zero calorie and zero glycemic sweeteners we use are Erythritol which causes no harm to teeth or gum health(4)(5) even when tested long term(6) and monk fruit potentially providing inhibitory effect against oral bacterial species(7). Our goal has always been to inspire a positive change for the betterment of humanity and through smart smart substitution in ingredients we can reduce healthcare costs while also bringing the cost of these ingredients down as they become more mainstream and further industrialized.
OUR APPLICATION
CITATIONS
GLOSSARY
- Free Sugar(3): "A: According to WHO, the term “free sugars” refers to all monosaccharides and disaccharides added to foods by the manufacturer, cook or consumer, plus the sugars that are naturally present in honey, syrups and fruit juices. monosaccharides have one sugar molecule and include glucose, galactose and fructose. Disaccharides have two molecules. The most widely consumed disaccharide is sucrose or table sugar."
- Structurally Rich Carbohydrates: This would include certain forms of carbohydrates that may have a delayed or inhibited release of sugar and may be associated with positive health outcomes with low negative impact on oral health. This would include complex carbohydrate staples such as potatoes and rice which may be a critical part of diet and economic health in a developing country.
FAHAD AHMAD
Fahad is the founder of Ketogeek and hosts the Ketogeek Podcast, a world class health show about food, nutrition and health. He is into resistance training, Ashtanga yoga, calisthenics and various forms of training styles. Armed with a idealistic goals distilled in a world of realism, his goal is to help the world make a better place. He leads a life of extreme generalism or as he describes it, 'The Renaissance Lifestyle'.
“It never ceases to amaze me how prosaic, pedestrian, unimaginative people can persistently pontificate about classical grammatical structure as though it's fucking rocket science. These must be the same people who hate Picasso, because he couldn't keep the paint inside the lines and the colors never matched the numbers.”
― Abbe Diaz