Obesity linked to poor dental health
In a new study published in Oral Diseases, researchers found that those who were obese had a nearly six times higher chance of serious gum infection. This may be because obese people often have higher levels of inflammation, and inflammation increases the likelihood of gum disease. Plus, gum disease is linked to heart disease and diabetes. In fact, nearly 22 percent of folks with diabetes also have periodontal disease. And past studies have shown that gum disease worsens glucose control and makes it more likely that you’ll develop non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
So if you’re carrying extra weight, make sure to see your dentist at least twice a year, and brush twice and floss at least once a day. We do it standing on one foot (really!), just to get the double benefit of making our Realage younger! As you work to attain a healthy weight (you are doing that, aren’t you?), brushing and flossing regularly (and standing on one foot) make it a lot easier to shed extra pounds.
Sweets and cancer
Americans spend billions of dollars annually on candy, consuming 22 pounds per person. And overall, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that in 2015, each American consumed more than 75 pounds of refined sugar, high-fructose corn syrup and/or other sweeteners.
Seventy-five pounds of added sugar and sugar syrup is known to cause obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney and joint woes, dementia, a lousy sex life and more.
And now a new study out of the University of Texas, Dallas, has found that certain kinds of cancers are sugar-crazed, too. Squamous cell cancers of the lungs, head and neck, esophagus and cervix thrive on consuming glucose, say the researchers. (The U.S. ranks No. 6 in the world in cancer cases, with 318 per 100,000 people; the world average is 182.)
Although more studies are needed to show how consuming blood-sugar-boosting added sugars, sugar syrups and simple carbs invites cancer to take hold, or if avoiding added sugars and syrups will slow cancer progression, we say: “Why wait? Ditch them now!”
And if you’re craving a sweet treat: Try eating 1 ounce of 70 percent cacao dark chocolate per day. It’s loaded with anti-inflammatory flavonoids, has a good dose of magnesium and copper, is good for your circulation and raises your level of healthy HDL cholesterol.
Email questions for Mehmet Oz and Mike Roizen to youdocsdaily@sharecare. com.