What's New on the New Nutrition Labels

The New Nutrition Labels

What's new and what it means for your teeth

The nutrition label on packaged goods is changing to make it easier for people to understand the nutritional value of what they are eating and to be in line with current scientific knowledge.

This change, mandated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA,) reflects current research on what people actually eat or drink.

Food Serving Sizes Get a Reality Check, source: FDA.gov

For example, because people usually drink a can of sugar-sweetened soda in one sitting, the serving size of soda is being increased from 8 ounces to 12 ounces, the size of the can of soda. Twenty ounce bottles of sugar-sweetened beverages likewise will be considered only one serving. Other serving sizes will decrease. The serving size of yogurt, for instance, will decrease from 8 ounces to 6 ounces because data revealed that 6 ounces is the amount that someone typically eats in one serving. Any package that contains what might be considered one serving and could be eaten in one sitting must list the total amounts per package or have two labels, one per serving and one per package. (No more doing the math!)

Also changing are the nutrients that are listed. Some, like Vitamin A and C are being eliminated, while others, like Vitamin D and Potassium are now required. How fat is being listed is also changing. In addition to total fat, the type of fat is included.

Completely new to the label is a listing of added sugars. 

Obesity is a huge health problem. In the U.S. over 72 million adults and over 12 million children are obese. Not one State is within the national obesity rate health goal of less than 15%

Sugar is a major culprit. 

Added sugars should be no more than 10 percent of total calories. Any more than that prevents people from staying within daily calories limits and getting the valuable nutrients they need. There is no recommended amount of sugar in the diet and certainly no recommended amount of added sugar. Although sugar fuels our cells, our bodies make all that is needed by converting the food we eat into sugar. Additional sugar is simply not necessary in the diet.

Science has long known that the teeth are negatively affected by sugar as well. For good oral health the recommendation remains to eat whole fruits rather than juices and to strictly limit sugar sweetened beverages in the diet. Sugar along with plaque bacteria can cause cavities and sugar causes inflammation in the entire body, including the mouth.

Old label vs. New Label, source: FDA.gov

This change is a great way for everyone to monitor and cut down on sugar in their diets, should they care to do so. But changing the label in and of itself will do nothing unless people take personal responsibility for their own health and also learn how and what they should be eating.

Companies with packaged food and beverage sales over $10 million have until July of 2018 to start using the new labels and rules and smaller companies have an additional year. Be on the look-out for the new labels!

Are you reading nutrition labels to help make healthy food choices?

sources: www.cdc.gov; www.fda.gov

This blog is not intended to diagnose or treat any condition or illness. Please see your doctor or dentist for treatment and any health concerns.

It's World Smile Day 2016!

Happy World Smile Day! The intent of World Smile Day is to engage in an act of kindness or good deed in the spirit of the Smiley symbol.

Although the traditional Smiley has no teeth showing, I hope you don’t mind if I pass along some tips on keeping your smile beautiful and healthy:

Brush at least two times a day for two whole minutes, once in the morning and once at night.

Brush each and every tooth (it’s called a tooth brush and not a teeth brush!) to get each and every surface.

Brush gently and use a soft tooth brush – you don’t want to hurt those all important gums!

Floss once a day to keep those in-between surfaces germ free, too.

Eat a healthy diet, low in sugar. Plaque germs that make acid on the teeth just LOVE sugar – Starve the plaque!

Watch what you drink – water is always your best bet. It has no sugar and keeps you healthy and hydrated.

If you can’t brush – rinse or sip some water, or chew some sugar-free gum.

Finally, think about someone you love and how each day is a gift. It will make you smile and a smile is a beautiful thing.

 

Yours in good oral health for better health,

Yvonne

For more on World Smile Day, visit: http://www.worldsmileday.com/index.php

This blog is not intended to treat or diagnose any condition. Visit your doctor and dentist regularly!

Tooth and Mouth signs of Celiac Disease

Gluten-free diets have become a nutrition fad and gluten-free products abound, but for people with celiac disease being gluten-free is a necessity.  Diet is the only treatment for this autoimmune disease and eating even the tiniest amount of gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye, can cause severe illness.  If left untreated it severely damages the intestines. 

Celiac disease, which seems to be on the rise, affects about 1% of the population and is diagnosed with blood tests and biopsy.  But celiac disease is tricky because the classic symptoms, diarrhea and weight loss, are not present in everyone with the disease leading some physicians to feel it is underdiagnosed.  Some people present with constipation and bloating, others with vitamin deficiencies since the destruction of the intestines leads to poor absorption of nutrients, and some have no symptoms at all.  But there are some other classic signs of the disease and they show up in the mouth.

Children with celiac disease are often found to have poorly formed or missing enamel on the teeth resulting in cavities.  If they are diagnosed before the age of 7 and treated with gluten-free diet, the adult teeth are unaffected.  If not, the disease will also affect the enamel of the permanent teeth.  Over 80% of children with celiac disease have been found to have enamel defects of the teeth.

Adults with untreated or undiagnosed celiac disease also have problems with weak enamel, cavities and bleeding gums.  In addition they may have higher incidence of advanced periodontal disease similar to people with other types of systemic inflammatory diseases like diabetes.  Some people with celiac will develop glossitis, an inflammation of the tongue caused by vitamin deficiency, and about 40% of people with the disease have recurring ulcers of the mouth. 

Because the symptoms of celiac disease, both in the mouth and the rest of the body, are similar to other conditions, a full medical history and further testing is necessary.  But for the person with a family history as well as medical and dental problems similar to celiac, the answer to mysterious symptoms may start in the dental chair.

For more information on celiac disease please visit:   www.celiac.nih.gov/articlearchives.aspx

This blog is not intended to treat or diagnose any dental or medical condition.  Please visit your doctor or dentist if you have any medical or dental concerns.

Less is more for healthy teeth

When it comes to nutrition for a healthy mouth, less is more.  Generally, the less ingredients something has, the healthier it is for you.  A package of cheese crackers, for example, contains: enriched flour, riboflavin, cheddar cheese, soybean oil, salt, corn syrup, baking soda, yeast, and soy lecithin (and this is a shortened list,) whereas an apple has one ingredient.  A banana is a banana, lettuce is lettuce, and nuts are nuts – well, you get the idea!  This rule doesn’t always apply, however, as orange juice has only one ingredient but contains lots of sugar (22 grams per serving.)  You’re better off just having the orange at about 9 grams of sugar per serving.  Less is also more when it comes to how frequently we eat sugary snacks or drinks as well as how long we take to eat them, too.  It is better to have dessert right after a meal or sweet drinks with a meal.  Constant snacking and sipping doesn’t allow the pH of the mouth to return to normal as fast as it could, putting one at greater risk for cavities.  So substitute in those “one ingredient” snacks and have snacks or beverages with meals for better tooth health.

My next post explores a surprisingly common phenomenon: Dreams about teeth!

This information is not intended to diagnose or treat any dental or medical condition.  If you need dental or medical attention please visit a dental or medical professional!

Sugar - just say "no"

In February the California State Senate introduced the "Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Safety Warning Act," the first legislation of its kind in the United States.  The bill calls for warning labels on beverages containing more than 75 calories per 12 ounce serving which read: "Drinking beverages with added sugar(s) contributes to obesity, diabetes and tooth decay."  Research has shown that the effects of sugar on the body are so dramatic and potentially damaging that the warning was suggested to inform consumers of the danger.  No matter where you come down on legislating about the ill effects of sugar, the dental profession has known for a long time that sugar is very harmful to the teeth, especially if you aren't brushing and flossing properly or regularly.  Plaque, a biofilm which forms on the teeth, is full of germs that love to eat sugar.  The germs form acid as a byproduct which sits on your teeth and can cause cavities.  In addition, taking a long time to drink a sugary beverage by sipping it over a long period of time prevents your mouth from returning to normal, neutral pH levels.  (Sorry all you latte, cappuccino and frappuccino lovers!)  So the next time you reach for that sugary drink, give some thought to the health of your teeth as well as the health of your body!  Here are some "rules" you can follow and, although I can't enforce them legislatively, I hope you'll consider them helpful: Drink water whenever, juice just once, milk with meals, and soda - skip it.

Have a great day and don't forget to brush your teeth 2 times a day for two minutes and floss each day.

This information is not intended to diagnose or treat any dental or medical condition.  If you need dental or medical attention please visit a dental or medical professional!