One of the more popular diets these days is Keto, or the ketogenic diet. This diet can be great for dropping some carbs, but how does it stack up in promoting good oral health?
What’s in the Diet
Keto is a low-carb diet that replaces carbs—sugar-heavy foods—with fat. The theory is that by eating more fat, you put your body into ketosis, a metabolic state that burns fat more readily, thus making it easier to significantly lose weight. Keto is similar to other low-carb diets like the Atkins diet. There are several versions of the diet that vary in intensity mainly due to how active the user is physically.
The main benefit of Keto in oral health is the lack of sugar. Sugar is the main driver in tooth decay for many adults, leading to gum disease, cavities & even tooth loss. The standard Keto diet only has 10% of the user’s diet in carbs. Studies have also shown that the Keto diet seems to have an anti-inflammatory effect, which can help in periodontitis, or gum disease.
Getting the Most for Your Mouth
In order to maximize the oral health benefits of this low sugar diet, it’s important to look at that 10%. Ensure that it is low in refined sugar, which is worse for teeth than naturally occurring sugars such as those in fruit.
It’s also important to get all the nutrients you need for healthy teeth, like calcium. For most, going Keto means a drastic change in diet, which can unintentionally eliminate sources of vitamins & minerals. Supplements can help mitigate this, but the best way to ingest these vital nutrients is through food where they naturally occur. Adding more vegetables, which have low sugar content but a high level of vitamins, can help.
The Keto diet also has its own potential drawbacks that dieters should be aware of. Putting your body into ketosis can cause brain fog, bad breath & fatigue. If you are unsure of the health risks, it’s best to talk to a doctor to come up with a custom plan for your weight loss.
While Keto can be a good way to lose weight, the real oral benefit comes from the reduction of sugar, which can be achieved through several forms of dieting. Talk to your dentist to see what changes you can make to your diet to stay healthy & smiling.
Sources:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10868404/
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/ketogenic-diet-101