Herbal Extracts Plus Wholesale

Take The Bite Out Of Dental Erosion ~

Although you take steps to prevent cavities by brushing and flossing your teeth, you're still at risk for dental erosion. This growing problem now affects as many as one in five Americans, according to a series of articles in the Journal of the California Dental Association. Dental erosion is the acidic dissolution of teeth - starting with the softening (demineralization) of the enamel and underlying dentin - and subsequent structural tooth loss. It's caused by acids in food and beverages, as well as regurgitated stomach acid resulting from reflux disease (in contrast, cavities are caused by acid-producing bacteria on the teeth, which feed on sugars). Over-brushing, abrasive toothpaste, tooth grinding and other excessive mechanical wear and tear can dramatically worsen the damage caused by dental erosion. There is a rise in dental erosion, because Americans have been drinking more acidic beverages and have become heavier (obesity increases the risk of reflux disease). Older people are also at risk because many take medications that reduce saliva flow, making their teeth more vulnerable to acid. And ironically, in our zeal to clean and polish our teeth, many of us overdo it and thus abrade them. If you know you have dental erosion, or want to prevent it, take these steps: Limit acidic beverages, such as soda (especially cola and citrus flavors, including diet sodas), energy drinks, sports drinks, citrus juices and wine. Repeated and prolonged exposures, as in sipping or swirling the liquid in your mouth, are most erosive. Sugary acidic drinks are a double whammy, since they also promote cavities ~ Limit acidic foods such as oranges, lemons, grapefruit, sour candies, raisins and vinegary items or at least eat them with other foods, not on their own ~ Rinse with water after consuming acidic foods or beverages. Rinsing with baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and/or a fluoride mouthwash can further help ~ Eat dairy products. Their calcium helps reduce the damaging effects of acids; their casein enhances remineralization ~ Chew sugarless gum to increase saliva flow, which helps wash away acids ~ Use a less abrasive toothpaste. Whitening pastes are most abrasive. Those containing baking soda, which is alkaline and nonabrasive, tend to be gentlest on teeth ~ Use a toothbrush with soft bristles, and not too forcefully or for more than a couple of minutes. It's easy to overdo it with an electric toothbrush, since it requires little effort.

What’s The Beef With Red Meat?

A Harvard School of Public Health study linking red meat and mortality lit up the media in more ways than one, and the facts sounded ominous. Every extra daily serving of UNprocessed red meat (steak, hamburger, pork, etc.) increased the risk of dying prematurely by 13%. Processed red meat (hot dogs, sausage, bacon and the like) upped the risk by 20%. The results were published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Because this was the largest, longest study to date on the connection between eating red meat and survival, the findings were worth paying attention to, but they aren’t the last word on the topic and need to be put into perspective. A later Japanese study of more than 51,000 men and women followed for 16 years found no connection between moderate meat consumption (up to three ounces a day) and premature death, and last year, a study by different researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health found no connection between eating Unprocessed red meat and the development of heart disease and diabetes, though there was a strong connection with eating processed red meat. The authors suggest that the increased risk from red meat may come from the saturated fat, cholesterol and iron it delivers. Potentially cancer-causing compounds generated when cooking red meat at high could also contribute. Sodium, particularly in processed foods, may also play a role. It’s also possible that red-meat eaters may be more likely to have other risk factors for serious, life-shortening diseases. Given how hard it is to study the effect of food on long term health, there probably won’t ever be a definitive study of red meat and mortality, and the accumulated evidence suggests that less meat is probably better for health. One way to cut back on red meat is to follow a Mediterranean-style diet, which is rich in plant-based foods and doesn’t emphasize meat. Here are the basics: Eat fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans/legumes, nuts and seeds every day; they should make up the lion’s share of foods. Fat, much of it from olive oil, may account for up to 40% of daily calories. Small portions of cheese or low-fat yogurt are usually eaten each day, along with a serving of fish, poultry or eggs. Red meat makes an appearance now and then, and small amounts of red wine are typically taken with meals.  

Policy Reviews

Many of our policies have been revised to reflect changes between our old and new ordering systems. We urge all of our customers, existing and new, to read over our company policies to review these important updates.

Website Change

As we fine-tune our brand new website, there are several changes taking place. One of these changes concerns our News and Research articles. We have disbanded our News and Research webpage and moved all of the articles to our Blog. Each weekly article will now be automatically archived to our Blog and all of the articles on our Suggested Reading page will be soon to follow. You will also be able to see all of our Tip of the Day posts in the Blog as well!