You probably know that dental plaque leads to cavities, tooth loss, and gum disease. And you may also know that gum disease can lead to a heart attack.
The reason: plaque is the result of bad bacteria. That bacteria can travel from your gums straight to your heart, where it can do enormous damage.
That’s why we’re told to brush our teeth, floss, and use mouthwash. Doing so can reduce our risk for all of these problems.
But what if I told you there’s a delicious beverage that kills bad bacteria in your mouth, prevents plaque, and gives you healthy teeth and gums? And it works better than antibacterial mouthwash.
In a recent study, researchers compared the plaque-preventing qualities of several different substances. And surprisingly, the one that worked best was red wine.
The researchers discovered that red wine prevents bad bacteria from sticking to your teeth. When bad bacteria stick to your teeth, it begins to eat away at the enamel on your teeth and it moves up into your gums. This eventually leads to tooth decay, tooth loss and, of course, gum disease.
Many people use mouthwash to help prevent gum disease. The problem with this is that if you use antibacterial mouthwash, it kills good bacteria as well as bad. And if you use mouthwash that’s not antibacterial, you’re not really fighting gum disease.
That’s Where Red Wine Comes In
This study found that moderate amounts of red wine protected teeth better than mouthwash. It also found that red wine extract and grape seed extract were more effective at fighting pathogenic bacteria than mouthwash.
How to Make Red Wine Work Even Better
Shortly after publishing their first study, the same research team wanted to find out if they could enhance the dental protection of red wine. So they paired red wine with an oral probiotic.
Probiotics, as you’re probably aware, are good bacteria. They help fight bad bacteria and work to heal tissues. Most probiotics are used for gut health. But oral probiotics can help promote good oral health.
The researchers found that using an oral probiotic significantly enhanced the action of red wine polyphenols. The combination was better at keeping bacteria from sticking to teeth and preventing plaque from building up than red wine alone.
What You Should Do
Feel free to drink 1-2 glasses of red wine per day. When you drink the wine, don’t swallow it immediately. Swish the wine around in your mouth for a second or two. This will allow it to work on the bacteria.
Keep brushing and flossing as usual. After you brush your teeth at night, take the oral probiotic. Taking it after you brush will let it work all night long.