So often we talk about the best oral routines to help keep teeth clean and free from disease but most of us forget about the other crucial aspect of oral health and that is Nutrition.
Along with proper cleaning you also need to be conscious of the things you are consuming and whether they will positively or negatively affect our mouth’s ecosystem.
There are quite a lot of nutritional factors that go into keeping teeth and gums healthy but there are 5 Crucial minerals that need to go into your body.
These are:
- Vitamin K2
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin A
- Magnesium
- Boron
These are the Best Vitamins For Teeth And Gums and if your serious about improving your oral health please pay close attention as you will find out how these minerals and vitamins work together to create an environment of stability and health in your mouth.
Let’s dive straight in…
Vitamin K2 – Important For Calcium Absorption
The first world countries are currently battling the epidemic of obesity and this is not good when it comes to Vitamin K2.
This is because junk food contains no source of this vitamin and what’s more worrying is the fact that these so called healthy meals have no where near enough the amount required for our bodies.
What Does It Do?
Calcium does not naturally know where to go to help out once inside the body. Vitamin K2 helps calcium be directed to wherever it is needed the most. It activates a protein called osteocalcin which promotes the repairing of bone tissue together with calcium.
It also activates a protein called matrix GLA which is responsible for going around the body picking up calcium from soft tissues, where it doesn’t belong.
For example our arteries can get clogged up because of this, which is one of the reasons of heart diseases. It is vital there is enough K2 to keep calcium levels from rising too much and causing adverse effects.
How To Get More Vitamin K2 Into My Body
There are two different sub types of K2:
- Mk-4
- Mk-7
The Mk-4 is well absorbed in the body but is not as active as the Mk-7 sub type. The main foods that promote the release of Mk-4 are:
- Eggs
- Meat
The Mk-7 form is also well absorbed but more importantly, provides the highest vitamin K2 activity. The main food that you want to consume to get higher levels of K2 is cheese.
An unusual but high source of vitamin K2 is a Japanese fermented soy product called natto. It tastes like cheese but is a lot more pungent. It’s an acquired taste, you will Either love it or hate it.
Alternatives are the more traditional aged cheeses such as brie and high quality cheddar cheese. The word QUALITY is really important here!
Is Eating Cheese Enough?
Most probably Not because to get the optimum levels you need to be consuming 180 mcg per day. It is going to be hard to get these levels with whole foods alone.
You will need to take supplements alongside to get the recommended daily allowance.
Which Supplement Is Best
We have searched all over the web and found that Evolved Organics formulation contains exactly the 180 mcg concentration required and more importantly the most active form is used (Mk-7). This is great because you will get your RDA in 1 sitting. The Evolved Organics Formulation is Available to purchase from Amazon.
Vitamin D – Calcium Regulator
This is a well studied vitamin and has been linked to oral regulation through its intermediary actions it has on calcium. Basically it will pick up calcium and phosphate from places where they are not needed and transports them to other vital mineralised bone tissues which include teeth.
Did you know that 50% of the world’s population have a vitamin D insufficiency!
It has been noticed that Children and adolescents are particularly vulnerable to the clinical manifestations of insufficient vitamin D because of its central role in bone and tooth formation.
Some studies have even suggested that low intake or deficiency in vitamin D causes an increased risk of dental caries but further research is in progress to establish this as a fact.
Vitamin D3 & K2 Are Partners For Life!
Recent research has shown that excessive calcium intake alone can be harmful to the body. The additional calcium must be correctly utilised or it can show up in the wrong places and cause disease.
By conscientiously using vitamin K2 in conjunction with D3, this issue of “metastatic calcium” can be avoided.
How To Get More Vitamin D Into My Body
For vitamin D you need to consume the following:
- Egg yolks. They contain massive amounts of nutrients which includes Vitamin D. Aim for 2-3 eggs a day.
- Cod liver oil contains a good amount of Vitamin D. You can either eat fresh fish or take supplements. Both are good.
- Most importantly you want to get a decent amount of sun exposure to get the natural free amounts of Vitamin D.
The recommended amount of Vitamin D required for optimal maintenance is between 5000 – 6000 IU. If you live in a colder climate you will most likely need to take some sort of supplements to reach you daily intake as sun exposure will be non-existent.
Which Supplement Is Best
Well luckily for you, the Vitamin K2 supplement we mentioned to you earlier also contains 5000 IU of Vitamin D3. What this means is you will be getting both your D3 + K2 daily allowance in one go which just makes it easier to manage.
Again the Evolved Organics Formulation Is Available To Purchase Over At Amazon. It’s pretty good value and the reviews are pretty good.
Magnesium – Missing Link Between D3 & K2
You could say that Magnesium is the missing link between Vitamin K2 and D. All 3 when combined will take the remineralization process to the next level.
Magnesium has a balancing affect on calcium metabolism and also prevents calcium plaque in the arteries. Studies have established that it is magnesium and not calcium that forms the hard enamel that resists tooth decay.
It is essential for the proper development of the tooth structure.
The more calcium you get the higher your Magnesium requirement will be. They both depend on each other. Another key feature of Magnesium is that its active in cellular metabolism and is necessary for the energy production that allows cleansing fluids to pass through the dentin of teeth.
More recent studies have suggested that there is a link between magnesium deficiency and increased risk of periodontitis, so its crucial to get the right levels in your body each day.
How to Get More Magnesium Into My Body?
There are a few ways you can get magnesium into your system. First is through the diet and the following foods contain a decent amount of this mineral:
- Fish – Salmon and tuna are filled with magnesium and omega 3 fatty acids. Try consuming 3-4 times per week.
- Nuts & seeds – 2 tablespoons of Pumpkin seeds contain 96 grams of magnesium. Spread the seeds over the fish for massive benefits!
- Bananas – A medium-sized banana contains around 32g grams of magnesium making it a powerful snack to have.
- Dark Leafy vegetables – Choose raw or cooked magnesium greens such as baby spinach, collard greens or Kale.
But this alone will not get you to the right levels that are needed for Remineralization. You need to take supplements to help you reach the optimum levels which is around 350 mg per day.
Which Supplement Is Best
Oral magnesium glycinate is the most bio available but something else to consider is the fillers, binders or flow agents usually added to supplements.
Those such as vegetable or magnesium stearate or stearic acid can inhibit absorption. The brand we recommend is Pure Encapsulations (sold by Amazon) simply because its the most biologically active and does not contain any fillers or binders.
Boron – Unknown But Powerful Micro Nutrient!
Boron is a crucial element in the proper placement of calcium. A trace element that is very depleted or completely non-existent in our soils nowadays.
Boron is transported all around the body and has the highest concentration in the parathyroid glands, bones and dental enamel.
It is critical in the formation and wellness of bone and joint function. Its main function is to regulate the absorption and metabolism of calcium, magnesium and phosphorous.
Without boron and silica, your teeth and bones will never mineralize. Silica builds the matrix structure or framework in which the body places the minerals. The silica gives the teeth and bones strength and flexibility and works like the glass fibres do in fibreglass.
Fibreglass fibres are indeed silica, and the resin in the body is the mineral mix based in calcium. Without silica the bones become brittle which is the real cause of osteoporosis.
How To Get More Boron Into My Body
There are certain foods that are high in boron which are:
- Avocados – 2.06mg/100 grams
- Apricots – 2.11mg/100 grams
- Currants – 1.74mg/100 grams
- Grapes – 0.50mg/100 grams
There are others but the 4 mentioned above have the highest concentration per 100 grams but it won’t be enough to get the optimum level which is 10-15 mg per day.
Remember: A deficiency in Boron will cause increased amounts of calcium and magnesium to be lost through urine. Using a Boron/borax supplement will reduce this loss by a massive 50%.
Boron deficiency may be the most important factor in causing osteoporosis and tooth decay!
Which Supplement Is Best
There are various different option to choose from but the problem with most is that they have a tiny amount per serving. 2 mg per serving means you will have to consume 5-6 tablets per day which is possible but the likelihood of you remembering to take that many is low.
For this reason we recommend the Biolmmersion Fructo Borate Complex – the natural food form of bio-available boron. The reason being it contains a whopping 6 mg per serving which means only 2-3 tablets per day will get you the right amount of Boron.
Vitamin A – Powerful Bone Developer!
The three reasons why vitamin A needs to be in your diet in relation to teeth and gums is:
- Plays a vital role in proper bone development
- Helps the body utilise the calcium effectively
- It keeps the immune system strong and prevents inflammation
if there is not sufficient amounts of this mineral then you are at risk of:
Decreased Epethelial Tissue Development
The epithelial cells are what cover our skin and other vital organs of our body. They create a barrier between the outside and inside to make sure no dangerous substance enters the body.
This also includes the mouth area and the decreased amounts of these cells will leave opportunities for bacteria to enter and get into the gum area and cause problems.
Reduced Saliva Flow
Its also been noted that a lack of Vitamin A in your diet causes salivary gland atrophy which simply means that less saliva is being produced in the mouth.
This reduces the effectiveness of the oral cavity to fight off bacteria and also causes more acid to circulate around the mouth which causes enamel wear.
How To Get More Vitamin A Into My Body
The major health sites and institutions have recommended that adult males should be targeting between 750 – 1000 micro grams per day, whilst adult females need to be looking at 750 micro grams/day.
Again these are general guidelines and of course all of us are genetically different so some might get away with eating less while others will need to be taking more than the recommended doses to get the full benefits.
But Most of the dosages are in IU (international Units)?
10,000 IU per day is the recommended amount of vitamin a according to Dr Price. He claimed that anything lower than this would not provide enough impact for helping the teeth and gums.
Here is a List of foods that are equivalent to 10,000 IU per day:
- 20 ounces of cheddar cheese
- 25-30 egg yolks
- 20 cups of whole milk
- 3 1/2 cups of heavy cream
- 24 Tablespoons of butter
- 3 ounces of chicken liver
- 2 ounces of beef liver
- 10-45 teaspoons Nordic Naturals cod liver oil
- 3-5 teaspoons Rosita cod liver oil
- 1-3 teaspoons fermented cod liver oil
That’s a lot of things to consume to get the optimum levels but if you read the list carefully you can see that cod liver oil contains the highest amounts of vitamin A and only 1-3 teaspoons per day is required to get to that elusive 10000 IU.
Which Supplement Is Best
Without a doubt the best supplement you can take is Green pastures blue ice cod liver (available on Amazon). 1 teaspoon of this cod liver will give you between 3500 IU-10,000 IU vitamin D and around 7500 IU-25,000 IU of Vitamin A. That’s more than enough to kick start you’re healing process.
Fermentation is a natural enzymatic and microbial action that releases the oil from the livers. Green pastures Fermented Cod Liver Oil is a raw, unadulterated, whole food. There are no additives of any kind and is routinely third-party tested for purity.
The Best Time To Take Vitamins For Teeth And Gums
This isn’t a straight forward answer because there are so many differing opinions. Some say take them first thing in the morning after you have woken up while others say take them alongside or after a main meal.
It’s said that absorption is higher if taken with food but to be totally honest it doesn’t matter too much, just make sure you are consuming them!.
Remember!
before you start taking any vitamins, talk to your doctor. While vitamins may seem harmless, some dietary supplements can interfere with some prescription medication.
With the doctors/dentist’s help, you can correctly take the vitamins you need for optimum oral health.
Conclusion
There are 5 Vitamins that are crucial if you want to get healthier teeth and gums. Vitamin K2, Vitamin D3, Vitamin A, Magnesium and Boron. They all play big roles in manipulating calcium and controlling its transportation to vital areas of the body including the teeth.
You most likely have a deficiency in all of these minerals and that’s why you are seeing no improvements in your oral health even though you are brushing and flossing properly.
You need to remember that nutrition is hyper critical when it comes to having a healthy body and mind.
Clean up your diet, add in the vitamins for gums and teeth that are mentioned in this article and you are bound to see some drastic changes in the coming months.
Just make sure to check with your doctor or dentist to make sure you won’t be causing any adverse effects by using these vitamins for teeth and gums.
Related Articles
5 Trace Minerals For Teeth You Must Consume Now!
How To Heal A Cavity Without Fillings?
3 Reasons You Need To Take Vitamin A For Teeth And Gums
Iodine For Teeth And Gums Is Crucial For Healing
