The oral microbiome is the lush, diverse and thriving landscape that is the gateway to your gut microbiome. Many ingredients used by mainstream toothpaste manufacturers, (even the natural brands), contain ingredients that are the equivalent of pesticides for your microbes. The recipes below have been created by a dentist and will nourish your microbiome from top to bottom.
Microbiome Nourishing Toothpaste Recipe
4 tsp calcium carbonate powder (whitening & remineralizing)
2 tsp xanthan gum (for binding & a good source of prebiotic fiber)
1/8 tsp himalayan sea salt (anti-inflammatory, remineralizing, source of trace minerals)
1 tsp organic vegetable glycerin for (binding & smooth consistency)
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1 tsp silica
5-10 drops organic liquid stevia
10 drops sea buckthorn (loaded with omegas, vitamin C & E, great for gums)
10 drops spearmint or cinnamon or 5 drops lemon or another citrus essential oil (for freshening and flavor)
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1/4 cup filtered water
Instructions:
In a large bowl stir together first 4 ingredients.
In a small bowl mix together the next 4 ingredients (everything except the water).
Slowly whisk water into the large bowl with the first 4 ingredients, until fully incorporated.
Whisk small bowl ingredients to the large bowl.
Continue to mix by hand or with an immersion blender until you have the consistency of sour cream.
Place in a glass jar with a tight-sealing lid.
Mouthwash Recipe
2 cups of filtered water
1/8 tsp himalayan sea salt (anti-inflammatory, remineralizing, source of trace minerals)
2 tsp calcium carbonate powder (whitening & remineralizing)
10 drops sea buckthorn (loaded with omegas, vitamin C & E, great for gum health)
10 drops spearmint or cinnamon or 5 drops lemon or another citrus essential oil (for freshening and flavor)
5-10 drops organic liquid stevia
Instructions:
Add all ingredients, in the order they are listed, to a 2-cup mason jar, or any glass jar with lid.
Shake for 30-60 seconds until calcium carbonate is dissolved.
Swish in your mouth 1-2 times a day for 30-60 seconds.
*You will need to shake well before each use as oils can separate.
Toothpaste Ingredients To Avoid: Author Cindy Bergen
The 1970’s ‘scorched earth’ practices in oral care correlate with a rise of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease & metabolic syndrome in North America.
~Triclosan (also known as: microban, irgasan, biofresh, lexol-300, stet-zac, cloxifenolum) is listed as dangerous pesticide with human and environmental health risks. It is stored in fat cells and can accumulate to toxic levels, cause cancer, cold sweats, circulatory collapse, coma and death. Triclosan has also been linked to antibiotic resistance.
~Sodium Lauryl Sulphate is a foaming agent and an active compound in insecticides, engine degreasers, car wash soaps, and garage floor cleaners. It has been known to accumulate in the brain, heart, and liver and is corrosive to skin.
~Artificial Color is from synthetic coal tars and has been linked to behavioural, learning & health problems. Severe allergic reactions, asthma, headaches, nausea, fatigue, nervousness, lack of concentration and cancer have also been linked to the use of artificial color.
~Artificial Sweeteners, saccharin (linked to bladder cancer, the FDA has recommended banning its use), aspartame (made from petroleum products) breaks down into the neurotoxin and carcinogen formaldehyde. It has been linked to migraines, memory loss, seizures, brain tumors & Parkinson’s disease. Xylitol and erythritol, marketed as ‘natural sweeteners’ are sugar alcohols. They are produced by hydrogenating sugar, using a heavy metal catalyst called Raney nickel, a powdered aluminum alloy. All sweeteners have been identified as contributing to dizziness, headache, mood changes, depression, anxiety, and blurred vision.
~Diethanolamine (DEA) is a foaming agent, ranked a 10 for the highest level of toxicity by Environmental Working Group www.ewg.org. It has been shown to disrupt hormones, form cancer causing nitrates, stomach cancer, bladder, liver cancers and organ system toxicity.
~Propylene Glycol (also known as 1,2 dohycroxypropane, 1,2 – propanediol, 2-hydroxypropane, 1,2-propylene glycol, alpha-propylene glycol, dowfrost, methylethylene glycol) is used as an airplane deicer and has the active ingredient found in antifreeze. It has been linked to brain, liver and kidney abnormalities. The Environmental Protection Agency mandates wearing gloves when in contact with it.
~Microbeads are tiny bits of plastic which are added for color and texture; they are not biodegradable and end up in our waterways. Once in the waterways they absorb pesticides, phthalates and heavy metals and are consumed by fish. Then we eat the fish.
~Fluorspar is used primarily in the chemical industry to manufacture hydrofluoric acid for highly toxic fluorocarbon chemicals, foaming agents, refrigerants and a variety of fluoride chemicals. You can find it in cement, steel, iron, ceramics, nuclear fuel and Teflon.
~Sodium Bicarbonate works like a sandblaster on your teeth and is often used in commercial paint blasting for paint removal.
~Herbal Antimicrobials – peppermint, cinnamon, licorice and holy basil oil can all wreak havoc in your oral microbiome. The microorganisms that inhabit our mouths can easily make their way to all other parts of the body travelling through mucous membranes into the blood.
*The recipes come from Diane Reverand and Gerald P. Curatola, D.D.S’s book The Mouth-Body Connection, 28 -Day Program to Create a Healthy Mouth, Reduce Inflammation, and Prevent Disease Throughout the Body (2017 Center Street Hachette Book Group Inc.).
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