I HAVE followed the field of nutrition closely for more than 23 years, and what I have discovered is that there are a few very good, very consistent individuals in the field whose work and advice have consistently held up under scrutiny over time. Dr Weston Price was a giant in this field. In the book Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, long considered the seminal text on nutrition, he documented the effects of dietary changes on bone structure, teeth, and overall health.
Many people now realise that they must be responsible for figuring out for themselves just what proper nutrition is. But these days, there are so many conflicting viewpoints that it is hard to decide what constitutes healthy eating. Every ten years, it seems, the so-called experts flip-flop their positions and tell us to eat exactly what they told us not to eat before. First, butter is bad, and margarine is good; then butter is good and margarine is bad. What do you do?
There are over 150 medical schools in the U.S. Most teach a nutrition course totalling 19 hours. In dozens of those institutions, such a course is not a requirement for graduating physicians, much less dentists. There is a very strong perception that diet and nutrition are unrelated to the teeth, but this could not be further from the truth.
In his extensive travels to Alaska, the Amazon, Australia, Europe, the South Pacific, and many other areas, Dr Price consistently found that people who remained on their native diets experienced almost no tooth decay or periodontal disease, and that degenerative diseases in general were virtually nonexistent. However, when the “white man’s” civilised diet, including refined sugar and flour, was introduced, tooth decay and other degenerative diseases began appearing with sudden and alarming frequency. Perhaps the most dramatic proof of the link between diet and health was demonstrated by Dr Price through these studies.
Dr Price also noted that the new diet brought about remarkable changes in physiognomy. Bodies became narrower and taller. The dental arches narrowed, leading to tooth crowding. Women’s pelvises also became narrower, making childbirth more difficult.
One photo essay of two brothers indisputably illustrates these changes. The first brother stayed on the family farm and continued to consume the traditional native diet. The second brother had moved to the city and switched to a typical modern diet. The brother on the farm had no tooth decay, while the city brother had developed severe decay. What is truly remarkable, though, is that when the city brother moved back to the farm and resumed his native eating habits, all decay ceased.
Based on Dr Price’s research, following a genetically appropriate diet would lead to optimal health. This does not make for highly practical advice, however, as native genetic lines are, for the most part, completely blurred. Most of us do not live in isolated tribal communities, marrying into our own genetic pool. How then do we apply Dr Price’s insights to our modern dietary needs?
A good place to start is adopting strategic eating habits, such as avoiding starchy or sticky foods that can get stuck in teeth, like gummy sweets and potato chips. Then you should limit snacking, especially on sugary foods. If you must eat sweet foods, consume them during mealtimes. Saliva production, which was increased at that time, would help wash away the food and neutralise the acids. Vitamin D is important for calcium absorption, and Vitamin C strengthens gums. In addition, lean meat, fish, eggs and greens provide phosphorus and protein for tissue repair and maintenance. Cheese can reduce mouth acidity, helping reduce the risk of tooth decay. Finally, apples, carrots and celery act as natural toothbrushes.
