5 Foods That Have Antibacterial Properties for Your Mouth

Your mouth is always filled with bacteria, both good and bad. The good bacteria and bad bacteria fight a constant battle in your mouth for control. But sometimes, the bad bacteria gain the upper hand, and when that happens, your gums and teeth can suffer. As well as brushing and flossing, you can eat foods rich in antibacterial agents to combat the bad bacteria.

This article will discuss five foods that can help you to keep bad strains of bacteria like streptococcus mutans at bay.

1. Wine and products that contain grapes

Grapes contain phenolic compounds that they use to combat harmful pathogens. These compounds can stop the bad bacteria that cause dental plaque from flourishing in your mouth. If you drink a glass of wine with your meals occasionally, your teeth will have less dental plaque, the biofilm that leads to tooth decay, cavities, and gum disease.

But since wine is also acidic, drinking too much of it can damage the protective enamel coating on your teeth. As such, include wine with some meals, but don't overdo it. You can also add grapes to cereal and yogurt to receive the same benefits. Or you can add grape extract to food when cooking at home.

2. Cranberry juice

Cranberries are another food that has the ability to reduce the number of negative gram bacteria in your mouth. If you don't drink alcohol, then you can switch wine to cranberry juice to keep bad bacteria from causing plaque, tooth decay, and gum disease.

3. Shiitake mushrooms

Research has shown that shiitake mushrooms can reduce the population of bad bacteria in your mouth. And since you can safely include shiitake mushrooms in a wide variety of meals, you can eat shiitake mushrooms every day to combat tooth decay and gum disease.

4. Raw onions

Like grapes, onions contain antibacterial compounds that protect them from bacteria and pathogens. And by eating onions raw, you can gain the full benefit of these antibacterial compounds for your mouth. If chewing raw onion by itself seems too wince-inducing, however, try adding raw onion to your salads. Be careful not to eat too much onion though or your breath may suffer.

5. Yogurt

Yogurt contains water soluble peptide extracts (WSPEs), which have antibacterial properties. Other dairy products also have WSPEs, but yogurt is a simple way to include these antibacterial agents in your diet. By eating yogurt after meals, you can increase your defense against the oral bacteria that cause oral problems like tooth decay.

To learn more about natural ways to better care for your teeth, contact a general dentistry clinic in your area today.

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