How many times did your parents tell you that too much sugar rots your teeth? I know I heard it all the time. Of course, I never understood why I couldn't have as much sugar as I wanted, as long as I brushed twice a day. A couple swipes with my trusty old toothbrush and problem solved, right?
The truth is that it isn't the contact with sugar on your teeth that rots them at all. Any food left on the teeth can become a breeding ground for bacteria that eat away at the enamel and cause cavities (which are literally holes in your teeth that can hurt like Hades, for anyone lucky enough to have never had one.)
Sugar rots them in a different way. Let me start by saying that not all sugar is created Equal (haha Equal... get it? Sorry, moving on.) Your body requires specific minerals to digest sugar, specifically magnesium, calcium and potassium. Natural sugars in plants, like raw cane sugar, stevia, agave nectar and the sugars from fruits and vegetables, already contain all of the minerals needed for the body to digest them. However, when the sugars are processed, to make white sugar, brown sugar (which is just white sugar with molasses added) or syrups, they're stripped of their minerals. In order to digest these processed sugars, the body is forced to pull the potassium, magnesium and calcium from other places, like your bones and teeth, weakening them.
Even though artifical sweeteners aren't actually sugar, they have the same effect on your teeth as sugar, because they are digested the same way and require the same minerals. Unlike sugar, which contains nutrients in it's raw form, artificial sweeteners never contained any minerals, so you can't switch to a different kind to defend yourself. It's best just to kick the artificial habit and switch to an all-natural sweetener. Your teeth and bones will thank you for it!
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