Celery is a highly-overlooked vegetable in the battle to protect our teeth and maintain a healthy diet. Celery is a vegetable that is typically associated with poultry stuffing, soups, and vegetable platters, along with sliced carrots and sliced cucumbers.
Ironically, all three of these vegetable platter residents are all good for your dental health in addition to your health in general. And speaking of your health, these are snacks recommended for people who are trying to quit smoking.
Celery is a crunchy vegetable that has a high-water content and is high in antioxidants. The crunchy nature of celery is one of the attributes that makes it so good for your teeth. When you start crunching on a celery stick your teeth have to work to break the celery fibers down so you can swallow them. This process stimulates saliva production, which is your body's natural cleansing mechanism for your teeth.
The advantage of the crunchy nature of celery is that while it is stimulating saliva and so your body can play its role in dental health, the celery is scraping against your teeth and removing bits of food particles. It also loosens the bacteria that clings to your teeth and by so doing makes the job of the saliva wash easier.
So, celery, though cursed with a rather bland taste, is also filled with a plethora of antioxidants that protect your body from the deleterious effects of oxidation It is an anti-inflammatory and has even been found to protect the digestive tract from inflammation. It contains unique non-starch polysaccharides are what produce these anti-inflammatory properties.
The advantage of non-starch polysaccharides is that starch, when it sits on your teeth, is broken down by bacteria into sugar. That, of course, causes tooth decay. Non-starch polysaccharides are made from pectin, a substance found in apples, instead of sugar as other polysaccharides are, and that gives it a better snack rating.
Please contact our office if you have any questions about celery's effects on your oral health.
