So there I was , a place that well al know quite well. Mouth agape, laying flat on my back, beaming light shining down my gullet. And, dont forget about those stylish shades they make us wear now.. Just in case our spit goes flying or some of that super tasty tooth polish gets in our eyes! You guessed it, Im in the dentist chair. While in my meditative state, one in which I throughly enjoy, I got to thinking about… of all things.. Vegans. As science is always coming out linking one part of our bodies to the other, I got thinking about the Vegan diet and tooth decay. This is what I found out after a rousing conversation with my Dentist.
We dont have to look too far back in our evolutionary history to see that our predecessors ate meat. From the placement of our eyes, our teeth and of course our ability to sprint. As Ive written about throughly, it was the consumption of COOKED meat, after of course we invented fire, that our frontal lobe of the brain began to enlarge creating more complicated thought.. Essentially, we are who we are because we eat meat. And as a Father, I know that much of the formative years of my own kids lives was spent ensuring that the levels of vitamins and minerals that they got through food, was intact.
What we know is that the importance of Calcium from milk, B12 from Red meat (just to name a couple things)… all has VITAL importance on our ability to develop the body correctly from infant to youth. But what about ongoing health? As science has shown, our dental hygiene and tooth health has a direct impact on our longevity. The better you keep your mouth, the longer you will live. Vegans essentially restrict some major pieces to the optimal health pie.
While I have a nice discussion with the dentist, I decided to dig into the science . This is what I found.
1. The De-mineralization of the Teeth due to a Vegan diet.
The Vegan diet is very acidic and verbally has a high sugar content. Comparing to a paleo or Ketogenic or even a whole food diet, the level of fruits and processed sugars by percentage is way higher than a meat or balanced OMNIVORE diet.
Im sure you have heard your dentist talk to you about the consumption of sugar and soda and too much fruit. Sugar is processed in the mouth and interacts with the enamel of the teeth, wearing it out. Meat and Dairy acts as a re-mineralization factor, calming the acidity in the mouth and re setting the enamel with important minerals like calcium and phosphorus.
Leading a Vegan lifestyle will have acute effects on the teeth by rapidly increasing decay. When the only re-mineralization comes from leafy greens or a fortified cereal there simply is no catching up. Additionally, Bacertial overgrowth due to a sugar rich diet or one that primarily uses grains as calories, presents an environment rich in tooth decay.
2. B-12 Deficency and Gum Loss.
Just as important as the enamel is to the outside of the tooth, the gums are to holding the roots of your teeth in place. As I have come to know, athletes beat the shit out of their gums! We clench our teeth and brush too hard, just to name a couple things that my dentist pointed out. Your Gums are not just another tissue like the skin, it is responsible for actual structure and defense.
Your Gums are tissues that support the teeth as you well know from just looking at them. But the real gem lies in their seal with the teeth. One aspect of your dental exam is to check the gapping between the teeth and gums. This is important because if there is break in the gum lining, bacteria and nerves. Given that your Gums are pretty darn close to the brain, we dont really want a lot of rogue bacteria working their way up!
B-12 is a very important vitamin that helps build DNA, which are inside each and every cell of your body. Deficiency of B-12 causes some very clear oral issues including sores of the mouth, ulcers of the mouth, swollen tongue, etc.
And let me be clear about B-12 deficiency … Strict Vegetratians and all Vegans do not get enough Vitamin B 12 in their diets without supplementation. And the mouth issues are just the visible issues that result from deficiency. I won’t go off in this article about what it does to the GUT, but damage is real… especially if you want to be an athlete as well.
3. Arginine, the Amino Acid you Dont want to neglect.
Amino Acids are the building blocks of all proteins. Your cells need Amino Acids to replenish, replicate and replace themselves. There are a host of important Amino Acids that we all get with a balanced diet. If you have followed my recommendations about whole food diet for years now, chances are you are in the green. But if you aspire to a Strict Vegetarian diet or Vegan lifestyle, you need to pay close attention to supplementation.
Arginine has the ability to convert to Nitrous Oxide in the body. This causes a balance in blood vessel dilation and retraction. Interestingly, Arginine helps to fight plaque in the mouth as well. Plaque builds on the teeth and contains lots of bacteria that eat at your gums an enamel.
Arginine is most prevalent in Poultry, Fish and Dairy. Vegan dieting, according to my dentist, has shown to produce more Gingivitis, a gum disease ,than the meat eating counterparts. My dentist states that a common symptom of Vegan dieting is swollen gums, and as I stated before, a higher prevalence of tooth decay.
Coda;
I do not mean for this article to be a slam against Vegans but rather a cautionary tale about the effects of restricting proteins and dairy form your diet. Meat eaters with bad oral hygiene have tooth issues as well. The points I have brought forward are specific to the Strict Vegan and Vegetarian diet. Just as athletes look to supplement their nutrition in lieu of deficiencies that result form training, so should those who choose a plant based or grain based diet. Keep your eyes open and look inside your mouth from time to time. Your teeth and gums tell the story of your life and show you what your future holds. Like my mom told me, You only get one set of teeth… take care of them. And Ill be her to love you the entire way.
In health,
Eric
Programming Notes 2/3-2/7 *** Carrying over the Aerobic interval work from last week, this week Wednesday and Friday ramp up the intensity. Wednesday is mono structural time priority and Friday is work priority intervals… both with unique stimulus and rest periods. Going heavy on Monday and Tuesday so monitor your pacing on the accessory work after the lifts.
2/3
Baseline;
3X
8 Inch Worm Push Ups
10 Banded Pass Thru
8 Burpee Tuck Jumps
10 Banded Pull aparts
8 Banded Good Mornings
Hamstring Primer:
3X8
10 Deficit Romanian Deadlift 155/115
10 Pendlay Row
Snatch Warm Up:
7@ Each
-Snatch Deadlift
-Snatch High Pull
-Muscle Snatch
-Overhead Squat
-Back Rack Press
-Hang Power Snatch
-Squat Snatch Below the knee
Snatch Complex:
Every 2 Minutes for 20 minutes,
-1X Snatch Deadlift
-1X Power Snatch (drop the bar after)
-1X Hang Squat Snatch
-2X Overhead Squat
Finisher:
6 Rounds Not For Time
5 Kettlebell Snatch “L”
10 Single Leg Lateral KB Jump
5 Kettlebell Snatch “R”
16 KB Goblet Walking Lunge Steps
2/4
Baseline:
3X
200m Run
8 Elbow To instep Lunge + Reach
10 Squat Therapy
8 Side Lunge
10 Hip Swivel Kicks
Squat Flow: Squat Flow: Kang Squat, Internal Rotation, Ankle Roll Out, Bootstraps, PNF Stretch, Squat W/ T Spine Stretch
Strength:
Build Up To 85% of 1RM Front squat .
EMOM 18
Odd- 1 Front Squat @ 85%
Even- 2 Back squats + 50#
Aerobic Finisher:
2 Rounds @ Cruisy Pace
800m Run
35 Thrusters 75/55
*Bar Should No Be Put Down.
2/5
Baseline:
4X :30 @ Each
-Jumping Jacks
-Planked Hip Taps
-Deadbug Contralateral Reach
-Squat
-Kneeling Step Ups
Primal Strength:
4 Rounds
12 Dumbbell Box Step Ups 20/18”
16 Dumbbell Plank Rows
*Go Heavy and use low box.
Aerobic Conditioning:
3 Rounds,
3 Minute Row
2 minute Assault Bike
1 Minute Burpee Box Jump Overs
-Rest 5:00 Between sets-
2/6
Baseline:
Banded Activation:
10@ Each
-Pass Thru
-Bent Row
-Pull Aparts Supine
-Pull Aparts Prone Grip
-Press and Rip
Every 5 Mins For 15 Mins Complete,
12 LandMine Press *Each arm
10/7 Cal Bike
:45 Hollow Hold
Max Strict Pull Ups
*Scale pull ups to banded if 5-7 cannot be completed unassisted.
Conditioning:
18 Minute AMRAP
75 Double Unders
12 Hang Clean and Press (6 Each arm)
10 hand Release Push Ups
2/7
Baseline:
Agility Warm Up @ 10m Each
High Knee Pull
Quad Pull
Squat 180 **stepping the leg high over hip, swing opposite leg to 180, squat
High Knees
Butt kickers
Marching High Kicks
Groiners
Straight leg shuffles
A Skip
B Skip
Fig 4 Drill
Lateral Shuffle
Carioca
Lateral Bounding
Sprint W/ Change of Direction
Midline Strength:
3 Rounds, Not For Time
1:00 Sandbag Hold 150/100
100m Kettlebell Waiters Carry
15 Lateral Cone Touch @ 15’
-Rest as needed between exercises and rounds-
Interval Strength:
Every 4 Minutes for 20 Minutes,
400m Run
50’ Handstand Walk
3 Sandbag Cleans 150/100
*Scale run to 1:10 effort if 400 is too much
*Scale HS Walk to 25’
*Goal is to have :50 of rest before next round.
