Ramiel Nagel’s book tries to prove that natural foods, and
not dental checkups, prevent tooth decay. We’ve heard it all before, the
theories about “caveman diets” and how traditional nomadic people have the best
smiles. Well this isn’t necessarily true (even cave men lost their teeth) but
there is a point to it.
Dr. Nagel uses old and new research to compare ethnic groups’
teeth. The primitive Hebrides islanders lived on shellfish and oats, and their
teeth were marvelous. But the more urbane peoples of the region had cavities.
The reason was simple; the more “modern” the people become, the more access
they have to refined white flour, sweets, caffeine, and sweetened foods. Fruit
preserves, which (unfortunately) form a
large part of the modern diet, are high in sugar. If you eat them every day,
but have less milk, meat, and greens in your diet, then you throw off the
nutrition balance.
The book goes further into the danger of mercury-based
fillings and how to remove them, but the part on nutrition is better. I would
rather have seen the book as a series, with the first part devoted strictly to
the nutritional aspect of caring for teeth. But overall it’s an excellent book
on how to save on the cost of dental care.
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