My Patients Asked For This:
A Simple & Unusual Way To Lose Weight

      Alvin H. Danenberg, DDS   •   Nutritional Periodontist
      July 18, 2016  

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Unusual way to lose weightYou know me. I’m a periodontist. So, why would I be talking about weight? The reason is that my patients ask me about their weight. Certainly, they are interested in getting their gum disease treated. But, when I talk about nutrition (which I always do with my patients), they frequently move to a discussion about losing weight.

 

The truth is that a nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory diet like a Paleo-type diet will often result in weight loss along with a host of other health benefits. However, some people will still have trouble getting their excess weight down – especially those last 10 pounds or so.

 

Simple & Unusual Diet

 

Here is a short-term diet that may just be the answer for those who are having problems losing weight. It is based on a diet that goes way back to 1849. However, more recent science has rekindled an interest in this unlikely one-food-diet to lose unwanted fat. It’s called the Potato Diet. Tim Steele has brought this idea into the 21st Century with his science-based book, The Potato Hack: Weight Loss Simplified, published in February 2016.

 

The biology is interesting, and the plan is simple. For the details of the biology, get the book. You can find it on Amazon. While the author does not embrace a Paleo-type diet in his own life, the science described in the book for decreasing fat and reducing chronic inflammation is eye opening to me. It is a short-term diet to reset your metabolism by resetting your “body fat set-point”, which is described in the book.

 

Here are the simple steps to make this short-term diet happen for you while still basically adhering to a Paleo-type diet and lifestyle:

  • Eat nothing but white potatoes for three to five consecutive days – steamed, boiled, roasted, or baked. For the remainder of the 7-day week, go back to a Paleo-type diet.
  • Eat two to five pounds of potatoes until comfortably satisfied each of the “potato-only” days.
  • Do not eat any condiments with the potatoes. You can add some sea salt, but salt-free is the best.
  • Drink only black coffee, unsweetened tea, or filtered water.
  • Take a multivitamin supplement during those days that you only eat potatoes. Make sure the multivitamin is from a whole-food and organic source – no artificial chemicals!
  • Perform only light exercise such as walking, yoga, gentle cycling, or swimming.

 

The science suggests that you could expect to lose three to five pounds over each three-day to five-day potato cycle weekly. You could continue this way of eating week after week until your weight-loss goals were achieved.

 

As a variation of this diet, the book suggests “Potatoes By Day”. Each day, from the time you woke until dinnertime, you would eat only potatoes as I described above. However, for dinner every night you could eat a normal Paleo-type meal. You would keep this schedule until you lost your desired excess fat and weight.

 

My Experience

 

No matter what the research said, I would never recommend something that I had not tried myself. I did not have to lose excess weight since I had lost a little more than 30 pounds once I began my primal eating and lifestyle in April 2013. But, I wanted to experience how it felt to eat this way. So, for 1 week, I ate only potatoes for 3 consecutive days and then my normal Paleo foods the following 4 days. The only negative I found was that it was boring to eat the same food all day long for 3 days. Yet, I was never hungry because I always could eat more potatoes. My energy level stayed the same as it had been previous to this experiment, and I lost almost 3 pounds by the end of my personal trial. I don’t think the weight loss was just “water weight”, but I don’t know for sure.

 

If you are trying to lose fat but feel stuck where you are, then this may be a method to try. Again, purchase the book to understand the science behind it.

 

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Do All My Patients Follow Paleo?

      Alvin H. Danenberg, DDS   •   Nutritional Periodontist
      May 26, 2016  

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paleo dietNo!

 

Only about 5% of my patients are interested in my Paleo diet and lifestyle protocol. But, I keep pressing on.

 

My patients who follow my nutrient-dense diet and lifestyle recommendations usually are self-motivated because of other medical issues. For example, a few have recovered from a serious medical incident, and they have decided to make a change. Others have been diagnosed with a serious medical condition, and they want to get their general health back. Some patients have been following a “healthy way of living” for a while, and now I have shown them an evidence-based method, of which they have never heard, that makes sense to them.

 

Many people, with whom I come into contact, feel that a Paleo-type diet is too restrictive or stringent. My 30-Day Reset Plan is not difficult. It describes all the foods you could eat as much as you wanted and as frequently as you wanted until you were comfortably satisfied. However, it removes foods that most people eat daily and are used to eating even though those foods are inflammatory. After about 3 weeks on this program, cravings (especially for refined carbs and sugars) disappear or become greatly reduced. The overall benefits of an eating lifestyle like this are far reaching – well beyond a healthier mouth. My own personal story is impressive, and I share it with anyone who is interested.

 

While I am passionate in what I believe, it’s impossible for me to motivate anybody. You, as an individual, must motivate yourself based on your personal and innermost beliefs and goals. For example, about 30 years ago, I had a patient who had lung cancer as a result of smoking for decades. He was fortunate. Medicine at that time was able to save his life by removing his diseased lung while retaining his healthy lung. Yet, he still smoked cigarettes! How could I possibly motivate a person like that when the threat of his own mortality was not enough for him to stop smoking?

 

I can tell my patients how I have done what I have done personally. I can call attention to their selfish needs to have a beautiful smile. I can speak to my patients’ intellect by showing them the science-based health facts for embracing a nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory diet and lifestyle. I can explain how healthy eating can improve their oral health as well as their overall health. I can suggest to my patients that staying on their present course may be like standing on the train tracks of an oncoming train. I can emotionally appeal to their inner selves to want to live long enough to see their children and their children’s children grow into beautiful people. But, I cannot make them do what I think they should do. They must make their own decision to act or not to act.

 

So, to answer the original question, most of my patients do not follow a Paleo-type diet and lifestyle. But, I won’t reduce my efforts or desire to educate my patients if they show an interest in my way of thinking. I have been accused of being a fanatic when it comes to primal nutrition and lifestyle. I stand guilty as charged. My goal is to help self-motivate all patients that are interested in getting onboard a Paleo-type diet and lifestyle. I have written about this over and over again.

 

I am always available to help. Send me an email with your questions.

 

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Are There Errors in Your DNA?

      Alvin H. Danenberg, DDS     April 18, 2016  

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errors in your DNA?Have you heard about SNPs (pronounced “snips”)? So many people are talking about them. Some people are obsessed with finding out if they’ve got them. So, what are SNPs?

 

SNPs are Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms. They actually are tiny errors within the coding of our cellular DNA. Here is how they may develop.

 

When cells grow, they divide into two new cells. Just before their division, their DNA also duplicates and divides. Sometimes there could be an error in a tiny section in the DNA when they divide. Think of this coding error like a “typo” in a document that gets copied and duplicated over and over again. Genetically, this error in DNA gets duplicated as the cell continues to grow and divide.

 

Interestingly, SNPs are very common. We all have SNPs. In fact, there are roughly 10 million SNPs in each person’s total DNA makeup. While many people are concerned if they have various SNPs, the far majority of us do not need to fret because most SNPs have no effect on our health or development.

 

However, some of these distinct copying errors may affect an individual’s response to certain drugs and environmental factors. Some of these SNPs also could increase the risk of developing specific diseases. It is noteworthy that there is new research that may allow medicine to repair specific harmful SNPs in the future. However, this technology has not been perfected to date.

 

There also has been some research suggesting that there are SNPs that could increase the risk of gum disease.

 

So, what’s a person to do?

 

Two important questions you need answered:

  • Do you need to know if you have specific SNPs?
  • If you did in fact have potentially damaging SNPs, does it matter?

 

In my opinion, it is not critical to know if you have SNPs since there are no specific treatments to repair them. Also, if you had SNPs, the effects of SNPs could actually be controlled about 90% of the time by manipulating the environment through changes in diet and lifestyle.

 

Science today supports the power of controlling our environment. It is possible to protect yourself from potential harm related to SNPs by eating a nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory diet. A Paleo-type diet fits the bill by eating real foods and avoiding processed foods. Also, living a primal lifestyle that incorporates restorative sleep, efficient exercise, and reduction of all forms of chronic stress could offset the potential problems from SNPs.

 

Still, if there were more serious issues that you could not control by changing your environment, then a functional medicine practitioner might be able to recommend genetic testing and recommend specific supplements to improve your health.

 

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Only 2.7% of Adults
Live Healthy Lifestyles

Alvin H. Danenberg, DDS     April 1, 2016  

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Healthy Lifestyle ElementsIncredible!

 

Investigators attempted to estimate the prevalence of a healthy lifestyle among US adults and to examine the link between a healthy lifestyle and various chronic diseases. Their report was published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

 

A healthy lifestyle was defined to include four specific characteristics:

  • Regular physical activity
  • Ideal body fat percentage
  • Smoking avoidance
  • Healthy eating

 

The researchers looked at data from the 4,745 participants in the 2003-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. After evaluating all the data and the parameters, the results suggested that only 2.7% of the adult population demonstrated all four qualities of a healthy lifestyle. That’s a tiny number considering that incorporation of a healthy lifestyle has repeatedly been proven to increase both the health as well as the quality of life for everyone. HERE.

 

There are limitations to this study. The most significant weakness was that some of the qualities of a healthy lifestyle were determined from the comments of the 4,745 participants. For results about a healthy diet, responders recalled what they ate in the previous 24-hour period. Also, the healthy diet was not a Paleo-type diet. The dietary interviewers used the Healthy Eating Index (HEI) score for each study participant. The HEI-2005 was developed by the US Department of Agriculture as an indicator of dietary quality.

 

The HEI has 12 components (total fruit; whole fruit; total vegetable; dark green, orange vegetables and legumes; total grain; whole grain; milk; meat and beans; oil; saturated fats; sodium; and calories from solid fats, alcoholic beverages, and added sugars), with each component individually scored and a maximum total score of 100. A higher score would reflect closer adherence to the dietary guidelines based on the USDA’s MyPyramid, which was replaced in 2011 with MyPlate.

 

The facts reported in this Mayo Clinic publication are striking to me. The bottom-line as I see it is that so few Americans are heeding the facts that could be saving their lives leading into their golden years. I often ask my patients, “If you knew a train were coming at you, would you get off the tracks?” Although the answer seems so obvious to people like you and me, the answer sadly evades so many others.

 

 

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We All Wear Shoes:
But Not The Same Size

      Alvin H. Danenberg, DDS     February 29, 2016  

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We all wear shoesIt may sound like I am going off the deep end again. Not really. This is a metaphor.

 

We all live in homes, but not the same ones. We all talk, but not with the same voice. We all eat, but not the same food.

 

Even if we all were to eat a Paleo-type diet, it would not be, and it should not be, the same for everyone. One size does not fit all.

 

The facts are that nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory foods are the healthiest foods for our individual cells to function, as they should. Eating these foods is also the major means to prevent tooth decay, gum disease, and other chronic diseases. A Paleo-type diet is a nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory diet, but there is a huge variety of foods that can be eaten.

 

Some “experts” say that you must eat a low-carb, high-fat Paleo diet. That may be good for some.

 

Other “experts” say that you can never have milk products. That may be good for most.

 

Still, other “experts” say that you can never have beans if you say you are on a Paleo-type type. That also may be true for most.

 

However, there is no specific way that you must eat to be on a Paleo-type diet. The natural foods that are available in the immediate environment and prepared properly are the foods that become part of a Paleo-type diet.

 

Primal societies around the world, who have never experienced chronic diseases or tooth decay or gum disease, eat differently. They still eat a Paleo-type diet.

 

But, here is where diversity ends: No healthy primal societies today (or over millennia) eat (or have eaten) processed grains, processed sugars, processed seed oils, or pasteurized and homogenized milk products. No healthy primal societies today (or over millennia) have allowed their food supply to be tainted with antibiotics, hormones, preservatives, genetically modified organisms and foods, insecticides, and other toxic chemicals and heavy metals.

 

Put nutrient-dense foods into your body, and remove or avoid anything that is toxic to your body, and you will be eating a Paleo-type diet. There is no one size to fit all.

 

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Don’t Kill All The Bugs

Alvin H. Danenberg, DDS     February 11, 2016  

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Don't kill all the bugsThe bacteria in your mouth play an important role. They actually help keep your mouth healthy and your overall body healthy. Don’t kill all those bugs!

 

It’s common to hear from “experts” that you need to kill all the bad guys in order to avoid gum disease or tooth decay. That’s not completely true.

 

It is true that there are a variety of unhealthy bacteria that will cause tooth decay and gum disease and other serious diseases. But, these diseases only happen when the bacteria get out of control. These virulent microbes live among many very healthy bacteria in your mouth in a state of homeostasis. They behave. As a matter of fact, some so-called bad bacteria keep even worse bacteria at bay. HERE.

 

Homeostasis is a process where the body manages various complex interactions to maintain balance or return systems to healthy function within a normal range. The biochemical reactions to maintain homeostasis are not completely understood. However, the dental plaque around the teeth at the gum line should exist in a healthy state because of homeostasis. I wrote an article about this.

 

So, if you were to listen to some of those experts out there, they would have you believe that all bacteria need to be removed from your mouth. Some of these experts might be more specific and tell you that only the bad bacteria need to be removed. They might recommend chemicals or other products to kill all these bad guys.

 

Let’s talk facts.

 

If you have gum disease or tooth decay, bad bacteria are out of control. The offending bacteria need to be brought back into a balanced state. To do this, you might need to include specific treatment to reduce the numbers of the bad guys. But that is only the beginning of taking care of the problem.

 

If you only were to continue to kill these bad bacteria, you could cause other potentially unhealthy microbes to overgrow. You also could kill many good guys in your quest to kill the bad guys. In so doing, you would continue to disrupt homeostasis and unintentionally increase disease. In contrast, your goal should be to bring all the bacteria back into a state of well-being.

 

Once you bring balance back to your body, you need to do things for your body to keep all those microbes happy. You need to feed the 3.9 trillion cells of bacteria in your body with the foods they need to stay in balance. Vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds are part of their diet. In addition, healthy foods containing necessary nutrients help your 3.0 trillion human cells to stay strong and to function properly. (New research in 2016 determined the human cell to bacteria cell ratio.) You also need to give your body the proper rest and efficient exercise it needs to stay healthy. These things will improve your immune system so it can do its job of protecting you from outside invaders. Don’t forget that reducing stress wherever and whenever you can will enhance your immune system. I have written about these pillars of health.

 

An overall eating and living philosophy that supports a healthy body is embodied in a Paleo-type diet and lifestyle. You also want to clean your mouth properly. What you don’t want to do is kill the bugs that are necessary to make you as fit as you were supposed to be.

 

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We Were Born to be Healthy:
Part 4 of 7

evolution rThis is installment 4. Part 1 is HERE; Part 2 is HERE, Part 3 is HERE.

 

Studies (Here, Here, Here) have shown that a Paleo-type diet embraces those nutrients that allow our individual cells to survive and thrive, and has been the way of eating through the course of human evolution. I will go into a full description of this way of eating in a future installment, but first I will discuss the connections and underlying causes of chronic inflammation and chronic disease?

 

Here is the connection – the vicious cycle.

 

What goes into our mouths affects our good bacteria and our overall health. Our gut bacteria are the major players in health and disease.

 

Our guts never evolved to deal with acellular carbohydrates effectively. These acellular carbohydrates changed the gut bacteria (known as the gut microbiome) and increased the harmful types of microbes. Harmful bacteria and lipopolysaccharides (LPS), which are cell membrane remnants of dead gram-negative bacteria, began to proliferate in the gut causing irritation and imbalance of bacteria. This is an unhealthy development.

 

LPS

 

I have created this diagram to help you visualize the damaging part of gram-negative bacteria.

 

LPS for Website

 

My diagram is a make-believe bacterium, half of which represents a gram-positive bacterium and the other half represents a gram-negative bacterium. The left half is the gram-positive part and the right half is the gram-negative part. The cytoplasm (the liquid center of the cell) is noted in the center and the cell membrane is identified with white arrows.

 

The most distinguishing feature telling the two bacteria apart is the outer layer of their cell membranes. The outer layer of the cell membrane of the gram-positive bacterium is relatively smooth; the outer layer of the cell membrane of the gram-negative bacterium is extremely jagged. This rough layer is known as the Lipopolysaccharide outer shell, and it only occurs on gram-negative types.

 

After gram-negative bacteria die, the LPS remnants can act like spurs. They become serious problems if they get into the bloodstream.

 

An accumulation of unhealthy bacteria in our gut is not the only problem. Ingested toxins also can irritate the intestinal lining. In addition, our digestive system never evolved to completely breakdown the proteins in grains.

 

In the next installment I will describe how LPS, toxins, and undigested proteins get into the bloodstream to cause havoc.

Paleo and Perio:
Who’da Thunk?

evolution rWho would have thought that a Paleo Diet could improve or prevent periodontal disease (gum disease)? The science is there, and its interpretation is exciting. Here are two papers that have great importance:
 
PAPER #1:
 
In a paper published in 2009, researchers evaluated a group of 10 people who lived for 30 days in a replicated Stone Age environment near the Rhine River in Switzerland. The design of this research required a diet that was devoid of all processed foods. Their diet only consisted of foods that ancient people would have consumed in that geographical area around 5,700 years ago. They were given some basics of raw food, but they had to forage and fish for most of their food. During the 4-week course of the study, these individuals were unable to perform any oral hygiene; they were not given any modern gadgets like toothbrushes or dental floss. At the beginning of the study, any existing gum problems were recorded and the types of bacteria present in their mouths were determined.
 
At the completion of the 4-week experiment, plaque levels at the gum line around the teeth increased as expected. However, researchers were surprised by a reduction in gum infection. The depths of infected gum pockets decreased significantly (p < 0.001), and bleeding from the gum pockets decreased significantly (p < 0.001). When bacteria in the mouth were examined at the end of the study, those samples revealed a change in the balance of bacteria, which favored healthy types of microbes rather than pathogenic ones. Good bacteria increased; bad bacteria decreased; plaque increased; and the individuals could not perform any oral hygiene for the entire 30 days – the researchers were shocked!
 
The reasons for the surprise results were the ingestion of nutrient-dense foods (these positively affected the gut and mouth microbiome along with the intestinal lining) as well as the complete avoidance of any processed foods (these would have damaged the gut and mouth microbiome along with the intestinal lining).
 
A diet that supports this type of healthy outcome is a Paleo-type diet.
 
PAPER #2:
 
It would be helpful if specific nutrients that were contained in foods could be identified that improved mouth health. In a paper that was published in 2013, the authors performed an extensive search of peer-reviewed literature attempting to identify the types of nutrients that could help tissues heal after periodontal surgery and help prevent periodontal disease.
 
If a diet contained these beneficial nutrients in abundance in their natural states, it probably would be embraced. Nutrients in their natural state and contained in food are much more effective biologically than nutrients that are commercially isolated and unnaturally provided in supplement form.
 
The authors of this analysis reviewed 37 published papers and concluded, “There is some evidence that a wide variety of dietary components – including macronutrients and micronutrients – are integral for optimal periodontal health as well as healing after periodontal procedures.”
 
Here is a summary of the nutrients that were reported either to improve healing after periodontal surgery or to reduce the incidence of periodontal disease:

  • Vitamin D
  • DHA (an omega-3 fatty acid that is abundant in fatty fish like salmon)
  • Low ratio of omega-6 fatty acids to omega-3 fatty acids (ideal ratio is 1:1; average US diet consists of ratio about 30:1)
  • Low ratio of omega-6 fatty acids to omega-3 fatty acids (ideal ratio is 1:1; average US diet consists of ratio about 30:1)
  • Low sugar and processed carbohydrates; high fiber
  • Calcium
  • Magnesium
  • Vitamin C

 
A diet that incorporates all these nutrients within its food choices is a Paleo-type diet.
 
MY SUMMARY
 
A Paleo-type diet avoids processed foods that have been identified with gut dysbiosis, intestinal permeability, and chronic inflammation. A Paleo-type diet provides all the nutrients needed for every cell to survive and thrive. Such a diet consists of animal products from head to tail that have been pasture raised or wild caught, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. There are no acellular carbohydrates, no processed foods, and no unhealthy fats or oils included in a Paleo-type diet.

What’s Up With Stinky Breath?
5 Things To Do

evolution rBad breath stinks, and nobody wants stinky breath. But, everybody has had stinky breath or halitosis at times. You may not know that you have stinky breath, but people that come close to you will know. So, what causes it, and what can you do about it? I am going to tell you.
 
Documentation of bad breath dates back to 1550 BC when the ancient Egyptians inscribed in the Ebers Papyrus (an ancient Egyptian medical document) how to use tablets made from cinnamon, myrrh, and honey to fight bad breath. Unfortunately today, most people still try to mask the odor but never address the actual causes.
 
Certain bacteria, certain foods, lack of saliva or dry mouth, infections either in the mouth or elsewhere in the body, or stress may cause bad breath. But, the fact is, if you could correct the causes, then your stinky breath would no longer be an annoying problem.
 
The first major source of halitosis is the mouth, where 90% of all bad breath originates. 80%-90% of this odor from the mouth originates on the back of the upper side of the tongue. This is where many bacteria reside, and where they break down dead cells and food particles to form stinky breath.
 
The next likely place in the mouth for bad breath is located in the crevices where the gum surrounds the necks of teeth and in spaces between the teeth. Bacteria that cause bad breath can accumulate in these hidden places, but more importantly they can cause gum disease, which can contribute to even worse stinky breath.
 
Other less common sources creating bad breath in the mouth may originate from dental decay; poorly fitting dental work; abscesses and other mouth infections; tobacco; alcohol; dry mouth frequently as a result of some medications; and volatile foodstuffs like onion, garlic, cabbage, and cauliflower.
 
The second major source of bad breath is from the nose. This is usually caused by sinus infections and post-nasal drip.
 
Another source of halitosis can be the odors produced from the metabolism of volatile foodstuffs, which are eventually expelled through the lungs as well as the skin.
 
Less frequent sources of bad breath are infected tonsils, liver and kidney diseases, carcinoma, lung infections, metabolic disorders, and diabetes.
 
A likely source that is actively being investigated through peer-reviewed research is the gut bacteria. Healthy bacteria in the gut can be damaged by specific foods, medications, and stress, all of which in turn can affect the bacteria throughout the body. These unhealthy changes in the gut can affect the healthy bacteria in the saliva, which then can change the bacteria in the mouth. Here and Here
 
So, what can you do? Here are 5 solutions:

  • Brush your tongue. An effective way is to use a teaspoon. Place the inverted teaspoon as far back as is comfortable on the upper side of your tongue. Then, gently glide the teaspoon forward, removing the bacterial film and microscopic food particles. Repeat this 2-3 times, and then wash off the teaspoon. Perform this tongue-cleaning method in the morning and then in the evening before bed. If you want to spend your money, here are some tongue-cleaning gadgets on Amazon. Also, here is a link from my friend William Revak of OraWellness.com to his video from his website that demonstrates tongue brushing.
  • Brush and floss your teeth correctly. This will remove the film of bacteria called dental plaque from around the gum line. Here is my blog on how to do this.
  • Have regular dental checkups to make sure your oral health is up to par, and have professional cleanings at your dentist’s office to remove any tartar from under the gum tissues.
  • Eat a Paleo-type diet to improve the health of both the microbes in your gut and also the lining of your gut. The fiber in veggies that dominate a Paleo-type diet will feed the good bacteria of the colon.
  • Eat live-culture fermented foods every day like kimchi, sauerkraut, kombucha, yogurt, and kefir to improve the composition of the good bacteria in your gut.

 
What you don’t want to do is to try to kill off bacteria indiscriminately. Invariably, you may destroy some of the offending bacteria, but you will destroy many healthy microbes thus creating a more serious health problem. Mouthwashes are not the remedy. On the other hand, if you attacked the real causes of stinky breath and not just tried to mask bad odors, you could resolve these issues, and your breath would smell significantly better. You will be happy; your closest friends will be happier; and your partner will be ecstatic!

 

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The Connection is Impressive

evolution rPeriodontitis and Metabolic Syndrome are manifestations of chronic inflammation. Could there be a causal relationship between the chronic inflammation of gum disease and the chronic inflammation of metabolic syndrome? The answer lies in the fact that practically all chronic diseases start with inflammation on the cellular level. If chronic inflammation could be brought under control, cells might have the potential to heal.
 
Periodontitis is an advanced stage of gum disease where the gums are infected and the bone surrounding the teeth is breaking down leading to loss of teeth and spread of infection. Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of disorders including high blood pressure, increased belly fat, high blood triglyceride, low blood HDL cholesterol, and increased blood sugar. These disorders lead to type-2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
 
Current research has shown that there is a definite association between metabolic syndrome and periodontitis (Here and Here). A review paper published in April 2015 discussed the relationships between autoimmunity and various chronic diseases, and a paper published in May 2014 described the role of autoimmune responses in periodontal disease.
 
Possibly reducing the markers for metabolic syndrome will also reduce the prevalence of periodontitis.

  • In a paper published in 2009, a Paleo-type diet reduced gingival inflammation, virulent bacteria around the gum tissues, and the depth of gum pockets.
  • In 2012, Ian Spreadbury described how acellular carbohydrates (processed grains and sugars) as well as remnants of harmful bacteria (lipopolysaccharides or LPS) could pass through the intestinal lining to create chronic inflammation.
  • In 2014, a Paleo-type diet was shown to improve the markers of metabolic syndrome.

 
Skeptics, and those who strictly adhere to the proof of randomized clinical trials, will argue that currently there is not sufficient long-term evidence to unequivocally verify a causal relationship between a Paleo-type diet and health. There is much research to be done and to be published in peer-reviewed journals before defined causation could be proven.
 
I don’t know how many years it will take for the scientific community to pronounce, “Now it is proven!” Personally, the current published research is enough to convince me. I believe a Paleo-type diet is part of the lifestyle to choose if you want to become and stay the healthiest your genetic code has designed for you. Embracing a Paleo lifestyle will not only help promote a healthy mouth but also assist in maintaining a healthy body. Heal one cell at a time, and your body will thank you. The backdrop for my conviction is the two-and-a-half million years of our species’ evolution.