Mouthwash: Antibiotics for the Mouth

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In 2019 there was a 3-year trial that followed people who used mouthwash twice a day. This trial found that 45% had a higher diabetes risk, and nearly double the risk of high blood pressure.

Why is this?

Most mainstream mouth rinses like Listerine and Scope destroy the healthy microbiome in the mouth and on the tongue. The beneficial bacteria that live on the back of the tongue help produce about half of the body's nitric oxide, which is the molecule that keeps blood vessels relaxed and flexible. These good bacteria also convert nitrates from your food into nitrites, which is the first step your body uses to make nitric oxide. When you use strong antibacterial mouthwash, you wipe out these helpful microbes and disrupt that process.

Nitric Oxide and Blood Pressure

Nitric oxide is essential for blood pressure management because it helps blood vessels relax, open up, and maintain smooth blood flow. When nitric oxide is available, the muscles in your vessel walls loosen, which lowers resistance and allows blood to move more easily. This supports healthy circulation and keeps pressure from building too high. If nitric oxide levels drop, the vessels tighten and become less flexible, which can raise blood pressure and strain the cardiovascular system.

Nitric Oxide and Diabetes

Low nitric oxide can contribute to diabetes because nitric oxide plays an important role in how your body handles glucose and insulin. When nitric oxide levels are healthy, it helps cells respond properly to insulin, supports good blood flow to muscles, and allows glucose to move out of the bloodstream and into the cells that need it. If nitric oxide is low, cells become less responsive to insulin, which is called insulin resistance. Blood sugar then stays higher than it should, and over time this can increase the risk of developing prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. Low nitric oxide can also reduce blood flow to tissues, which makes it harder for the body to clear glucose efficiently and puts more stress on metabolic pathways.

Essentially....

Mouth wash = no bacteria = no nitric oxide = elevated BP and higher diabetes risk

This is also why Nasal Breathing is so important

Nasal breathing produces nitric oxide. The mouth does not. If you are a mouth breather, it is impossible to be healthy. If you mouth breathe AND use conventional mouth wash...yikes. Read more about the dangers of mouth breathing.

"So, What Should I Do?"

Scrape Your Tongue Daily

The good news is there are many ways you can support your nitric oxide pathways STARTING TODAY! One clinical trial showed that daily tongue scraping boosted nitric oxide levels and led to measurable drops in blood pressure. This is my favorite tongue scraper (no plastic, so no microplastics!)

Choose Your Mouth Wash (and toothpaste) Ingredients Wisely

Stay away from products that contain fluoride, chloride/chlorite, peroxide, high levels of alcohol, and artificial coloring/dye. These all strip away your beneficial bacteria. This is the mouth wash we use in my dad's holistic dental practice. And this is the toothpaste we use. You can shop my full list of safer oral health products here.

Feed and Balance the Good Bacteria

Functional Mints

Fygg's functional mints use prebiotic ingredients and dietary nitrates to support the mouth's natural nitric oxide pathway and helps the existing bacteria thrive.

Oral Probiotiocs

While Fygg's mints feed the good bacteria you already have, you can also consider oral probiotics. These contain live beneficial bacteria that are meant to repopulate the mouth, push out harmful microbes, support oral health, and rebalance the microbiome.

When choosing oral probiotics aim for at least 3 billion CFUs and strains that specifically support oral health like S. salivarius K12, S. salivarius M18, L. rhamnosus, and L. reuteri. For best results, oral probiotics should be chewed or allowed to dissolve in the mouth rather than swallowed. These are a two I have used: ProBiora and Hyperbiotics.

Eat Nitrate Rich Vegetables

• Beetroot (and beet juice)

• Spinach

• Arugula (rocket)

• Swiss chard

• Lettuce (especially romaine, butterhead)

• Celery

• Beet greens

• Turnip greens

• Radishes