It should come as no surprise that fiber is good for you. The health benefits of a high fiber diet have been widely touted for the past several years. However, you may not be aware of the variety of benefits dietary fiber provides for different systems in your body.
Here at New Albany Implants, we want you to be as healthy as possible so you can get the most out of life in Southern Indiana.
Benefits of Fiber
Digestive Health – High fiber diets are often recommended for people with digestive ailments, like IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) and constipation. Fiber has even been shown to reduce the likelihood of diverticulitis by 40%. If you are considering increasing the amount of fiber in your diet to combat problems with digestion, do so gradually in order to avoid a shock to your system. Also, increase your consumption of water because fiber absorbs water, and you don’t want to dehydrate yourself. And of course, consult your doctor before making any drastic changes to your diet.
Heart Health – Harvard recently did two separate sets of studies that showed that instances of heart disease was reduced by 40% in men and women who have high fiber diets. This is also true of related ailments, like high blood pressure. The same studies showed that diets rich in fiber increase the amount of good cholesterol in your blood.
Regulates Blood Sugar – Fiber slows your body’s absorption of sugar, which help regulate your blood sugar level and can help prevent diabetes. In fact, the Harvard study mentioned above shows the those with low fiber diets are two times as likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who consume a high level of dietary fiber.
Regulating your blood sugar also aids in weight loss. Obesity has been linked to several serious health problems, so eating food high in fiber will help you protect your general health, directly and indirectly.
Oral Health – Eating foods that contain a lot of dietary fiber often requires some vigorous chewing, and chewing prompts your mouth to produce more saliva. Saliva doesn’t just get digestion started, although that is one of its important functions, it also contains properties that fight the bacteria that cause tooth decay. Saliva also neutralizes food acids that weaken enamel, and helps clear food particles off of your teeth. Essentially, saliva is your mouth’s natural defense against tooth decay and gum disease. So, when you eat fruits, vegetables, and other foods that are high in dietary fiber, you are not only helping your general health, you are also protecting your oral health.
Missing Teeth Can Be a Problem
There is a healthy cycle involved in a high fiber diet. You need healthy teeth to chew high fiber foods, and chewing high fiber foods helps keep your teeth healthy. But this healthy cycle can easily become an unhealthy one if tooth decay becomes an issue. If you have difficulty chewing because of missing teeth, or teeth that severely decayed, then you will likely avoid foods that are high in dietary fiber because they require a lot of chewing. As a result of the low fiber diet, your general and oral health can begin to deteriorate.
Fortunately, here at New Albany Implants we have the solution to break the unhealthy cycle of tooth loss and allow you to eat foods high in dietary fiber with no pain or discomfort.
The Dental Implant Solution
Dental implants will replace your missing teeth in a way that most closely simulates your natural teeth. Were as dentures can come loose and slide around your mouth, which can limit your food options to things that are easy to chew, implants are firmly secured directly into your jawbone. They have the look feel and function of natural teeth, and can be use to replace an individual tooth, a series of missing teeth, or a whole row. The implant posts can even be used to anchor a set dentures to your jaw, so that you have the security to eat what you want without fear of your dentures slipping or falling out of your mouth.
You Will Feel at Home at New Albany Implants
At our office in Southern Indiana, we will treat you just like we would treat any member of our family. Our friendly staff will go out of their way to make sure you our comfortable. And don’t let dental fear our anxiety keep you away. At New Albany Implants, we provide sedation dentistry and offer different methods to fit your needs and anxiety level.
Contact us today and make an appointment to see what dental procedure is right for you and will keep you healthy.