"Celery can help protect teeth and its enamel by cleaning the surface of the teeth"

First, it doesn't hurt to learn first what enamel is. Wikipedia says it is "a very hard, white to off-white, highly mineralized substance that acts as a barrier to protect the tooth but can become susceptible to degradation, especially by acids from food and drink." 

Second, I guess an accounting of what causes us to lose enamel is also in order.  Arizona Family Dental has provided us with an interesting list:

1)  Dry mouth.
2)  Acid Reflux.
3)  GI Tract issues.
4)  Taking acidic medicines such as aspirin or antihistamines.
5)  Low-salivary flow.
6)  Genetics.
7)  Bruxism or teeth grinding.

A glaring omission, however, in this list is the consumption of sugary foods--candy, cakes, pies, children's cereals, pastries of all kinds.  It does mention acidic foods but only in relation to aspirin and antihistamines.  There are equally acidic foods that are consumed daily that we all should look out for.  One is coffee. Then there's tea.  Love both.  Have to be careful with both.  Tea and coffee also contain naturally occurring fluoride.  I don't know what your position is on fluoride.  I tend to think that it is a neuro-toxin. That it's not good for your brain or your autonomic nervous system. Yet I see people drinking coffee and tea everywhere daily.  I drink coffee but at greatly reduced levels.  I like the bullet-proof coffee. Provides a nice boost, if that's what you're looking for from coffee. Sometimes, it's just comforting.  Other times it helps to fight off the cold.  

Sarah Corriher at HealthWyze (I love these folks) makes the point that 

After consuming sugary foods or drinks, the enamel of teeth becomes weaker; especially within the first hour of consumption. Brushing the teeth during this period leads to increases in abrasive damage. This damage usually becomes significant by the time a person reaches middle age.

I have in this blog recommended Vitamin C for healthy teeth here and here. Am I wrong?  Not quite.  Vitamin C is important to maintain gum health. Gum health means tooth health, for the gums and their blood vessels feed the roots and cementin of our teeth. Even Dr. Andrew Saul from DoctorYourself, has advocated Vitamin C for healthy teeth.

Take extra vitamin C. Tooth health is dependent on gum health, and gum health is more closely related to vitamin C than to any other nutrient.  The first symptom of scurvy is easily bleeding gums.   

So from a logical standpoint, I was not wrong.  It's Vitamin C serum levels in your blood that we're talking about.  But it's the form of Vitamin C you're taking that matters.  Chewable Vitamin C for kids leaves a residue of C on their teeth.  When C is consumed this way, it actually weakens your enamel.  Why is Vitamin C bad for tooth enamel?  Acids.

Corriher again, 

Vitamin C is destructive to tooth enamel, so chewable pills may lead to increased cavities, particularly in those who are lacking minerals, such as calcium and phosphorus. Vitamin C should never be taken in a manner which leaves residues of it on the teeth for an extended time. Some well-intentioned toothpaste manufacturers have misguidedly added vitamin C or "citrus" to their formulas, without realizing the dental problems that this presents. Similarly, some alternative medicine sites on the Internet recommend cleaning the teeth with lemon-based solutions. Citrus acids have the tendency to make the teeth feel clean. This occurs partly because the acid strips the teeth of everything, including the minerals bonding with them. It can cause long-term enamel damage; especially when it is combined with abrasives or stiff bristle brushes.

Okay, so if it's not Vitamin C that is best for your teeth, what is? Calcium and phosphorous.  Here is a list of phosphorus-rich foods. Fish is a great source of phosphorus, so are dairy products.  This site says that dairy products are your best source of phosphorus, so if you like sardines and other fish and cheese, yogurt, and milk, then you're doing just fine.  Ms. Corriher concludes with this

Those who suddenly start experiencing tooth decay should know that it is often a symptom of a phosphorus deficiency. It is a common problem for vegetarians. Phosphorus is best obtained through meats, fish, and dairy products. It is in seeds and some nuts, but not in sufficient quantities. Fructose causes a decrease in phosphorus, which is one reason why sugar seems to cause cavities. Technically, sugars and carbohydrates can be harmful too, but the greatest factor is the connection between phosphorus depletion and the intake of fructose.

Those suffering from periodontal diseases such as gingivitis should look in the direction of CoQ10. Gingivitis sufferers are invariably deficient in co-enzyme Q10. It has shown good success with topical application, so mouth rinses are now available with this ingredient. In addition, CoQ10 is created by the body during exercise. Chlorophyll can also reverse gum disease, and it was once an ingredient of popular toothpastes.

Foods that Increase Tooth Enamel by Tiffany Tseng at Symptom Find.

1. DAIRY PRODUCTS                                                           
Dairy products, such as milk, yogurt, kefir and cheese, have plenty of calcium and phosphorous that can help strengthen teeth enamel and help with re-mineralization. They also promote saliva secretion, which can have a preventative effect, as saliva protects teeth against bacteria and balances the mouth's pH level. For those who are lactose intolerant, enriched soy milk can be a good alternative as it usually also have added calcium.

2. CELERY                                                                            
Celery, considered an "abrasive" food item due to its high fiber content, can help protect teeth and its enamel by cleaning the surface of the teeth. Its fibrous nature also requires longer chewing time, which can promote saliva secretion and maintain a healthy pH level in the mouth. The gums, which are also integral to healthy teeth enamel, are also massaged in the chewing process to ensure its health.

3. STRAWBERRIES                                            
Strawberries are full of antioxidants and vitamin C, which are important in maintaining the overall health of the oral cavity. Strawberries also have a natural exfoliating effect due to its malic acid content, and can also help whiten your teeth while removing enamel harming tartar. There is no need to actively rub the actual fruit on the teeth, however, as an excess of malic acid may actually do harm and dissolve tooth enamel. To keep your teeth enamel and oral cavity healthy, just incorporate strawberries in your diet, as a snack or a healthy dessert.

Your Vitamin D as ordered with spinach and cherry tomatoes.  What's not to like?

4. VITAMIN D                                                                       
Studies have shown that vitamin D is a nutrient that plays a key role in regulating proteins that create tooth enamel. Hence, foods rich in vitamin D, such as fish oil, cold water fish, or enriched egg yolks, are great for strengthening and possibly re-mineralizing tooth enamel. For example, canned sardines is a great super food, rich in vitamin D, for strengthening tooth enamel, as you can also eat the bones of the fish for added bone-strengthening calcium and fluoride.

5. ANIMAL PROTEIN                                                           
Most animal proteins, such as chicken and beef, contain phosphorus, which is a mineral essential to healthy tooth enamel. Indeed, when phosphorus is paired with calcium and vitamin D, healthy bones and teeth are created. Tofu may be an alternative option for vegetarians, as it contains a good amount of protein, and may also have the added benefits of calcium and magnesium.

6. SESAME SEEDS                                                             
Sesame seeds are similar to celery in that it is also an abrasive food that can help "brush" the surface of teeth and remove bacteria causing debris. They are also high in calcium, which is important in bone and teeth formation, and are extremely easy to incorporate into the diet. Toss a handful of toasted sesame seeds on your next snack or meal, or blend it into your smoothie for some enamel protection.

7. VITAMIN  K                                                                  
Essential for bone growth and mineral absorption, vitamin K can help strengthen teeth enamel when paired with vitamin D. Cruciferous vegetables, such as kale and broccoli, are high in vitamin K and other immune-boosting nutrients that can also contribute to healthier gums and teeth. Other great sources for this vitamin include egg yolks, hard cheese, pasteurized butter, fermented grains, and naturally-cured salami.

8. PARSLEY                                                                         
Parsley has been used as a natural breath freshener for ages. This herb is known for its anti-bacterial properties and may help prevent bacteria that can lead to loss of tooth enamel. Next time, chew some parsley in place of sugary gum or breath mints; not only will it freshen your breath, it can also save your teeth from sugars that can deteriorate enamel.

9. TEA                         
Naturally high in antioxidants for a healthier oral cavity, almost all leaves that brew tea also contain fluoride, which protects tooth enamel from decay. Green tea, in particular, also contains the antioxidant polyphenol, which protects the teeth by preventing plaque from adhering to its surface. As an added bonus, freshly brewed tea may also help eliminate bad breath for a more presentable smile.

10. WATER                                                       
Drinking water can ensure a clean mouth, as it washes away trapped debris between teeth that serves as a breeding ground for enamel harming bacteria. For the sake of your teeth, it is also advisable to swish and rinse the oral cavity with water after drinking or eating highly acidic or enamel-dissolving foods, such as alcohol, coffee, or lemons to keep the harsh foods from dissolving teeth surface and enamel. By keeping yourself hydrated, your body can also have a stronger immune system to potentially help ward off gum disease, which in turn, can be detrimental to tooth enamel.

Read more at http://www.symptomfind.com/nutrition-supplements/foods-that-strengthen-enamel/#GtDFXJi57qtv13oi.99

Magnesium: The Master Mineral

Perhaps more than anyone or as much as anyone, I have complaints about how information is presented in all of the nutritional journals. Even as I sit here in a coffee shop I am listening to a woman describe the demise of a friend's husband who went in for gastrointestinal complaints only to learn from his doctor that he had Stage 4 cancer with the doctor giving him 6 to 12 months to live. The medical industry has to create terminology for shock and awe. "Stage 4!!!  Oh, no!!!  It can't be!!!?  This is what I don't like--that doctors, trained monkeys inside the drug/military/industrial complex, are now in the business of offering life sentences instead of offering life-enhancing options, something that will awaken strength, revive energy, and extend life while improving its quality.  Acupuncture is one energy medicine.  They're in the business of increasing Chi.  Chiropractic care does the same thing.  It realigns your spine for greater energy flow.  There.  I'm not a doctor and I've provided two therapies that effectively and are proven to increase energy.  Increased energy means one's body works better, works stronger and more effectively.  But these trained monkeys get to peddle their narratives on the rest of us, narrowing our options instead of presenting a large range of choices.  Oh, they're very scientific, as if that means anything.  How many times do we read where scientific reports were skewed, biased, or otherwise fraudulently concocted to serve the financial reports or political interests of this or that industry or institute?    Just because vitamin or food or nutritionist guru says this or that about any vitamin or mineral doesn't mean that it is going to perform as promised.  Why? Because the reports are hardly ever specific.  Is this a marketing strategy to leave people open to trying and spending thousands of dollars on this or that vitamin or mineral?  Perhaps. That may be the likeliest answer.  Some point to the FDA's regulation on health claims.  If someone can say that Vitamin C cures colds, the fact that it cures renders Vitamin C a medicine, products under strict purview of the FDA. as though it is just an unfortunate thing.  So instead of being specific in their claims, authors cite studies to give weight and authority to their vagueness.  This is not good enough, so don't accept claims that are so vague.  Ask the question, "What do you mean?"  Insist on specifics, on specific meaning.  Some of the best, most well-known nutrition writers, like Mercola, Sardi, Blaylock, Saul, Weston Price, are regularly vague.  Here's one instance.  Sounds interesting, but there is so little if any specific support or citation to make the claim even remotely actionable.  I still read and cite despite the fact that they are frequently vague with their claims. Terms like "improves," "builds," "increases," "raises," "enhances" do not prove anything. They offer hope.  What's that great advice?  Oh, yeah, trust but verify.

Dr. Sircus magnesium and scarring. 

First, magnesium's heart benefits:

I cannot emphasize enough the beneficial effects of magnesium supplementation on the health of blood vessels. Magnesium plays a major role in the operation of the endothelial cells, which line vessels and allow for better blood flow.

Abnormally functioning endothelial cells are the earliest and most important change that occurs with atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) — hence raising stroke and heart attack risk. Magnesium reduces inflammation in blood vessels (the real cause of atherosclerosis), deters platelets from adhering to the walls of blood vessels, and reduces free-radical damage to body tissues.

That comes from Dr. Blaylock.  Magnesium relaxes blood vessels. That is important if you have any hardening of the arteries or veins. Whereas calcium strengthens or hardens blood vessels, magnesium softens them.  Ideally, you want both in an optimal ratio.  But I really liked the "reduces free-radical damage to body tissues" part. That should give courage to anyone with heart complications.  That should help in figuring things out.  He goes on . . . 

It is important to understand that when a person has a heart attack or stroke, it is not because plaque has occluded the blood vessel; it is because a blood clot has stuck to the wall of the vessel and blocked the flow of blood.

By reducing the ability of platelets to stick to vessel walls, magnesium greatly reduces the chance of a blood clot forming. (In general, black people have very low magnesium levels, and despite having lower cholesterol than Caucasians, they have higher risks of strokes and heart attacks.)

"magnesium greatly reduces the chance of a blood clot forming." Is there anything about that statement that you did not like?  I am trying to understand the downside to magnesium.  I'd wished that someone would've told me of this mineral years ago.  Perhaps I would have scoffed at it then.  I knew better.  I didn't.  That was just my ego talking over my biology.  

One of the reasons that I started writing on food and nutrition is that I was beside myself with how doctors, colleagues, and television commercials pimped drugs willy-nilly.  Even with all of the fatal and debilitating caveats we listen to, if you could follow the fine print or the warp-speed with which they were reported in commercials, people still asked their doctor for them thinking that it was the easy cure, the very thing that would bring them back from the brink.  

Blaylock goes on . . . 

I find it ironic and upsetting that most doctors prescribe the anti-clotting drug Plavix to protect against clotting. Plavix is associated with very severe side effects — some even fatal — and it is very expensive. It works no better than using magnesium, omega-3 oils, ginkgo biloba, or garlic extract, all of which have few side effects and are much less expensive.  So opt for magnesium.  

Its benefits are far-reaching.  For insomnia, there is nothing better. I prefer it much better to the melatonin.  Melatonin relaxes your muscles too much.  You wake up feeling like a numbing zombie. Don't know how doctors or nutritionists can recommend that. Incredible.  

Beyond sleep, magnesium improves blood vessel integrity, large and small blood vessels.  

One condition that has resisted treatment is progressive small vessel strokes involving cerebral arteries in the brain. In the beginning, one typically experiences few symptoms with this condition. But as more of these tiny blood vessels become blocked, a person can experience paralysis, loss of vision, or a gradual loss of mental function. Conventional treatments are hazardous, costly, and rarely work.

As mentioned above, magnesium improves blood flow in these tiny blood vessels, along with reducing inflammation and helping to prevent clotting. Other supplements that can reduce the conditions that lead to small vessel strokes include:

• Vitamin C (buffered forms)

• Curcumin

• Quercetin

• Ellagic acid

• Hesperidin

• Grape seed extract)

• White tea

It is also important to drink plenty of fluids, as this improves blood flow. 

 Seems to me if you want to ward off stroke, age-related dementia or dementia of any kind, then maintaining adequate doses of magnesium in your body throughout the day would be one, and a very important one, strategy.  How can you not be interested in this, "As mentioned above, magnesium improves blood flow in these tiny blood vessels . . . ."  If you're taking care of elderly relatives, would it not make their lives more painless, more pleasant? Then . . . ? 

Next, we've got Alan Watson from Diet Heart News.  Are you seeing a pattern here?  Articles on magnesium show up in journals and reports on the heart.  Ergo, magnesium is good for the heart. But idiots like me want to know specifics.  I want to know specifically how it is beneficial.  I like hearing about the benefits, but I also want proof.  Most people don't provide proof.  It's the proof that will save you time and money.  

As the late Dr. Atkins was quick to point out, while magnesium is the most important mineral for the heart, few cardiologists bother to (1) test for it properly and (2) prescribe it to their patients. While potassium is more abundant within our cells than magnesium, potassium on average is also 5 to 10 times more abundant in our food. (You don’t have to eat carb-dense bananas to ensure adequate potassium levels.)

Okay, that's good intel.  The nutritional and food media are always telling us how we need our potassium.  Perhaps.  But it seems to me that we're more likely to deplete our stores of magnesium than our abundant supplies of potassium.  I love bananas but their sugar doesn't jibe with me.  I eat bananas with peanut butter.  A delicious snack and certainly more nutritious than the banana all by itself.  So just know that potassium is more abundant in our bodies than magnesium.   

Although potassium is present in highest amounts, magnesium is dominant in regulating essential biochemical processes. Calcium also plays an important role in human chemistry – both are present in the blood, bones, and muscles – but magnesium is predominant in muscle cells and tends to control and balance other mineral electrolytes including calcium, potassium and sodium.

Okay, this too is good intel, "magnesium is dominant in regulating essential biochemical processes."  I don't know how many times I've heard a similar version of this cited by almost everybody, that "magnesium along with chocolate is responsible for 300 biochemical reactions in the body."  Okay.  Of those 300, which are the most important?  It's the irresistible, grandiose vague statements drive me crazy.  Be specific.  Cite one.  Cite five.  Cite all three hundred.  Yet people get away with these claims without ever having to be specific.  So I chase some of the specifics down online.  This statement gets to specifics, but magnesium is predominant in muscle cells and tends to control and balance other mineral electrolytes including calcium, potassium, and sodium.

Note well, magnesium is abundant in muscle cells and controls and balances other minerals in the cells, including calcium, potassium, and sodium.  Interesting.  So, of those 4 minerals, which do you think is the most important?  Yeah . . . .  Check out how magnesium regulates these other minerals:

The heart and the smooth muscles in the blood vessels are particularly sensitive to the balance of calcium and magnesium. Magnesium has a relaxing effect; calcium makes them more rigid. As a natural calcium-channel blocking agent, magnesium displaces and excludes excess calcium within cell membranes. As a natural muscle and artery relaxant, magnesium sufficiency is a key factor in maintaining normal blood pressure and heart beat.

Again, there's magnesium's role in heart health.  Just sayin'.  When I first tried magnesium supplements, I felt a flush, a sense that the blood volume increased or reached more places in my body.  The feeling was fuller, larger, building.  From a clinical standpoint, I don't know if that was good.  I don't have ways to measure if that experience was beneficial to my heart or if my heart was overwhelmed or struggling.  But after that building flush I do know that I felt better, more relaxed, less stressed.  I liked the effect.  

Overall, magnesium ensures that the heart can pump a larger volume of blood without increasing oxygen requirements. Magnesium’s anti-platelet activity enhances the flow of blood in all blood vessels and without the tendency like aspirin to promote bleeding. In the Physician’s Health Study, participants who took aspirin (Bufferin) had twice as many hemorrhagic strokes as those who took a placebo.

That comes from Alan Watson, who founded Diet Heart News. Part of the sifting through information means finding credible authors. Creating a curation site at least shows dedication and commitment to information on the subject.  His article lists 10 important functions of magnesium. 

Blood tests do not tell the whole truth on magnesium levels.  This is another way in which the drug/ military/industrial complex holds sway.

1.  Routine blood tests do not reveal intracellular magnesium. When your doctor says “your magnesium is fine,” she simply means the 1 percent normally found in the blood is present. A correlation does not exist between blood (serum) and intracellular magnesium. The measurement of magnesium in serum has very limited medical significance.

If your diet leans toward too many highly processed carbohydrates, you should definitely supplement with magnesium.

2.  Metabolizing highly processed carbohydrates – food products with corn syrup, sugar, flour, and box cereals – cause magnesium losses in the urine. Magnesium is required for optimum blood sugar control.  Poor blood sugar control, in turn, increases the rate of magnesium excretion further impairing blood sugar metabolism. (Dr. Atkins referred to type 2 diabetes as a magnesium deficiency disease.)

What I glean from the following is that calcium and potassium are more abundant, both in our bodies and in our food supply, than is magnesium.  For this reason, it is important, perhaps necessary, to supplement with magnesium.  Not everyone likes manufactured supplements.  And we can't just pick up any food to get the magnesium, for a calorie is a calorie and it will satiate us.  We may not feel hungry enough to eat that extra serving of spinach or chard. Further, if you drink coffee, a popular diuretic, on a regular basis, you probably should supplement with magnesium.

3.  Commonly prescribed diuretic drugs prevent the kidneys from recycling magnesium (and potassium and sodium), yet most doctors tell their patients to supplement with calcium – not magnesium. Excess calcium from supplements and so called fortified food products aggravates the important calcium-magnesium balance in favor of calcium.

Stress depletes magnesium.  I think we often feel lucky to have survived a stressful situation that we're grateful to gained life. Since we didn't lose our life, we don't think that we've lost much. Hubris perhaps?  Magnesium supplementation may be in order. 

4.  Stress of all kinds causes loss of magnesium. Extreme exercise, running, sweating, and even shivering in the cold promotes magnesium excretion. Anger, driving in rush hour traffic, depression, guilt, and fear all involve sympathetic nervous system activation, increased adrenaline – and loss of magnesium.

Magnesium is important for gut health.  Manufacturers of Pepto Bismal, Milk of Magnesia, Alka Seltzer, and others have bigger budgets.  These might treat the short-term symptoms, but do not treat the causes of gastrointestinal problems.  

5.  We need stomach acid to absorb minerals. Our bodies require magnesium to produce stomach acid. A magnesium deficiency reduces stomach acid which, in turn, reduces mineral absorption. (Keep in mind that the symptoms of excess and insufficient stomach acid are the same.) Don’t reach for an “antacid,” get your intracellular magnesium tested instead.

 Tell me again how doctors know best . . . . 

6.  Due to low stomach acid, reduced nutrient absorption, and the use of diuretic drugs for hypertension, the elderly are at greatest risk of magnesium deficiency. Most cases go unnoticed because doctors do not perform intracellular testing (see #1 above) and quite often discourage any type of nutritional supplementation.

You don't want to be deficient in magnesium.

7.  A quick way to produce kidney stones in animals is to put them on a magnesium deficit diet. Magnesium increases the solubility of calcium in the urine, helping to prevent stone formation. Also, most patients with Chronic Fatigue, fibromyalgia, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and MS are deficient in magnesium and would likely benefit from supplemental magnesium.

Want to take better care of your teeth?  The answer is not the dentist. It's magnesium:

8.  Magnesium, boron, strontium and many other minerals add significantly to the quality of bones and teeth. Magnesium regulates the absorption and utilization of calcium. Without sufficient magnesium, bone-building and joint health suffer. Regardless of calcium intake (usually too much), magnesium deficiency leads to arthritis, brittle bones, and osteoporosis.

That should be a concern for all people of all ages.  Bone health.  We all want strong, long-lasting, healthy teeth that can withstand the sugary assault and battery on those gorgeous things that make up our smile, you know--that thing that wins people over to ourselves, that has persuasive effects on others.  If your teeth are bad, you'll have a difficult time persuading others.  I wish this weren't true but it is.  Imagine someone with missing teeth or bad teeth.  What do we do when we see this?  We go closed mouth and feel sorry for the man or woman.  If you don't want people to feel sorry for you, then take care of your teeth.

Then there's heart.  

9.  Concentrated 18 times greater in the heart muscle than in the bloodstream, magnesium regulates heart beat. Magnesium is vital for the heart, arteries, and the cardiovascular system. People dying as a result of obesity, diabetes, metabolic syndrome and coronary heart disease have this in common: intracellular magnesium deficiency.

Wow.  If that's not a selling point, I don't know what is.

I mentioned earlier that I did not konw what the optimal ratio between calcium and magnesium should be.  Watson at least gives us a starting point: 1:1 or 2:1 in favor of magnesium.

10. Supplemental calcium and magnesium should be in a 1:1 ratio or perhaps a 2:1 ratio in favor of magnesium. (Multiple vitamins fail in this regard and often contain cheap, poorly absorbed calcium carbonate and magnesium oxide. While natural whole food is always our best source of minerals, magnesium levels in food have declined substantially during the past 100 years (USDA testing). Remember, too, that we cannot absorb minerals in food or supplements without adequate levels of fat-soluble vitamins A & D – found only in animal food. To increase your mineral absorption, use butter (vitamin A) and lard (vitamin D) on a regular basis.

 I cannot believe the details of this guy.  Fantastic!

Remember, too, that we cannot absorb minerals in food or supplements without adequate levels of fat-soluble vitamins A & D – found only in animal food. To increase your mineral absorption, use butter (vitamin A) and lard (vitamin D) on a regular basis.

See, this is helpful.  Telling a client that he has 6 to 12 months to live is not.  That only raises stress Got stress?  Take magnesium.   

Next, I was interested in internal scarring.  And given how magnesium restores small blood vessels and soft tissue, I thought, maybe, you know, that magnesium may have some benefits there. So I Googled it and found an interesting article from Dr. Sircus on inflammation and systematic stress.  What are his credentials?  He is an allopath with studies in oriental medicine and a Veritas Medical practitioner.  I don't know what that means and how it compares or contrasts with a medical doctor, whether it's an upgrade or not. 

UPDATE, Sun., Oct. 16, 2016, 4:45pm, MT: 
It appears I am guilty of the very thing I complained about: being vague.  In fact, I omitted even the basic critique of my recommendation of magnesium, that being the fact that in not all circumstances is magnesium of benefit.  Taking too much is a serious risk.  And with all the talk about deficiency, one could get into trouble trying to compensate for any perceived and unmeasured or self-diagnosed deficiency.  With supplements not only is there a real risk of taking too much, but your supplement might contain a less effective, more toxic forms of magnesium. One benefit of getting your nutrients from food is that you're less likely to overdose and get sick or worse.

Magnesium oxide is a popular supplement because it is inexpensive, but it’s important to know about the risks and problems associated with it. One thing to know about magnesium oxide is that it is non-chelated, so it doesn’t absorb well compared to other supplements, says Natural News. Chelated minerals have been chemically combined with amino acids so that the body can used them better. 

Magnesium oxide also can cause other side effects. Users commonly experience diarrhea with magnesium oxide, according to Drugs.com. Some other magnesium supplements also cause diarrhea, while some types don’t seem to have that effect and are gentler on the body.

 That comments only on magnesium oxide's poor absorption.  Byt there are some real hazards associated with this variety of magnesium that the manufacturers will never tell you about.  And if you take too much of the bad stuff, they'll only point to your bad judgment as the cause of ill health or demise.  Check out the first article in this list.

Breathing Magnesium Oxide can irritate the eyes and nose. Exposure to Magnesium Oxide can cause “metal fume fever.” This is a flu-like illness with symptoms of metallic taste in the mouth, headache, fever and chills, aches, chest tightness and cough. ... Magnesium Oxide is a white powder

There is more.  Remember that calcium hardens arteries and magnesium softens them?  Taking too much magnesium can cause problems.  Read here:

Humans take in between 250 and 350 mg/day of magnesium and need at least 200 mg, but the body deals very effectively with this element, taking it form food when it can, and recycling what we already have when it cannot.

 There is no evidence that magnesium produces systemic poisoning although persistent over-indulgence in taking magnesium supplements and medicines can lead to muscule weakness, lethargy and confusion.

But which type of magnesium do I take?  Good question.  And here are some very good answers.   

SUPPLEMENTAL D3, A [PALMITATE], AND RESVERATROL MAINTAIN SOLID TEETH

Keep Your Teeth With These Food Remedies

from Delta Dental

Today’s nutritional approaches to oral health go beyond “don’t eat sugary foods.”  And that statement generally holds true but are we so complacent nowadays that we're okay with information that generally holds true rather than something specific and effective?

Adequate nutrition is important in disease prevention, and nutritional counseling is becoming an increasingly important tactic in preventive dentistry,” said Kevin Sheu, DDS, senior dental consultant at Delta Dental. 

Again, true but generally true.  You want more specifics on what exactly will target your particular concern.  I mean adequate nutrition sounds solid but that in itself says nothing and is therefore rendered meaningless.   The Sheu adds “The quality and consistency of foods, their nutritional composition and the combinations in which they are eaten can affect oral health, including the likelihood of tooth decay.”  Again there is nothing that is untrue or false in that statement, but that is exactly what these guys are shooting--to make information so general so as to not offer up anything specific for which someone might hold you accountable.

Here's another statement that is so general that it puts you in a trance trying to make sense out of it and you lose the point of your query.  

Ongoing research indicates that antioxidants and other nutrients found in fruits, vegetables, legumes and nuts may strengthen immunity and improve the body’s ability to fight bacteria and inflammation, all of which can help protect the teeth and gums. And some foods and dietary habits even have distinct effects on the mouth’s ability to handle cavity-causing bacteria attacks.

You cannot get more non-specific and meaningless than "Ongoing research."  That is the type of phrase that any frightened, salaried bureaucrat will use so as not to draw criticism but to come off as authoritative.  It offers nothing specific; in fact, it only baits the reader with the phrase ". . . nutrients found in fruits, vegetables, legumes and nuts MAY [my emphasis] strengthen immunity . . . all of which HELP protect the teeth and gums."  Could it be more vague?  Actually, the very next sentence out performs the ambiguity, "And some [without naming a one] and dietary habits [which ones?] even have the distinct [he uses the word distinct without being distinct . . . clever] effects on the mouth's ability to handle cavity-causing bacteria attacks."

Next, the article offers examples of the different types of functions that certain foods perform.  It begins with calcium-fortified beverages.

Calcium-fortified juices, milk and other dairy products are rich in calcium and vitamin D and help promote healthy teeth and bones, reducing the risk for tooth loss. Adding powdered milk to cooked dishes helps those who don’t like milk or cheese to get some of the calcium needed to protect teeth and jawbones. 

The problem with fortified D is that you don't often get the more important D, D3; you get vitamin D2.  Bill Sardi explains that 

Numerous studies conclude that vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol), the natural form, is superior to D2 (ergocalciferol), the synthetic form [Nephron 2015; European Journal ClinicalNutrition 2015]

One study showed the incidence of vitamin D deficiency was 56% among D2 users and 25% among D3 users.  [Journal Parenteral Enteral Nutrition 2015]

A strong case has been made that vitamin D2 is not suitable for food fortification or supplementation since D2 is not equivalent to vitamin’s D3’s ability to raise vitamin D blood levels and ability to adhere to vitamin D binding protein. [American Journal ClinicalNutrition 2006] 

So make sure to use D3 and not D2, the synthetic form used in fortified foods.  The article continues with functions and benefits of other foods. 

Cheese unleashes a burst of calcium that mixes with plaque and sticks to the teeth, protecting them from the acid that causes decay and helping to rebuild tooth enamel on the spot.

 What, so the calcium in cheese sticks to your teeth like a coating, and that coating is supposed to be good for your teeth?

Crisp fruits and raw vegetables, like apples, carrots and celery, help clean plaque from teeth and freshen breath. 

That sounds more plausible.  But plausibilty is not proof.

Antioxidant vitamins, such as vitamin C, and other nutrients from fruits and vegetables help protect gums and other tissues from cell damage and bacterial infection. 

Okay, the article is about dental health.  I don't know why he needs to refer to "other tissues" without specifically naming them when we're focused on the tissues of the mouth, meaning one's gums.

Recent studies indicate that fresh cranberries interrupt the bonding of oral bacteria before they can form damaging plaque. 

"Recent studies"?  Which ones?  ". . . indicate"?  How?  Where?  Where's the proof, the data?  And "interrupt the bonding of oral bacteria"?  Is that really adequate and definitive information, and would you settle for your lawyer to make such claims using similar phrases?  "A recent studies show that you're better off making a plea and accept the verdict."  But you're willing to accept this level of gassing from nutritional information?

Folic acid promotes a healthy mouth and supports cell growth throughout the entire body. This member of the B vitamin family is found in green leafy vegetables and brewer’s yeast. 

This is true.  But don't get B-12 from brewer's yeast; instead, take it in its most absorbable form: methylcobalamin.

You may already know that cavity-causing organisms feed on the sugar in foods such as soda, chocolate milk and candies and convert it to acid, which attacks tooth enamel and causes tooth decay.  

But did you know that acidic foods and drinks can wear away your enamel, leaving your teeth sensitive, cracked and discolored?

"You may already know that cavity-causing organisms . . . ."  You mean bacteria?  And yeah, we know that sugar is bad for our teeth.

Timing is everything

A diet that promotes good oral health is not just about the foods you eat or avoid — when and how you eat them is equally important.

Foods that take a long time to chew or that you hold in your mouth (such as cough drops) can damage teeth as they retain sugar in the mouth longer than do other foods.

Instead of snacking on sugary, carbohydrate-rich or acidic foods throughout the day, eat these foods just during meal times in order to minimize the amount of time teeth are exposed to acid. In addition, the body produces more saliva to help digest larger meals, which washes away more food and helps neutralize harmful acids before they can attack teeth.

Information courtesy of the Academy of General Dentistry. 

As you can see it is not good to have fractured, meaning busted, teeth. Do not agree to any dental procedure where your dentist files down your teeth.  You want to keep as many teeth you're born with. If you don't like it, just remember what the alternatives are: filed-down teeth, removed teeth, which reminds me.  

Are you thinking of getting braces for your teeth because you don't like that a few are crooked?  Here's what happens.  The orthodontist will remove some of your teeth.  You don't know how many.  It could be 3 or 4 or more.  YOU DON'T WANT TO LOSE YOUR TEETH, SO WHY  SUDDENLY AGREE TO LETTING AN ORTHODONTIST PULL THEM OUT OF YOUR HEAD!!!  Can you hear me now!!!

Vitamin D3 hardens enamel.  So if you want to harden the enamel of your teeth and keep them hard and durable for years, supplement with vitamin D3.  On vitamin D3, Sarid says that

Vitamin D hardens enamal.  Cavities occur in winter when D levels are low.  Sugar feeds streptococcus bacteria and produces acid and eats away the enamal on your teeth.

Vitamin A rebuilds the pulp of your teeth.  Bill Sardi explains that

Vitamin A encourages stem cell differentiation and new bone; resveratrol activates osteocalcin to build new bone. 

So, for your teeth, supplement with D3, A [Palmitate], and Resveratrol.

Feed and Care for Your Teeth: 10 Ways to Keep Smiling

Cheese inhibits bacterial growth in the mouth.

by Dr. Andrew Saul

1.  Eat less sugar. All nutritionists and dentists agree that sugar promotes tooth decay, yet Americans consume over 120 POUNDS of sugar per person annually. Sugar contains no vitamins, no minerals, and no fiber. Decay-promoting bacteria love sugar, so starve them.     2.  Clean between your teeth. Use dental floss or those wonderful, easy-to-use, plaque-removing, interdental cleaning sticks.     3.  Take extra vitamin C. Tooth health is dependent on gum health, and gum health is more closely related to vitamin C than to any other nutrient.  The first symptom of scurvy is easily bleeding gums.       4.  Finish meals the way people did in past centuries: with cheese. Cheese inhibits bacterial growth in the mouth. Mozzarella, Monterey Jack, Swiss, and Aged Cheddar cheeses are all good for this purpose.     5.  Rethink fluoride. Fluoride is so toxic that only one milligram constitutes a prescription dose. In spite of this, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) allows up to this amount in a single glass of drinking water. Virtually every country in Europe has stopped fluoridation.  Studies have shown that fluoride confers little, if any, real benefit. Persons who have grown up with fluoridated water have, on the average, only 1/2 of one filling less than people who did not drink fluoridated water (Chemical and Engineering News, May 8, 1989).     6.  Eat organically-grown foods, preferably from your own organic garden. Hereford, Texas became famous during the 1940's as "The Town Without a Toothache." Why was there practically no dental disease in this town? Lots of organic minerals in the soil and the foods grown in it. So, any teeth grown there were also better fed and stronger. The local dentist practically went broke. (A. W. Erickson, "Deaf Smith's Secret," Field Notes Crop Reporting Service, 1945)     7.  Pregnant women especially need calcium and multiple-mineral supplements to enable their developing baby to form strong teeth before birth.  These same mineral supplements help her to make milk for the baby's continued tooth and bone development after delivery.     8.  A baby's tooth enamel is constructed in the womb. Ameloblasts adequately form the enamel in the [baby] only if Mom gets enough vitamin A.  Carotene is best because too much fish oil vitamin A (over 25,000 IU daily for many weeks) can be harmful during pregnancy. All green and orange vegetables and, of course, carrot juice are ideal. You cannot easily harm Mother or child with produce.     9.  A good multiple vitamin is a good idea for everyone. Prenatal for Mom, liquid for baby, chewable for little kids, and don't forget teenagers, Dad, and the Grandparents. Research continues to show, decade after decade, that Americans continue to eat meals that are deficient in SEVERAL vitamins, not just one.     10.  Read Nutrition and Physical Degeneration by Weston Price, D.D.S. (Price-Pottenger Nutrition Foundation, La Mesa, CA, 1970). This may be the best book on dental health ever written.   Copyright C 2004 and prior years Andrew W. Saul. Andrew Saul is the author of the books FIRE YOUR DOCTOR! How to be Independently Healthy (reader reviews at http://www.doctoryourself.com/review.html ) and DOCTOR YOURSELF: Natural Healing that Works. (reviewed at http://www.doctoryourself.com/saulbooks.html ) For ordering information, Click Here .

Got Bad Breath?

from AsktheDentist, Dr. Mark Burhenne

So many people are shocked that they have bad breath because they “brush after every meal.” If you aren’t flossing, you’re not removing bad breath causing plaque and bacteria from 30% of your teeth’s surfaces. Use a tongue scraper as well – you’ll be amazed at how much gunk you scrape off your tongue. First time tongue scrapers may even see some blood come off the scraper and then later a yellow fluid. It may take 6 months of proper tongue scraping to stop seeing any of this debris on your scraper, which is normal if you’ve never tongue scraped before.

Read on . . . .