THIS week my hygienist kindly remarked how she thought I was ill because I was so white on the work zoom compared with all the other tanned gods and goddesses on the team. I’ve never been into tanning; however, it did get me thinking about vitamin D (it’s gaining more attention as its thought to be helpful in fighting the effects of the coronavirus) and how I’m probably low in it.
Contrary to what one would imagine, the coronavirus has not targeted people with typical lung conditions as much as it’s affecting people who are suffering from metabolic diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular and kidney disease.
It’s important to bring into focus that there are millions of interactions happening on a cellular level when someone is infected by coronavirus. One theory being suggested is that coronavirus increases what’s called “oxidative stress” in the cells which is thought to cause a lot of damage by affecting blood vessels and increasing blood clots forming. Vitamin D helps to minimise this oxidative stress which is why it may be helpful at this time to top up on vitamin D.
One substance that increases the likelihood of metabolic disease and reduces the positive effects of vitamin D is high doses of fructose. Fructose is added to food in its concentrated form as high fructose corn syrup, HFCS. Studies have shown that a high fructose diet can cause the body to lay down more fat tissue, cause inflammation and increase oxidative stress and insulin resistance. In countries where high levels of fructose are being eaten, there are 20 per cent more diabetics.
Foods that are high in fructose are sweets, fizzy drinks, sauces, salad dressings, sugary yogurts, pastries and fast foods. It’s encouraging that exercise has been shown to reverse the negative effects of fructose in animal studies.
So, the same fructose-containing foods that wreak havoc on your teeth are also really affecting your body tissues and organs. Maybe it’s time to look at the foods in the kitchen cupboards and see which have HFCS in the ingredient list to try and avoid these as much as possible for dental health and bodily protection.
