{"id":24452,"date":"2019-08-10T14:04:36","date_gmt":"2019-08-10T14:04:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/growingsmiles.co.uk\/?page_id=24452"},"modified":"2025-01-31T20:26:48","modified_gmt":"2025-01-31T20:26:48","slug":"sugar-and-oral-health","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/growingsmiles.co.uk\/healthy-tips-for-happy-teeth-and-oral-health\/sugar-and-oral-health\/","title":{"rendered":"Sugar, Oral Health and Alternatives"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The key aim when it comes to sugar and oral health is to reduce the amount and <\/em>frequency of consuming food and drinks that contain free sugars.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n

A healthy diet is important for oral and general health. Scientific evidence indicates that the population of the UK eats too many \u2018free sugars\u2019 (see below), too much saturated fat and salt, and not enough fruit, vegetables, fibre and oily fish.<\/p><\/div><\/div>

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What are free sugars?<\/strong><\/h2>

It is probably easiest to think of free sugars as those that are added to food and drinks by the manufacturer, the chef\/cook or yourself <\/strong>(the consumer), AS WELL <\/strong>as sugars that are naturally present in honey, syrups and fruit juices. <\/strong>It DOES NOT include sugars that are found naturally in whole FRESH fruit and vegetables and those naturally present in milk and milk products. Clear? Don\u2019t worry! It can be a bit of a minefield trying to work out what is safe for teeth and what may contribute to tooth decay\/ cavities and many other non communicable diseases. If you\u2019re unsure about what food and drinks are high in free sugars, check the labels. Check a product’s ingredient list and look for sugars among the first two or three ingredients including sugar, sucrose, maltose, brown sugar, corn syrup, cane sugar, honey and fruit juice concentrate. Learn more about food labels here.<\/a><\/p>

Common food and drinks that are high in free sugars include: <\/p>

\u2022 sugary soft drinks \u2022 sweets and chocolate confectionery \u2022 cakes and biscuits \u2022 buns, pastries, fruit pies \u2022 puddings \u2022 table sugar \u2022 sugary breakfast cereals \u2022 jams, preserves, honey \u2022 ice cream and sorbets \u2022 fruit juices and smoothies \u2022 milk-based beverages with added sugar \u2022 sugar-containing alcoholic drinks \u2022 dried fruits \u2022 syrups and sweet sauces<\/p><\/div>

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Honey, fruit smoothies, fresh fruit juice and dried fruit all contain decay causing sugars. Because dried fruit can stick to the teeth, it is better to eat this as part of a meal rather than a between-meal snack. Learn more about the work our friend and colleague Jo Dawson’s is doing to raise awareness of dried fruit at her website Awesome Oral Health.<\/a><\/p>

When it comes to fruit, fresh fruit is best. Fruit canned in juice is better than fruit in sugary syrup. <\/p>

Unlike many foods that are high in free sugars, fruit is packed with lots of nutrients that help provide us with a balanced diet for good health. It is bursting with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and many nutrients that our bodies need in order to boost immunity, fight diseases, keep us regular and build health skin, hair and nails.  Fresh fruit (or alternatively frozen fruit, or fruit canned in juice) are recommended snacks between meals.<\/p>

Whole fruit contains natural sugars, a mix of sucrose, fructose and glucose. These sugars, unlike free sugars, are naturally occurring in fruit, rather than being added. <\/p>

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More about sugar and health<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/div>

There is evidence to suggest that people who eat lots of fruit and vegetables are less likely to develop chronic diseases such as coronary heart disease and some types of cancer.<\/strong><\/p>