Sugar impacts all three of the root causes of ill health: inflammation/autoimmune issues, pathogens and toxicity.
The recommendation of the World Health Organization is that we limit sugar intake to no more than 10% of total calories, equal to 4 tablespoons of granulated sugar for a person eating 2000 calories/day. (A tablespoon of granulated sugar is equivalent to about 12 grams). The American Heart Association recommends a 5% intake— for most women, not more than 100 daily calories from added sugar and for most men, not more than 150 daily calories. This equals about 2 tablespoons of sugar added to the diet for women and 3 for men.
Sugar has been pervasive in Western society since Queen Elizabeth used it at her table to conspicuously display her wealth. (Subsequently the queen’s love of sugar turned her teeth black). Fans of HBO’s series about John Adams may remember the scene when Adams and his wife Abigail commiserate over their painful, black teeth and the suffering that wooden dentures caused their friend George Washington.
Inflammatory conditions are aggravated by sugar because of its acidity. When intestinal permeability is present there are insufficient enzymes to break down sugars, causing fermentation. This increases pathogenic activity in the gut directly because it feeds them. Of course, sugars left in the mouth will feed whatever pathogens are present there as well.
Sugar also contributes to the toxic overload in our systems. Our bodies maintain a certain healthy balance of yeast that acts as a scavenger for heavy metals. These scavengers, when stimulated by electromagnetic fields, will disperse the heavy metals over different areas over the body. Sugar provides additional stimulation by feeding the yeast, which can also contribute to an overgrowth and thus to further imbalance in the body.
In Chinese medicine, moderate amounts of specific flavors balance and nourish the tissues of the organs associated with it. The taste of sweetness is associated with the Earth element and the spleen/stomach energetic pathways. With correct application, sweetness can have a medicinal effect. However overuse can have a detrimental effect on the stomach and spleen, causing imbalance in all of the major organs over time.
Carey O’Rielly DDS has been a practicing dentist for 35 years. He went to USC Dental School and Duke University for his undergraduate degree. He grew up in Laguna Beach and now lives in La Costa with his wife Victoria, who runs his office.
He began his career by owning and operating a network of six offices in the San Francisco Bay Area. Presently he owns a private holistic practice in North County San Diego’s Encinitas.
Dr. O started looking for solutions to his health challenges that resulted from the stress and environmental toxicity that built up over a ten year period running his dental network. He has dedicated himself to learning about oral systemic problems and how dentistry can affect your health. He has applied what he has learned over the last twenty years to ensure he, his staff and his patients are protected from the chemicals and toxic materials found in most dental offices. He has produced an environmentally friendly office that is also peaceful and calm.
He is an expert on dental materials having looked at hundreds of biocompatibility lab tests over the years. He has identified the most bio-friendly materials to use in his practice and which dental materials can be used to replace metal fillings and crowns, including BPA free and fluoride free ‘white’ fillings. He also uses metal-free Zirconia or ceramic implants and PRF (platelet-rich fibrin) grafting materials which come from the patient’s own blood.
Dr. O’Rielly teaches C.E. courses on the systemic effects of gum disease. He is an expert in using phase contrast microscopy for analyzing dental infections, where he shows patients what kind of microbes, i.e. bacteria, amoeba, and yeasts like candida are populating the mouth and affecting the body as a whole.
He has an educational blog and is writing a book on dental health called ‘Hidden Dental Infections: Healing Root Canals and Infected Teeth with the Erbium Laser’ where he discusses dental nutrition, toxic dental materials and the effects of old root canals on inflammation and overall health.
