Are Prebiotic Sodas REALLY Better for Your Teeth?

Prebiotic vs. probiotic drinks 0:00

Why is everyone talking about these prebiotic and probiotic drinks? They're all the rage, but are they really healthy? Let's dig into are they good for your gut? Are they good for your teeth? And what's really in them? So the first thing that we need to talk about is what's the difference between a prebiotic and a probiotic? Prebiotics are fibers that actually feed beneficial bacteria in your mouth and in your gut. Probiotics are those actual bacteria. Now, some of these drinks contain one or the other, some contain both.

Does it matter? What should you really be looking for? Well, first of all, we'd like to see them have low sugar, typically five grams or less. We really want them flavored with things that are natural like ginger and turmeric and elderberry.

What to look for in a healthier drink 0:48

It's great if they can have the actual fibers in them called chicory root. inulin, oligosaccharides, those are the things that are actually these prebiotics. Now what do you not want? You just don't want another soda because anything that has sparkling water or carbonated water, that is acidic. It's called carbonic acid. That's what actually creates that carbonated feel. So that acid is going to make these drinks just as acidic or close to as acidic as a typical soda. There are also a lot of things in these drinks as I was looking through them.

There's lemon juice, there's apple cider vinegar. Now all of these ingredients are good, but we have to remember that they are acidic. What does that do to your teeth? So let's really get into teeth and gut. What do you need? What don't you need? The gut and the oral health are really intricately connected and both prebiotics and probiotics are essential for good oral and gut health.

Acidity, teeth, and gut health 1:51

The issue that I have with a lot of these things is that some probiotics actually won't survive in the stomach environment. So when you're drinking them, the stomach is very acidic and they may actually not survive. Not only that, but they may actually not be the probiotics that you need. So these aren't just a one size fits all supplement drink for you. Can it support your gut health? Absolutely, because our guts do need good bacteria and they do need food that feeds those good bacteria. So are these better than sodas?

Well, in a lot of senses, yes, they are. There's just the same concerns. We don't want to have high acidity in the mouth and have it done frequently. So like I tell you with soda, I don't want you to just sip on this all day long. You might think that you're feeding your mouth and your gut good bacteria all day long, but what you're also doing is filling your mouth with acid. Now, what does acid do? Acid literally dissolves minerals in your teeth. They leave holes behind. Those holes are then there for bacteria to crawl into.

The bacteria eat more sugar and they lead to more demineralization or minerals being dissolved and pulled out. So acid is really dangerous in any form, even if it's in a healthier version of drink.

How to drink them safely 3:14

So when you're drinking these, what can you do? Use a straw, get it past your teeth before it goes down. Don't drink it all day long. If you're going to drink it, swig it and be done. Rinse your mouth out with water after drinking it and don't brush your teeth for 30 to 60 minutes after because your teeth are going to be softer after any acid attack. Now, are they better than soda? Absolutely. Why? Well, a lot of them have natural flavorings, natural sugars, things that our bodies are going to recognize more than all the artificial ingredients.

They also are typically higher pH. They're still acidic, but they're not as acidic as a lot of the popular sodas are. So they're not going to be as destructive to the teeth. Are these drinks a good replacement for sodas? The answer is yes, especially if you want a replacement, if you want something that you can use instead. They are lower in sugar. They do have good pre and probiotics. They do have flavorings and things that are going to be more acceptable to the body. but always with a caveat of make sure that you are using them responsibly.

You're not sipping them all day long, you're rinsing with water after, you're avoiding brushing your teeth directly after consuming them. All of these things are really important to make sure that your teeth aren't affected by your drink choice. So what's the verdict? Use them responsibly. They are definitely better for you than typical sodas are. Another benefit of drinking these drinks is you're going to get a wide variety of prebiotics and probiotics.

Are they better than soda? 4:47

Now you can find out sometimes very specifically what your gut needs, but it's going to take some pretty significant testing to do that. I actually don't know if that's necessary. What I recommend is that you use a wide variety of things, everything from the prebiotics and probiotics that come to you on live fruits and vegetables that you're going to be eating, as well as maybe mixing these things up. Don't just pick one and stick with it because they're each going to be a little different. So maybe cycle through them.

Don't use these as a standalone meal. Use them along with other things as a meal so that you get the benefits from all of the foods that you're consuming along with them. Again, they're great, but make sure you're using them in the right way. If you even want a better option, please click below on the link, make sure to subscribe, but you're going to find some recipes and things that you can make at home. my husband was trying to wean himself off of soda at home, he figured out that he had to have something equally as treat-ish, like a treat for him to drink in replacement for that soda.

So this may be it, but he actually found some things he could make at home for a lot less money that were a treat for him and also very good for his body

Best ways to use them and final verdict 5:56

and his mouth. So there are a lot of options out there. Make sure that you're not just following the hype and listening to the positives without also paying attention to how you need to be consuming these things because they're good, but you need to be careful with them. Make sure to subscribe and watch here for more information like this coming soon.