Is chocolate your passion? If so you are in good company. According to research a typical adult can eat their own body weight in chocolate in about ten years, and many of them do. In Switzerland chocolate consumption per individual equals 21 lbs a year, and about half that in the U.S. Do you know why people like chocolate so much? It’s because it produces some of the same physical effects as a passionate kiss. It seems terribly unfair then to be told you shouldn’t eat it because it is bad for your teeth. But is it? How can chocolate be so good for you, but bad for your teeth?
The Benefits of Chocolate
Throughout your life you may have been told not to eat chocolate because it is bad for you and bad for your teeth. However, over the years it has been discovered that chocolate has a number of health benefits. Some of these benefits include:
- It improves your mood
- Reduces your appetite
- Helps maintain a healthy heart by increasing good cholesterol and decreasing the bad
- It’s full of antioxidants
- May lower blood pressure
Is it Healthy for your Teeth?
Chocolate is high in sugar which remains on your teeth and attracts harmful bacteria that cause decay and periodontal disease. But if the cocoa bean husk was not stripped away from chocolate, it could be good for your teeth too. Research has shown that chocolate can combat tooth decay. The cocoa bean husk has proven to have antibacterial properties that can fight harmful bacterial plaque. Unfortunately, the husk is not included in chocolate. However, if an extract of the cocoa bean husk (CBH) was put back into chocolate it can make it healthier for your teeth.
ABOUT YOUR ANKENY, IA DENTIST:
Dr. Peddicord offers a complete range of preventative, cosmetic, and restorative dental procedures as well as high quality dental prosthetics. Dr. Peddicord can answer your inquiries, and provide the services you need to maintain the health, beauty, and function of your teeth. To schedule an appointment at Peddicord Family Dentistry, please contact us at 515-963-3339. Our Ankeny, IA dentist’s office proudly provides general and cosmetic dentistry services to patients from Bondurant, Polk City, Elkhart, Alleman, and Cambridge.