By: Antoneta Bursac
Our immune system is made up of both individual cells and proteins as well as entire organs (skin, lymphatic organs) and organ systems.
It’s important to note that our microbiota promote and calibrate all aspects of the immune system. (Y. Belkaid & T. Hand, 2015)
With the rise of immune boosting foods, probiotics, prebiotics, vitamin c and zinc supplements, immunity is a hot topic.
It is no surprise that in recent years, the integration of the microbiota as an intrinsic regulator of all immune responses has been more prominent. (Y. Belkaid & T. Hand, 2015)
We provide a lot of education about the importance of looking after your organ health for not only the look and feel of your body and skin long term, but also for a strong immune system. It is the basis of all our products, the raw materials that we use and research that we do as a company.
However something that always surprises me when researching new ingredients, products and consumer behaviour is how most people don’t concentrate on the simple lifestyle factors that are often the most important and instead invest heavily in only the top 10% of consumer goods that are out there, expecting long term results.
Today there is a lot of evidence and information around proper gut function and the importance of a healthy gut microbiome for immune and overall health.
Since our oral health is directly linked to our gut microbiota, I believe it also deserves a seat at the table, and is equally important as it also impacts our overall immunity more than we may think.
In Fact the oral cavity has the second largest and diverse microbiota after the gut, harboring over 700 species of bacteria. (P. Nimish Deo & R. Deshmukh, 2019)
The imbalance of bacteria in your mouth (called Dysbiosis) can lead to a dysbiosis in the gut which in turn affects not only the immune system but our whole body.
Oral microorganisms help the human body fight against invasion of external pollutants and pathogens, just as an imbalance of microbial flora can contribute to oral and whole-body systemic disease.
Oral microbiomes play an important role in the human microbial community and the overall health of our bodies. Recent studies in oral microbiomes and their interactions with whole-body microbiomes is critical in showing that they alter the overall health and body function in a similar way to our gut microbes. (L. Gao,T. Xu, et al. 2018)
So here is how I improve my oral microbiota through better oral health and practices:
Every morning I start with an oil pull by swishing a spoon of raw pressed coconut oil around my mouth for 20 minutes. You can do this with other oils too.
Next I brush my teeth with a mineral bio-active toothpaste (and have completely moved away from fluoride & chlorhexidine toothpastes).
I use a copper tongue scraper to remove any residue on my tongue.
I floss using a natural floss.
I drink my Radiance Powder to support overall microbial health next, but any high quality liquid and diverse strained probiotic will help (the RP has other benefits apart from probiotics which covers my supplement intake for the first half of the day).
I finally rinse my mouth with salt water (by adding hymalayan salt to filtered water and swishing it around my mouth for 30 seconds). Make sure to not brush or drink anything for a few minutes after (this is also why I take my probiotic before).
I also tend to brush my teeth 3 times a day and floss + salt water rinse before bed alongside this.
Have a try and see if you see the improvement in oral, digestive and skin health like I did after also.
