Latest news with #Streptococcusmutans
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Here's what Ozempic and Wegovy are really doing to your mouth
Ozempic and Wegovy have been hailed as wonder drugs when it comes to weight loss. But as the drug has become more widely used, a number of unintended side-effects have become apparent – with the weight loss drug affecting the appearance of everything from your butt to your feet. 'Ozempic face' is another commonly reported consequence of using these popular weight loss drugs. This is a sunken or hollowed-out appearance that the face can take on in people taking weight loss drugs. It can also increase signs of ageing – including lines, wrinkles and sagging skin. This happens because the action of semaglutide (the active ingredient in both Ozempic and Wegovy) isn't localised to act just on the fat in places we don't want it. Instead, it acts on fat across the whole body – including in the face. But it isn't just the appearance of your face that semaglutide affects. These drugs may also affect the mouth and teeth, too. And these side effects could potentially lead to lasting damage. Semaglutide affects the salivary glands in the mouth. It does this by reducing saliva production (hyposalivation), which can in turn lead to dry mouth (xerostomia). This means there isn't enough saliva to keep the mouth wet. It isn't exactly clear why semaglutide has this effect on the salivary glands. But in animal studies of the drug, it appears that the drug makes saliva stickier. This means there's less fluid to moisten the mouth, causing it to dry out. GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs (such as semaglutide) can also reduce water intake by affecting areas in the brain responsible for thirst. Low fluid intake further reduces saliva production and may even cause the saliva to become thick and frothy and the tongue to become sticky. One other commonly reported unwanted effect by semaglutide users is bad breath (halitosis). When there's less saliva flowing through the mouth, this encourages bacteria that contribute to bad breath and the formation of cavities to thrive. These bacterial species include Streptococcus mutans and some strains of Lactobacillus. Another species that has been shown to thrive in conditions where saliva is reduced is Porphyromonas gingivalis. This bacteria is a significant contributor to the production of volatile sulphur compounds, which cause the foul odours characteristic of halitosis. Another factor that might explain why semaglutide causes bad breath is because less saliva being produced means the tongue isn't cleaned. This is the same reason why your 'morning breath' is so bad, because we naturally produce less saliva at night. This allows bacteria to grow and produce odours. Case report images show some people taking semaglutide have a 'furry'-like or coated appearance to their tongue. This indicates a buildup of bacteria that contribute to bad breath. One of the major side effects of Ozempic is vomiting. Semaglutide slows how quickly the stomach empties, delaying digestion, which can lead to bloating, nausea and vomiting. Repeated vomiting can damage the teeth. This is because stomach acid, composed primarily of hydrochloric acid, erodes the enamel of the teeth. Where vomiting occurs over a prolonged period of months and years, the more damage will occur. The back surface of the teeth (palatal surface) closest to the tongue are more likely to see damage – and this damage may not be obvious to the sufferer. Vomiting also reduces the amount of fluid in the body. When combined with reduced saliva production, this puts the teeth at even greater risk of damage. This is because saliva helps neutralise the acid that causes dental damage. Saliva also contributes to the dental pellicle – a thin, protective layer that the saliva forms on the surface of the teeth. It's thickest on the tongue-facing surface of the bottom row of teeth. In people who produce less saliva, the dental pellicle contains fewer mucins – a type of mucus which helps saliva stick to the teeth. If you're taking semaglutide, there are many things you can do to keep your mouth healthy. Drinking water regularly during the day can help keep the oral surfaces from drying out. This helps maintain your natural oral microbiome, which can reduce the risk of an overgrowth of the bacteria that cause bad breath and tooth damage. Drinking plenty of water also enables the body to produce the saliva needed to prevent dry mouth, ideally the recommended daily amount of six to eight glasses. Chewing sugar-free gum is also a sensible option as it helps to encourage saliva production. Swallowing this saliva keeps the valuable fluid within the body. Gums containing eucalyptus may help to prevent halitosis, too. There's some evidence that probiotics may help to alleviate bad breath, at least in the short term. Using probiotic supplements or consuming probiotic-rich foods (such as yoghurt or kefir) may be a good idea. Practising good basic oral hygiene, tooth brushing, reducing acidic foods and sugary drinks and using a mouthwash all help to protect your teeth as well. Women are twice as likely to have side effects when taking GLP-1 receptor agonists, including gastrointestinal symptoms such as vomiting. This may be due to the sex hormones oestrogen and progesterone, which can alter the gut's sensitivity. To avoid vomiting, try eating smaller meals since the stomach stays fuller for longer while taking semaglutide. If you are sick, don't immediately brush your teeth as this will spread the stomach's acid over the surface of the teeth and increase the risk of damage. Instead, rinse your mouth out with water or mouthwash to reduce the strength of the acid and wait at least 30 minutes before brushing. It isn't clear how long these side effects last; they'll likely disappear when the medication is stopped, but any damage to the teeth is permanent. Gastrointestinal side effects can last a few weeks but usually resolve on their own unless a higher dose is taken. Adam Taylor is a Professor of Anatomy at Lancaster University. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
India Today
10-05-2025
- Health
- India Today
Is gum care the next step in everyday wellness?
Maintaining good oral health and hygiene is not only essential for a confident smile but also for overall well-being. Traditionally, oral care meant choosing between minty or citrus-flavoured toothpastes and alcohol-based mouthwashes, each promising a brighter smile and fresher breath. In recent years, however, as conversations around wellness and conscious living have grown, interest in sustainable and holistic approaches to dental hygiene has gained momentum. This shift has brought botanical ingredients into the spotlight. Rooted in centuries of herbal tradition and now backed by growing scientific research, plant-based ingredients such as neem, miswak, pomegranate etc. are showing great promise in promoting stronger teeth and healthier spoke with Dr Hariprasad, senior research scientist, Himalaya wellness company, to get more THESE INGREDIENTS?Botanical ingredients come from various parts of plants, such as roots, leaves, bark, seeds, and flowers. They've been used for thousands of years in traditional medicine systems around the world for treating everything from wounds to inflammation. In oral care, these ingredients offer a wide array of benefits, including:Anti-inflammatory effects that help calm swollen or irritated gums. Antibacterial properties that fight plaque and harmful microbes in the compounds that promote healing of minor wounds, ulcers, or bleeding. Natural freshness, without the synthetic additives commonly found in commercial PLANT-BASED INGREDIENTS1. Neem Widely used in Ayurvedic medicine, neem is known for its strong antibacterial and anti-inflammatory can inhibit the growth of Streptococcus mutans, a primary culprit in tooth neem twigs were used as natural toothbrushes in many Indian households. Today, neem extracts form a crucial ingredient in toothpastes and mouthwashes, helping fight plaque, reduce gum inflammation, and prevent tooth decay.2. MintMint is valued not only for its refreshing flavour but also for its antimicrobial and soothing essential oils derived from mint, especially menthol, are effective at combating oral bacteria and freshen breath effectively. Mint also has mild anaesthetic properties, offering temporary relief from minor oral to its invigorating taste and health benefits, mint is a staple in many toothpastes, mouthwashes, and chewing gums.3. XylitolXylitol is a natural sugar alcohol commonly found in fruits and vegetables, and it's well-known for its dental regular sugar, xylitol does not feed harmful oral bacteria and actively inhibits the growth of Streptococcus use of xylitol, through oral care products, can help reduce plaque formation, neutralize mouth acidity, and prevent tooth decay. Besides, it stimulates saliva flow, which aids in natural remineralisation of teeth.4. PomegranateRich in antioxidants and polyphenols, pomegranate is a powerful natural agent for oral extracts contain antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that target common oral pathogens, helping reduce plaque accumulation, soothe gum inflammation, and promote overall gum is increasingly being incorporated into mouthwashes and toothpaste formulations for its therapeutic potential in maintaining oral above article is for information purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical seek the guidance of your dentist or other qualified health professional for any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.
Yahoo
04-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Your Gut and Oral Health Could Influence Your Stroke Risk, New Study Says—Here's What to Know
Reviewed by Dietitian Annie Nguyen, M.A., RD Hippocrates is often credited with saying that 'all disease begins in the gut.' If he did say it, he was way ahead of his time. We now know that our gut microbiomes do, in fact, play a large role in our health—from more acute illnesses like cold and flu to chronic illnesses, like heart and autoimmune diseases. But did you know that the gut isn't the only place in your body with a microbiome? Your skin has its own microbiome. So does your mouth. This makes sense since your digestive system begins in your mouth—digestive enzymes are released into your mouth when you eat to start breaking down your food. Even the act of chewing your food is part of the digestive process. Your mouth's microbiome is similar to your gut's, and the two microbiomes influence each other. (That's called a bi-directional relationship.) When one is imbalanced, there's a good chance the other is, too. Researchers have also found a connection between your gut microbiome and inflammation—the chronic kind that can be a culprit in chronic diseases, like heart disease, diabetes and cancer. This means that there is also a connection between your microbiome and these conditions, as well. But there's another condition that doesn't seem to garner quite as much attention: stroke. Previous research suggests that people who have had strokes also have imbalanced microbiomes. This has led researchers to look at factors beyond the brain—which is where strokes occur—that may contribute to both the stroke event itself and how well people recover from it. Keep reading to find out what researchers found when they analyzed the connection between the gut and mouth microbiomes and stroke. These preliminary findings are being presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2025, so be on the lookout for further research that's likely to come. Related: Consuming Too Many Carbonated Drinks May Increase Stroke Risk by 22%, According to New Study Your microbiome is loaded with trillions of both beneficial and potentially harmful bacteria. This collection of bacteria and other microorganisms in the gut is referred to as the gut microbiota and in the mouth, the oral microbiota. Since you could most likely never completely rid the body of all the potentially harmful organisms, the goal is to maintain an optimal amount of good bacteria, out-numbering the bad bacteria. In a previous study by these same researchers, they found a link between a bacteria that causes tooth decay, called Streptococcus mutans, and a higher risk of bleeding in the brain, a cause of stroke. For this latest study, researchers looked at another harmful bacteria called Streptococcus anginosus. This strain of bacteria has been implicated in conditions like oral abscesses and even abscesses in the brain's frontal lobes. Researchers have also pointed to Streptococcus anginosus as a cause of tooth decay, as it can break down tooth enamel. Related: What Happens to Your Body When You Take Calcium Every Day There were 250 total Japanese participants in this study with an average age of 70. About 40% of them were female. The 250 participants were split into two groups—the test group and the control group. Researchers compared the microbiomes' of the mouth and gut in 200 participants who had had a stroke within the past seven days (test group) with the microbiomes of 50 individuals without a history of stroke (control group). While they didn't have a history of stroke, the control group could have other medical issues, including high blood pressure, diabetes or high cholesterol—all risk factors for stroke. Microbiomes were analyzed using stool and saliva samples from both the stroke patients and control group participants between July 2020 and July 2021. Participants were then followed for two years so researchers could observe how many of the stroke patients died or had another cardiovascular event (like a heart attack or another stroke). Researchers found that Streptococcus anginosus was significantly more abundant in the saliva and gut of people with a history of stroke than in the control group. Specifically: Streptococcus anginosus in the gut was independently associated with 20% higher odds of stroke after controlling for vascular risk factors. Anaerostipes hadrus—a gut bacteria associated with beneficial effects—was associated with a drop in stroke risk by 18% and Bacteroides plebeius—a helpful gut bacteria common in the Japanese population—was associated with a drop in risk by 14%. Over the two-year follow-up period, stroke survivors with Streptococcus anginosus in the gut had a significantly higher risk of death and major cardiovascular events during the two-year follow-up period. Compared to control participants, increased risk of death and poor outcomes were not noted in stroke survivors with Anaerostipes hadrus and Bacteroides plebeius. In other words, those beneficial bacteria seemed to be protective. Related: Your Gut Health Affects Almost Every System in Your Body—Are You Doing Enough to Care for It? In a press release about this presentation, the study's lead author, Shuichi Tonomura, M.D., notes that ideally, in the future we'll have a quick test to detect harmful bacteria in the mouth and gut (perhaps a mouth swab?) and that it could be used to calculate stroke risk. He feels that targeting the harmful bacteria might be able to prevent strokes. Until this test is created and made available to the public, each of us needs to do our best to maintain healthy microbiomes—oral and gut. Maintaining healthy oral hygiene habits can help. Brush at least twice a day and floss at least once daily. Drink plenty of water to help keep your mouth clean and avoid beverages with added sugar. Try to get to the dentist for regular cleanings and checkups every six months. Beyond oral health, other health habits are also all connected to inflammation and chronic disease. So whether you're trying to prevent stroke, heart disease, diabetes, cancer or any other chronic illness, your health habits will play a role. This includes your eating habits, how much you move your body, how much quality sleep you're getting, how well you're controlling your stress levels and how much quality time you're spending with loved ones. It's also important to get and maintain healthy gut and oral microbiomes. This involves eating plenty of fermented foods, including yogurt, kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut, miso and tempeh. These foods add probiotics, which are beneficial bacteria, to your mouth and gut. Because probiotics are living organisms, they need to eat to thrive and reproduce. This is where prebiotics come in. Prebiotics are fibers that probiotics love noshing on. They're found in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds and legumes. The good news is that you can pretty quickly improve your gut health. This dietitian-approved weeklong Gut-Healthy Anti-Inflammatory Meal Plan will show you how—and you can get started today. Related: 5 Things to Do When You Wake Up for a Healthy Gut, According to Gastroenterologists This preliminary study suggests that people with certain harmful bacteria in their mouths and guts had a higher risk of stroke and a higher risk of dying from stroke or suffering another cardiovascular event within two years of the original event. The study authors note that because this study was done exclusively with Japanese participants, it is not yet known if the results would extend to other ethnicities and countries. This is because different areas of the world have different strains of bacteria. Until more research is performed, it's still important to maintain healthy gut and mouth microbiomes, which may help reduce your risk of many diseases. Do this by eating plenty of fermented foods and prebiotic foods. Engaging in healthy habits will also help support your microbiome and reduce inflammation and your risk of disease. This includes eating a variety of foods, moving your body often, getting plenty of quality sleep, spending time with loved ones and reducing your stress levels. Related: I Tried Eating the Doctor-Recommended 30 Plant-Based Foods a Week—Here's How It Went Read the original article on EATINGWELL
