posted by Monique on Glass Straws, Guest Blog, Health/Wellness

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Green juices and green smoothies, filled with green veggies, often vitamin and mineral filled, rich in amino acids and proteins, are well-known to be oh-so good for us. As a health-conscious person who eats a super green diet, I know that raw blended raw smoothies and fresh juices are also much easier to metabolize and often more alkaline.

Alkalinity is generally thought to be highly desirable, compared to overly acidic body pH (acidosis means increased acidity in the blood and is generally associated with over-consumption of acid-producing drinks and foods, and inability of the lungs and kidneys to remove the excess acidity). Related to this, more and more people are choosing an alkaline plant-based diet including lots of fresh, raw juices and smoothies.

It’s commonly known to most of us that acid food and drinks, such as soft drinks, can wear away tooth enamel. What’s much less commonly known is that so can alkaline food and drinks. Seriously. That means that juices and smoothies—whether acid or alkaline—can damage your tooth enamel. It’s true. The organic materials that make up the surface of our tooth enamel (the hardest material in the body, made up of organic materials and minerals and water) can actually be worn down and damaged by excessively alkaline substances as well as acid substances. How do we know this?

We know this from a 2009 study from the University of Gothenburg, in Sweden, which revealed that, although the effects of pH substances on teeth is different than the effects of an acid substance on teeth, strong alkaline substances with a high pH value can adversely affect the enamel on the surface of the teeth, making it more porous. The elegant solution, simple, affordable, and oh-so eco-friendly is a glass straw. A glass straw is great for smoothies or thicker liquids and juices and other drinks as well.

When you drink through a straw you effectively bypass your teeth (so can avoid damaging the surface of the teeth, your enamel, with either extremely acid or alkaline drinks). But you won’t just be saving your teeth by drinking through a glass straw, you’ll be saving the planet because when you use a glass straw and stop using plastic straws you no longer need to buy or use plastic straws (you and your family could go through thousands in your lifetime and most of them aren’t recyclable).

A glass straw is safe to use in both hot and cold drinks, plus you can see through it so you know exactly what you’re drinking. GlassStraws.com.au straws are made of borosilicate glass, which is Pyrex®-like, sturdy, dishwasher safe, easy to clean, has a two year warranty against chips and cracks, and is known for its ability to withstand extreme hot and cold and it’s lead-free. It’s the best glass straw known to me.

Again, best of all, using a glass straw protects the enamel of your teeth from the extremes of both acidity and alkalinity. Maybe you enjoy the occasional soda but want to keep the acidity of a carbonated beverage from harming your beautiful smile, or maybe you drink highly alkaline juices and smoothies on a regular basis (I drink an average of 1 litre of raw, fresh #SuperGreenDiet juices and smoothies daily—that’s a lot of alkalinity—and you better believe protecting my teeth is a priority for me).

I know you’ll want to protect your own beautiful smile, and those of your family and friends (glass straws make the perfect gift), plus save money and our beautiful earth as well. Think green. Think earth-conscious. Think healthy teeth. Happy Juicy Life!

Reference: Taube et al. Morphological and chemical characterization of tooth enamel exposed to alkaline agents. Journal of Dentistry, 2009; DOI: 10.1016/j.jdent.2009.09.006

 

Sophia Anne Rose, former ISSA certified 
personal trainer, student of nutrition, 
fitness, and a health and wellness advocate 
for 20+ years, is the creator of the 
Super Green Diet. 

An author, screenwriter, playwright, shamani
practitioner, and award-winning speaker, she
got fit and fabulous in her forties when she
discovered that her 40-something mesomorph 
body and RH negative blood type responded well only to a very 
specific #SuperGreenDiet. Follow her tweets at SuperGreenDiet and 
get blog posts here.