Fluorinated compounds and a high-carb diet

A University of Washington researcher said prominent organizations, including the World Health Organization and the U.
S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA), have moved away from low-carb diets to prevent tooth decay in favor of recommending high-carb diets that rely on fluoride and food fortification to mitigate dental damage and nutritional deficiencies
.

In a recent article published in MDPI's Journal of Nutrition, Dr.
Philippe Hujoel of the UW School of Dentistry said that not only these organizations, but other major professional and health associations have also changed their previous stance and began recommending high-carbohydrate diets
for decades over the last century.
Specifically, he cited the American Heart Association, the American Diabetes Association, and the American Dental Association (ADA).

He said the groups ignored the scientific evidence that undercuts their claim that the only adverse health effect of a high-carbohydrate diet is tooth
decay.
Organizations such as the World Health Organization and the U.
S.
Department of Agriculture recommend increasing the use of fluoride to reduce the risk of
tooth decay.

At the same time, Hujoel says, some scientists are providing compelling evidence that low-carb diets are at least as beneficial
to health as high-carb diets.
Low-carb diets help prevent tooth decay and make fluoride — which has no tangible health benefits other than preventing tooth decay — largely unnecessary
, he said.

Dr.
Hujoel's research traces the development of fluoride-containing high-carbohydrate dietary guidelines back to the mid-20th century, when leaders such as Emory W.
Morris, who recommended fluoride to address tooth decay rather than sticking to existing low-carb dietary recommendations
.
He had a conflict of interest in this decision because grains are carbohydrates and do increase the risk of
tooth decay.

In addition, in order to make recommendations, the ADA committee must change its position on several key points:

• Safety of topical application of fluoride

• Bone health nutrient deficiencies are the cause of tooth decay, from an "established fact" to an unequivocal denial

• There is a need to teach dental patients that "reducing carbohydrate intake is necessary" and instead recommend a "balanced" diet, which is increasingly relevant to nutritional guidelines for high carbohydrates

Dr.
Hujoel's research also explores the private interests involved in the U.
S.
Disability Act's first important step toward approving current fluoride high-carbohydrate nutrition guidelines, which have mostly been maintained for decades
.

A high-carbohydrate diet can harm dental health because the residue of these foods in the mouth breaks down into sugars that feed Streptococcus mutans, which is also found in the
mouth.
In turn, the bacteria produce lactic acid, which destroys tooth enamel and leads to tooth
decay.
Fluoride strengthens tooth enamel
.