Why Didn’t The Inuits Have Tooth Decay?
You might be surprised to learn that traditionally, Inuits and other people from northern Canada and Alaska didn’t suffer from tooth decay. This condition was considered to be very rare. However, rates have been rising as these peoples have switched to the kind of lifestyle common in more developed countries. Here’s a look at the traditional Inuit lifestyle and why dental problems are on the rise among these people.
The Traditional Diet
Traditionally, Inuit people have been hunters and gatherers. The cold climate they live in encourages a heavy reliance on hunting, so their diet has mostly been made up of meat and fish, with some vegetable matter, like seaweed and lichen. Most of their calories came from fat, since many of the animals they hunted have heavy layers of fat. Animal fat is and was considered a treat, and often eaten straight from the animal. This diet includes next to no carbohydrates, which are the primary cause of tooth decay.
Sugars and starches feed the bacteria that are responsible for tooth decay. These bacteria produce waste products that eat away at our teeth, creating weak spots and holes. If left untreated, this decay can actually cause us to lose teeth. It can be extremely painful, if the decay reaches a nerve. It can also eventually turn into a mouth abscess or lead to other kinds of disease. People eating US and European diets or other diets high in sugars and starches tend to have a higher incidence of dental problems than people who don’t eat many carbohydrates.
Modern Diet Problems
As Inuit peoples have become more modernized and begun to blend in more with North American society, their lifestyle has changed. This includes what they eat. Inuit people living entirely on native foods have a less than one percent rate of tooth decay, while people who live in part or wholly on modern foods have a decay rate around thirteen percent – a nearly 150 fold increase. With few dentists in the areas where the Inuit live, this is a real problem. Other problems with the change in diet include an increase in obesity and a higher rate of diabetes.
Does that mean we all need to become carnivores to avoid tooth decay? Not at all. If everyone in the world started eating primarily meat, we’d soon be in a food and environmental crisis. But it does mean that lowering the percentage of sugars and refined starches in your diet can do a lot for your teeth. You might be surprised by the difference it makes.
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