Shelby Bradford in The Scientist:
As Halloween and other indulgent holidays come up on the calendars, people are likely to enjoy more sweet treats. But it won’t only be the individual enjoying that extra rush of sugar; the bacteria that call the human mouth home will also be responding to the additional candies and confectionary creations. So how does the oral microbiome respond to sugar?
“In the most worst possible ways,” answered Purnima Kumar, a clinician scientist and periodontist who studies the oral microbiome at University of Michigan. Kumar described a healthy, oral microbiome as a community that uses oxygen for its energy production. “Because it’s energy efficient it does not produce a lot of toxins or metabolic byproducts,” she said. “That’s what our immune system recognizes as health compatible and therefore literally lives in harmony with it or tolerates it.” In addition to regular brushing and flossing, Kumar said that diet has a large influence on the microbiome. Less processed foods, especially those high in fiber, are often less sticky, which decreases bacteria’s ability to adhere and overgrow at a surface.
More here.
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