We’re so rude.  We have such bias against bacterium when they were here first!  Without them WE would not even exist.  But we are constantly on the warpath against them! Using mouthwash destroys bacteria that can contribute to the growth of cavities and other dental diseases. Which on the surface sounds great ~ Right? Unfortunately, mouthwash kills all types of bacteria ~ The Good, The Bad & The Ugly ~ which includes the beneficial ones that you need to help produce Nitric Oxide.

What’s Nitric Oxide? It’s a naturally occurring gas in your body

Your ability to produce Nitric Oxide is crucial for your overall health because it allows blood, nutrients and oxygen to travel to every part of your body efficiently and effectively. How? Well, it’s responsible for vasodilation, which is a big word meaning simply that it relaxes the inner muscles of your blood vessels, causing them to widen and increase circulation. In fact, people with high blood pressure are thought to have a damaged capacity to use Nitric Oxide in their bodies.

Special bacteria in your mouth convert nitrate to Nitric Oxide. That’s their job.  You literally cannot produce Nitric Oxide from nitrate without these bacteria. Nope ~ Can’t do it. Through research it’s been proven that mouthwash kills the oral bacteria needed to produce Nitric Oxide for up to a full 12 hours.  Of course that causes an overall decrease in Nitric Oxide production and, in some cases, an actual increase in your blood pressure.

These same detrimental effects of mouthwash on Nitric Oxide production possibly contribute to the development of Type-2 Diabetes. One research study showed that people using mouthwash at least twice a day were 65% more likely to develop Type-2 Diabetes than those who never used mouthwash. How?

Because Nitric Oxide also regulates the insulin in your body, which helps your cells utilize the energy obtained from your meal after it’s digested. With lowered Nitric Oxide, insulin simply cannot work properly.

So, if you’d like to sustain your Nitric Oxide production at optimum levels, consider using mouthwash cautiously.

Live Your Best Life!

~Jeanne Ricks, CHC