Diet and Mouth Sores

Your diet plays an important role in the likelihood of developing mouth sores. Very often people don’t realise that certain foods aggravate the digestion system which in turn irritates the mouth, which can lead to mouth sores.

Take a look at your diet. Sometimes we eat foods we think are good for us and in fact can be causing harm. In any diet the most important element is balance.

For example lots of people like fruit and berries for breakfast as this aids digestion. However, some fruits have to be balanced with other foods to ensure their bad qualities don’t override their good qualities.

In particular, foods that are high in acid have the potential to cause mouth sores.

Fruits that are high in acid include cranberries, plums, grapefruit and oranges. A high consumption of these foods will lead to a build up of acid, which is one of the main triggers of mouth sores.

When it comes to fruit and vegetables, it’s advisable to eat a wide variety of colours to help combat acid intake. Mango, melon, grapes and papaya are alkaline fruits so they are a good balance.

Other foods that are high in acid include beans, eggs, liver, tomatoes, butter, aged cheeses, yoghurts, flour based pastry items, coffee, tea and wine.

Although it is natural to eat a quantity of these foods, it’s important to balance them out with lots of greens such as spinach, kale, broccoli, parsley and green lettuce.

Many of us drink lots of tea or coffee. Unfortunately neither of these are good for the mouth. Both are high in acid and if mouth lesions already occur, they will aggravate them and cause them to develop into mouth sores.

As well as the foods we put into our mouths, it’s also important to look at the products we use. Many of the common ingredients that are used in toothpaste and mouthwashes can actually be harmful to the body.

For years, we listened to experts telling us that fluoride, the main component in toothpaste that is meant to protect against cavities is actually rat poison. Consumed in large quantities, it can cause death, while smaller ingestions can cause vomiting and diarrhoea. Imagine what regular use of fluoride-based toothpaste is doing to your mouth?

Other harmful toothpaste ingredients include triclosan and sodium lauryl sulphate both of which are potential harmful to people.