Ignore your tooth hygiene and you just may end up with a “killer” smile that unleashes bacteria into your bloodstream. This, in turn, can greatly spike your risk of heart attack, stroke and diabetes, notes a health report in the March issue of Men’s Health.
One easy way to rid your teeth of plaque is to drink tea, says Christine D. Wu of the Chicago College of Dentistry. Her study found that people who rinse their mouths with black tea several times daily have less buildup of plaque than those who use water.
But if you don’t want a blackened smile, drink green tea.
“Green tea contains the same polyphenols as black tea,” says Wu, “but it isn’t fully fermented, and fermentation contributes to the staining.”
Tooth enamel is important as well, because it provides a barrier against bacteria. To keep your enamel from eroding, try a sugarless gum such as Trident White, which encourages the buildup of minerals that repair enamel.
To prevent adult cavities, eat cheese. A study in Nutrition Reviews found that cheese boosts the pH level of your saliva, which protects against cavities. You only need a quarter ounce, and the best types to eat are aged cheddar, gouda, Monterey jack and mozzarella.
Hey, not so hard
Harder isn’t necessarily better when it comes to mattresses, says chiropractor Joseph J. Sweere, clinical sciences professor at Northwestern Health Sciences University in Bloomington, Minn., in the March Bottom Line Health.
He says morning stiffness and bursitis can result from sleeping on a too-firm mattress because it compresses body tissue, resulting in oxygen deprivation.
Mattresses need to be firm enough only to keep your spine straight while lying on your side.
When buying a new mattress, ignore the looks of passersby and lie on your selection for at least 10 minutes in the position you normally sleep before handing over the credit card.
Hefty people should avoid viscoelastic foam mattresses, made of the body-hugging foam designed by NASA. Such mattresses can impair air circulation, causing heavier folk to feel too warm.
Simple health tests
With no more than a watch, a measuring tape and some simple observations, you can assess your health at home by performing five easy self-tests.
The March issue of Glamour magazine recommends these methods, all endorsed by physicians:
Inhale continuously through your nose for eight seconds. If you can’t do it, you’re likely losing lung capacity by breathing through your mouth too often.
Take your pulse once while at rest, and a second time after running in place for three minutes. If your heart doesn’t return to within 20 beats of the resting rate after a minute, you are at four times the risk of death of those whose hearts can recover.
Bend and touch your toes. If you aren’t flexible enough to do so, you’ll have more joint stiffness, mobility problems and an increased chance of injury.
Measure your waist and hips. If your waist is bigger than 35 inches or is larger than your hips, you may have increased risk of heart disease.
Check the color of your urine. Dark yellow indicates dehydration, and tea-colored urine could signal a liver problem. Be sure that you drink lots of fluids daily.
