This Hidden Disease Can Give You Cancer

Dear Reader,

Most people I know have someone in their lives that nags them about their health. Whether it’s your doctor, significant other, or that commercial on TV, we get constant reminders about the importance of taking care of our heart, our brain, our weight, you name it.

(Or maybe you’re the one doing the nagging!)

But whether you’re on the giving or receiving end, there’s another biggie you’ll want to add to that all-important list: your gums.

Because taking care of your teeth and gums – or NOT taking care of them – has ramifications far beyond your oral health.

Besides the fact that gum disease can eventually lead to irreversible damage to the bones and tissues in your mouth, it dramatically increases your risk of getting cancer.

We’ve known about this connection for a long time, but now the latest research shows that it’s worse than we ever thought.

Researchers studied over 65,000 women from 54-86 years old and followed them for about 8 years.

Ultimately, women who had periodontal disease had a 14 percent higher risk of developing any type of cancer.

More specifically, there were associations with lung cancer, breast cancer, and skin cancer—which previous studies had all pointed to. It also showed an association with gallbladder cancer, which was a first.

But esophageal cancer represented the highest risk, with women with periodontal disease being three TIMES more likely to develop the cancer than women without gum disease.

Unfortunately, we don’t know exactly WHY there’s a connection between gum disease and cancer. The current hypothesis is that bacteria from the diseased gums get into the bloodstream, which carries it to other parts of the body where it participates in the process of cancer formation.

Whether that’s the exact connection or not, addressing the bacteria in your mouth is the best thing you can do for your gums.

After all, gum disease is caused by the buildup of plaque, which is teeming with millions of bacteria. The bacteria are what eventually lead to gum disease and tooth decay because the they cause inflammation, and the inflammation destroys the gums and tissues around it.

Eliminating the bacteria can reverse gingivitis. And if you take away the gingivitis, you’ve just severed that connection between gum disease and cancer.

Seems like a good place to start.

By far, the best way to do this is by making changes to your diet. Cut out sugar because it feeds bacteria. And avoid processed foods, which promote the growth of bacteria, and hydrogenated oils, which are highly inflammatory.

Eating whole, organic food is going to be your gums’ best friend. It’s also important to get plenty of sunlight and to practice grounding.

For an added boost, try xylitol chewing gum, which prevents bacteria from building up.

To a brighter day,

Dr. Richard Gerhauser, M.D.

P.S. I’m not a fan of most modern-day dental practices. Evidence shows that if we ate natural food and spent more time outside, cavities and gum disease would be a non-issue. But I’m a realist, and I know that the American population probably does need to see a dentist to try to fix the problems brought on by our modern living and processed foods.