Sports Drinks Bad For Our Teeth!
One can live with food for more two or three weeks, but no longer than a few days without water. We all need water on a daily bases, especially when involved in different sports activities. I remember learning in my human and anatomy class about a very complex region of our brain known as the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus can be thought as a thermostat or an auto control center that along with many other vital functions that it performs, it keeps our body’s temperature and fluidity in control maintaining homeostasis. The hypothalamus is also a thirst center and makes sure that we can get the fluid necessary for our body in order to balance the osmotic flow and stay hydrated. In the past, studies have proved that drinking water with electrolytes helps to hydrate oneself faster than pure water. Therefore, many beverage companies took advantage of this fact and made sports drinks that contain electrolytes. Today such drinks can be found in every store, and it is not considered to be detrimental to anything in our body.
A few years ago, a group of scientists from the dental field focused their studies on the electrolytes present in “sports” drinks. They tried to disprove the public’s positive opinion on these sweetened drinks by showing evidence of enamel erosion when the drinks are consumed. The scientists assembled a test group of individuals with healthy enamel and selected five popular sports beverages to study the negative impact, if any, sports drinks had on teeth. The recorded results, that included pH, time, amount, and other important data, clearly evidenced a large variation in dental health between the individuals that consumed water and individuals that consumed sports drink. Those participants that consumed the sweetened sports ‘ade’ drinks showed a high levels of enamel erosion, while the individuals that consumed only water, showed almost none.
The researchers proved their point by demonstrating the negative effects of the electrolytes and sugar in sports drinks on tooth enamel. The question remains, regardless of the level of activity, what should a really dehydrated person do to boost hydration? Drink the sports drink and forget about enamel erosion? Or simply drink water and strive to survive? I personally think that if a dehydrated condition is present, one should definitely ingest a sports drink to correct an obvious imbalance, but on a hot day when thirst is due to temperature conditions or mild activity, water would be a better choice.
One possible remedy in the fight against dental decay would be for the companies that market sweetened sports drinks to include straws. But perhaps a simpler solution would be to just chew sugar free gum.
Mike
Questions and Answers
lemaym6 said... First of all, I don't understand the conclusion sentence, what will chewing sugar-free gum do to solve the issue?
Mike’s answer:
The sugar free-gum keeps your mouth “moisturized”. We all learned in biol.100 that sugar is the main source of food for the bacteria, especially for those found in our mouth. After the bacteria eats the sugar it will produce an acid that eventually deposits on your teeth and will eat the surface of your teeth called enamel, and than… tooth decay. One of the main causes for cavities is also from having a dry mouth. When your mouth is dry the acid (bacteria’s waste) has no interaction with the saliva and so the acid “eats” your teeth faster. Now, think of a runner who consumes a lot of sports drinks and than runs the marathon! On the other side people that sleep with their mouth open are at a greater risk for developing cavities. Now, don’t go too crazy on sugar-free gums, having too much of them may also be detrimental.
kamullig said... I'm just curious as to what straws would do?
Mike’s Answer:
It helps for the drink to go straight to the back of the mouth with minimum or almost no interaction with the molar teeth. This will definitely reduce the bacterial acid attacks on your teeth.
posted by PWH @ 11:51 PM
34 comments
34 Comments:
I found it amazing that the amount of sugar in sports drinks can harm the enamel on your teeth. Regarding the idea of imbalance of electolytes in the body, having a sports drink can't hurt but drinking it on a daily basis can damage teeth. Especially on a hot summer day when your body is dehydrated, all it really needs is water not the sugar in sports drink. I also heard that drinking sports drinks daily can also cause weight gain due to the amount of sugar it contains so when thirsty, drinking water would be best.
This is very interesting and relevant research, especially in light of the obesity epidemic in this country. Since people are encouraged to drink these sports drinks as healthy choices, they are choosing them over water. In many cases these drinks can have just as much sugar as soda and juice, and can contribute a lot of calories to someone's diet without a lot of effort. The only time the electrolytes are really crucial is in an extreme event such as a marathon or an ironman. If you are exercising a relatively normal amount, such as for a few hours or less, your body will not be deprived of electrolytes to the extent that companies that produce these drinks would like you to believe. If anything is really necessary, maybe an orange would do the trick, and with much less of a detriment to someone's health.
Vinceca4 BIO 101
I thought this was a great article! There is so much hype around the positive effects of sports drinks for our bodies that it never even crossed my mind that they could be harmful. Like so many things in biology, the positive effects of electrolytes and the negative effects on teeth are a 'tradeoff'. Maybe drinking water instead of sports drinks would not be such a bad thing...
I am an athlete here on campus and my teammates and I drink a lot of sports drinks. After reading this, I'll try to encourage a higher intake of water over Gatorade.
I think that the use of added electrolytes as the basis for promotion of these drinks is mainly a marketing scheme. I agree with the remark Catherine made; namely, that if you are exercising normally and following a healthy diet, your body will not suffer from lack of electrolytes. With water being the most natural remedy, it wouldn't hurt to trust in a healthy meal and a drink of water for the needed electrolytes. I was just wondering also whether the test individuals who suffered from erosion of enamel were compensated for that?
Posted by J543
This is very interesting because I never even thought about the sugar in sports drink leading to tooth decay. I thought the sugar was just a positive ingredient of the drink because it helped to rehydrate and rejuvinate people. Maybe companies should start making sports drinks with an artificial sugar like Splenda. This might reduce the negative effects of sugar on a person's teeth.
I have heard before that some sports drinks were not good for you because of the amount of sugar contained within them. On the other hand without these sports drinks, top athletes would not be able to preform at the top level. I feel that those using these sports drinks should only use them when they are competeing in any sporting event. If one is just thirsty and decides to casually drink a sports drink, I feel that it is a bad idea. Once your enamal on your teeth is gone, it is gone forever. In essence one should watch the amount of sports drinks they intake and realize of the potential risks.
I've heard of this problem before and I do believe that they emphasize the need of electrolytes as a marketing scheme. I don't believe an imbalance of electrolytes in the body is that easy to gain unless one is running a marathon, etc. It would be better to drink water or even propel fitness water; research shows you'll hydrate better when your beverage is lightly flavored, compared to the "ades" that have too much sugar in them.
-leia6
First of all, I don't understand the conclusion sentence, what will chewing sugar-free gum do to solve the issue? However, overall I think the blog made an interesting point and was well-written. I'm surprised this concept isn't more well known. I think it might have been better if the person who wrote this had maybe included some source that said what the best thing would be to drink in different dehydrated situations. Although the assumption the writer made about drinking mostly water except when you work out intensely and are then dehydrated. I also am wondering if brushing your teeth shortly after consuming the sports drink would help the problem?
Meghan Lemay
Lemaym6
I'm actually not all that surprised by this evidence of tooth decay from sports drinks. Although they aren't sodas, they contain a lot of sweeteners and that's usually where the problems arises. What about drinks for kids like Pedialyte? Is tooth decay also a problem there or does the kid's drink have a better way of restoring electrolytes without damaging teeth?
I also wonder if there are other side affects from sports drink we have yet to learn about, maybe links to obesity, etc. Great work, great blog.
-simpson6
I always thought that sports drinks were bad for my teeth because of all the sugar they contain. It is definitely better to drink water, but I agree with the author. I think that sports drinks should be reserved for use during strenuous exercise and water should be consumed during regular daily activity or to quench thirst on a hot day. I noticed that Powerade is available in the dining commons at Umass along with soda. I don't think that this should be an option. I see a lot people consuming sports drinks on a regular basis and I don't think that it is healthy or necessary.
-lornell6
While the high levels of sugar in sports drinks do apparently significantly degrade the quality of dental enamel, I think it's important to remember that other everyday products like soda, coffee, and even orange juice can also have detrimental effects. Another problem with the amount of sugar in sports drinks is that the sugar itself might act like a diuretic, which surely is not in the interest of hydration. Perhaps sports drink companies could invest some effort in producing a palatable product without high levels of sugar.
-smithda6
I found this article very interesting because i knew that drinking too many sports drinks when not exercising was unhealthy for you because they will cause you to gain weight, but i never thought about what they do yo your teeth. I usually drink gatorade with my dinner mostly because i am not worried about my weight, but now that i know it is damaging my teeth as well i may try and cut down. I think that the harmful effects of these drinks should be made more well known, since most people drink them because they think they are being healthy.
Smithm6
I certainly think your topic was important for public health. It is temptimg to choose sports 'ade' drinks just by their colors, too!
I heard enamel protection was quite imnportant since our body doesn't replace the lost enamel.
Thank you for all the good information and I hope more scientists conduct further research on other drinks in the market such as flavored drinks and see if long-time consumption would be safe for us.
Posted by clearsky83
Wow.. this is amazing. I can't stand the taste of sports drinks anyways, but I go to the gym daily and frequently see athletes and people drinking these drinks. Not only that, but I have friends that drink these drinks as "juice" beverage during the day, feel bad for them. I was just wondering, have they attempted to make sugar-free drinks? Also, was vitamin water one of the drinks, I want to know, because that's my favorite!
This information is going to be so beneficial to me in the future. I always thought sports drinks were a positive substitute for water no matter what the circumstances were. I am a heavy sports drinker and not once did I take the time to look at how much sugar is really added in these "more hydrating drinks". If this amount of sugar can cause damage who knows what daily soda drinkers will experience. I think another test should be carried out containing soda as a variable. The results from this test could maybe show America how bad our habits are and how they effect us. I have always bought gatorade for my dorm instead of water, but this test will change my decision the next time I am in the drinks aisle of a supermarket.
- Siddiqi7
I think that this is very interesting. I drink a lot of sports drinks thinking that they are probably better for me than soda. But I now see that there is a negative aspect to these drinks. However, I'm just curious as to what straws would do?
I always thought that sugar in coke deteriorates our teeth, but it never came to my mind that sugar in sports drinks could harm the enamel on our teeth. I think that drinking those drinks might damage our teeth if we have it frequently. I would always prefer drinking water than drinking sports drinks which contains carbohydrates that we can get from better food.
parekhb6
21954981
This was an interesting article. It's a little surprising how many people would drink sports drinks thinking it's healthier than soda. As always depending on the situation drinking sports drinks would be better if one has done heavy exercising and lost of lot of fluids and electrolytes. I heard some one say that drinking only sports drinks if you aren't really active can actually screw up the balance in your body.
Hopefully people would think twice before grabbing a sports drink if they just feel thirsty.
-ngc3
I think that this a very interesting topic, and that it can also be controversial. I would agree that when one is dehydrated that they should drink something with electrolytes instead of just water. But on the other hand, athletes should be encouraged to remain fully hydrated and this can be done by taking water breaks during physical activity. Also I remember my dentist telling me about not drinking to much Gatorade or Powerade because it can be worse for your teeth then soda. Overall I thought this article was well written and concise.
I think that this a very interesting topic, and that it can also be controversial. I would agree that when one is dehydrated that they should drink something with electrolytes instead of just water. But on the other hand, athletes should be encouraged to remain fully hydrated and this can be done by taking water breaks during physical activity. Also I remember my dentist telling me about not drinking to much Gatorade or Powerade because it can be worse for your teeth then soda. Overall I thought this article was well written and concise.
I was very intrested by this topic. I love to drink sports drinks when I am doing really strenous work, I feel it soothes me better than water does (even though I know whats is better). It will really make me rethink the next time I pick up a gatorade if I should really be doing it.
csharpe
Claire Sharpe
I have an allergy to corn syrup which is the primary sweetener in most sports drinks, so I HAVE to read the labels before I drink anything. The 'diet' versions of some of these drinks contain large amounts of substitute sweetners which can also cause headaches and digestive problems. Some of these ingrediants have also been linked to 'anal leakage' when taken in large amounts. So unless you train and compete at a highly competetive level, I guess plain water is as good as it gets.
CatherineS
course participant
I found this to be interesting because one of friends was always drinking some sort of sports drink and he kept getting a ton of cavities. So he proves the facts of this blog to be true. Also I am an athlete and I developed my own solution to the sports drink or water dilemma. Before I play I'll drink water to make sure I'm hydrated then after the game when I'd sweat off salts and electrolytes I'd drink a sports drink which would satisfy my thirst.
This is a very interesting article and very relevant to society today. Companies are producing more and more drinks that contain sugar and they claim it is better than drinking juice and soda. This is really affecting society's kids today because in school, there are vending machines for coke, gatorade, and powerade. Of course kids are going to pick those over plain water.
If one was in need of a drink for the electrolytes, having one of these drinks once in a while would not be terribly bad, but if it consumed on a weekly basis, then finding an alternative beverage would be a better decision.
innocen5
I find this article very interesting because I am an athlete myself and prefer sports drinks over water during and after practices/games. Which sports drinks cause the most damage to our teeth-gatorade or powerade? I am also wondering how much of a difference drinking out of a straw would make, and if drinking coffee/soda out of a straw is better as well for our teeth. What are the long term effects of drinking sports drinks on our teeth and is there anyway to take the ingredient out of these drinks that is staining our teeth without taking the beneficiary ingredients out?
Very interesting article. I have never really thought of the problems with enamel erosion and sports drinks. Actually I have never thought there is a problem with drinking sports drinks as being detrimental to your health. However I do feel that the gain an athlete receives from sports drinks over water is definitely worth the risk. I have also heard that sports drinks should not be drank all the time unless with exercise. Way to0 many people are just drinking these sports drinks as an everyday beverage when they are really not meant to be consumed like that and it could be the cause of the enamel erosion problem.
massec6
As a runner I often consume sports drinks after I run particularly on the weekend when I am dehydrated for other reasons. It makes sense that the sugar in sports drinks would have a detrimental effect on one's teeth, but is not something I ever considered when I am chugging "ade" on a weekend morning. I will most likely start drinking more water and less sports drinks when I am not exercising.
This is a very interesting subject. The question that really remains is whether or not the trade off of hydration for bad teeth is really worth it. I think that it's not, but that's just my opinion. Also, I think you should include all of what the scientists recorded so that people can draw their own conclusions rather than going on assumptions.
jess
This is a very interesting because we drink so many of these sports drinks without even considering that they could have a negative effect. If only you could have it all, a sports drink that doesn’t leave your teeth with a coat of sugar. With the summer coming up I'm definitely going to try to drink more water to stay hydrated!
-deae6
I have been an athlete all my life and I had no clue that sports drinks were bad for my teeth! Good thing I am a bigger fan of water when I'm excercising than sport drinks. I agree with your solution about how to limit enamel decay by sticking to water when it's hot out and drinking a sport drink when excercising. This was a great article! Thanks for opening my eyes about sport drinks!
I have been an athlete all my life and I had no clue that sports drinks were bad for my teeth! Good thing I am a bigger fan of water when I'm excercising than sport drinks. I agree with your solution about how to limit enamel decay by sticking to water when it's hot out and drinking a sport drink when excercising. This was a great article! Thanks for opening my eyes about sport drinks!
I thought that this article was very interesting. I never knew that sport drinks can be harmful to the enamel on your teeth. I always thought that sport drinks were good for you. Every one talks about how sport drinks are good for you but i will definitely stick with water. Some people like the sport drinks over water because it has a taste. If you feel like having something that has taste then you should drink Propel.
I think this is a very good topic to be written about, since sport drinks and vitiman enriched drinks are very popular. I think it is very helpful that people are knowledgable about the products they are consuming on a daily basis. Many people are unaware that enery drinks are bad for you if you are consuming them incorrectly. Your article does a very job explaing this point. The opening to your article is a little akward; however, all in all a very well written and researched piece.
Sniezek6
I thought this was really interesting though i feel like i knew about the sugar in sports drinks already. As an athlete, i drink a lot of sports drinks like gatorade and powerade. Every time you drink those drinks your mouth gets the color of the drink. Every time you drink gatorade you can feel that your teeth is so dirty, you can taste the sugar. And even though its terrible for our teeth, we need that sugar to keep energized during games. I think that if it was possible to make energizing drinks with less sugar but that kept you energized the entire time it would be a great improve.
senab6
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