Earlier than we get into it — somebody on Instagram left a remark this week that I preserve coming again to:
“One of many solely newsletters I really learn.”
I do know your inbox is a packed to the brim, so the truth that you open this and truly learn it, means loads. Thanks for being right here.
OK. Let’s speak about one thing that’s most likely occurring in your physique proper now.
It’s late March. The timber are blooming. Your eyes are itching.
Remedy-induced dry mouth is without doubt one of the most missed points in each dentistry and drugs.
And roughly 80 million Individuals simply reached for an antihistamine this morning and not using a second thought.
Claritin. Zyrtec. Allegra. Benadryl at night time. Perhaps a generic from Costco. You pop it, your sinuses settle down, and also you go about your day. A minimum of for some time, that’s. Most individuals discover antihistamines work much less and fewer because the season goes on — your physique builds tolerance, you up the dose or change manufacturers, and also you’re chasing aid that retains fading. It’s not a root trigger answer.
However right here’s the factor no one in drugs or dentistry is paying sufficient consideration to…that little capsule is quietly wrecking your mouth. And your allergy symptoms themselves are attacking your tooth from a very completely different angle on the similar time.
Your allergist and your dentist are undoubtedly not speaking to one another about this. And the sufferers I fear about most are those taking Benadryl earlier than mattress to assist them breathe whereas they sleep. Your salivary movement already drops to virtually nothing in a single day — add an antihistamine on high of that, and your tooth are sitting defenseless for seven or eight hours straight.
The capsule downside
Each antihistamine — prescription or over-the-counter — dries out your mouth. That’s a significant issue…
Saliva is your mouth’s protection system. It remineralizes enamel, neutralizes acid, flushes micro organism, and retains the entire ecosystem in verify. When drugs suppress salivary movement, all the stability collapses.
How a lot are we speaking? One examine discovered that widespread antihistamines and comparable drugs diminished salivary movement by 30 to 75%. One other discovered that individuals on acid reflux disease meds — which have the same drying impact — absorbed dramatically much less of key minerals.
However right here’s the quantity that ought to cease you: individuals with medication-induced dry mouth have 2.9 occasions the danger of cavities on the surfaces of their tooth, and 3.3 occasions the danger of root cavities. A scientific overview put it bluntly — power dry mouth from drugs “typically ends in rampant caries.”
And in a dry mouth, decay strikes quick. Miss one cleansing, and what began as a tiny spot can attain the nerve. Now you’re taking a look at a root canal — not since you did something improper, however as a result of a capsule you barely considered modified every thing inside your mouth.
So that you’re taking a capsule to breathe higher by spring — and by summer time, you’re sitting in a dental chair questioning the place these cavities got here from. I’ve seen it occur a whole bunch of occasions. The affected person is doing every thing proper — brushing, flossing, consuming effectively — and nonetheless getting decay. No person thought to ask what drugs they had been on.
The allergy downside (even with out the capsule)
Even should you by no means take an antihistamine, allergic rhinitis itself damages your oral well being — by a mechanism most docs and dentists fully overlook: mouth respiratory.
When your nostril is congested, you breathe by your mouth. It feels innocent. It’s not.
A 2023 examine within the Journal of Scientific Pediatric Dentistry discovered that 40% of allergic rhinitis sufferers had been ordinary mouth breathers, in comparison with simply 22% of individuals with out allergy symptoms. These mouth breathers had considerably extra plaque buildup and periodontal irritation.
A separate examine discovered that allergy victims had roughly 20% greater charges of tooth decay, with mouth breathers displaying an extra 15% enhance on high of that.
Mouth respiratory dries your tissues, shifts your oral pH towards acidic, and creates an surroundings the place pathogenic micro organism thrive and helpful ones wrestle. It’s the identical harmful cascade as medication-induced dry mouth — simply arriving by a special door.
So when you have seasonal allergy symptoms, you’re probably getting hit from each side: the situation itself pushes you towards mouth respiratory, and the capsule you are taking for it dries you out even additional. Double whammy.
Right here’s what I do as an alternative
I nonetheless get seasonal allergy symptoms. Northern California in spring is not any joke. However earlier than I attain for a Claritin, I attain for inexperienced tea.
By the best way, this isn’t some people treatment. That is printed immunology analysis.
After I first learn this, I bear in mind considering, why isn’t this extra extensively recognized? Three separate groups, similar discovering, and most allergists have by no means heard of it.
EGCG — the first catechin in inexperienced tea — is a pure mast cell stabilizer. Mast cells are the immune cells that launch histamine once they detect an allergen. EGCG inhibits that launch on the mobile degree.
A 2005 examine in Experimental and Molecular Medication discovered that EGCG straight inhibited mast cell degranulation, blocked calcium inflow into the cells, and suppressed histamine launch. A separate examine in Biochemical and Biophysical Analysis Communications confirmed the mechanism — EGCG prevents histamine launch by inhibiting a particular tyrosine phosphorylation pathway. A 3rd examine, printed within the Journal of Agricultural and Meals Chemistry, confirmed that tea catechins suppress the IgE receptor that triggers all the allergic cascade.
Three unbiased research. Three completely different analysis groups. Similar conclusion: the compound in inexperienced tea calms your immune system’s overreaction on the supply — not by blocking histamine after it’s launched (which is what Claritin does), however by lowering how a lot histamine will get launched within the first place.
And right here’s the half solely a dentist would suppose to let you know: in contrast to an antihistamine, inexperienced tea really protects your mouth whereas it’s calming your allergy symptoms. EGCG helps saliva manufacturing, helps keep a wholesome oral pH, and selectively inhibits dangerous micro organism like S. mutans with out nuking your whole oral microbiome.
So as an alternative of a capsule that suppresses your signs AND dries out your mouth — you’re sipping one thing that addresses the basis trigger AND helps your tooth. You’re fixing the issue with out creating a brand new one.
The inexperienced tea I drink every single day
I’m explicit about this for a cause. Tea is without doubt one of the most chemically contaminated crops on this planet. As a result of the leaves are dried, not washed, any pesticide residue, heavy metals, or mould goes straight into your cup.
I drink Pique as a result of they triple-screen for heavy metals, pesticides, and mycotoxins. It’s cold-extracted into crystals — which means the EGCG focus is considerably greater than what you’d get from a regular brewed cup. No sugar, no components, no fillers. Particular person packets I preserve in my bag.
I drink it sizzling within the morning and iced within the afternoon. On high-pollen days, I’ll have two or three cups. It’s a kind of uncommon issues the place the well being profit and the every day enjoyment are the identical factor.
Yet another factor — for the lengthy recreation
In the event you’re somebody who offers with allergy symptoms, irritation, or immune reactivity past simply spring season — I would like you to find out about one thing I’ve been taking for over a 12 months now.
There’s a fatty acid referred to as C15:0 — pentadecanoic acid — that’s been getting critical consideration within the analysis group. It’s an odd-chain saturated fatty acid (most saturated fat are even-chain, which is the sort related to well being dangers — odd-chain is the alternative). An enormous meta-analysis of over 63,000 individuals throughout 16 cohorts discovered that greater C15:0 ranges had been related to a 20% decrease danger of kind 2 diabetes. A 2023 examine in Nature Microbiology — one of the crucial prestigious journals within the subject — discovered that intestine micro organism produce this fatty acid from dietary fiber, and it was protecting towards liver illness.
C15:0 works otherwise from EGCG. The place inexperienced tea calms the acute histamine response, C15:0 helps your cells structurally — strengthening cell membranes, supporting mitochondrial perform, and activating PPAR receptors that regulate irritation and immunity system-wide.
I consider it this manner: Pique is what I attain for when allergy season hits. Fatty15 is what I take year-round so my cells are extra resilient to start with.
→ Here’s the C15:0 supplement I take.
It’s one capsule a day, 100mg. No style, no odor. The analysis remains to be rising — and I’ll be sincere, a lot of the printed work comes from the corporate’s personal analysis crew — however the unbiased research are compelling, and the mechanism is smart to me.
So, should you’re popping antihistamines each spring and questioning why your dentist retains discovering new issues — now .
Your allergy symptoms are attacking your mouth from two instructions: the congestion pushes you to mouth breathe, and the medicine dries you out. Each destroy the surroundings your tooth want to remain wholesome.
Inexperienced tea offers you a technique to tackle the histamine response with out sacrificing your oral well being within the course of. And supporting your cells year-round with the suitable fatty acid doesn’t damage both.
As at all times — hit reply and inform me what you do for allergy season. I learn each single one in every of your emails, and even when I’m unable to answer to all of them, do know that I recognize every of you for being a reader.
— Mark
STUDIES CITED & FURTHER READING
Antihistamines, Dry Mouth & Dental Injury:
Wolff A, Zuk-Paz L, Kaplan I. “Salivary gland output, composition and movement fee as associated to the usage of antihistamines.” Worldwide Dental Journal / Gerodontology. 2008;25(1):89-96. PMID: 18312369 Discovered that antihistamine customers had considerably diminished submandibular and sublingual salivary movement — the glands most crucial for preserving your mouth moist between meals.
Papas AS, Joshi A, MacDonald SL, et al. “Caries prevalence in xerostomic people.” Journal of the Canadian Dental Affiliation. 1993;59(2):171-179. PMID: 8095845 The examine that established the two.89x and three.27x cavity danger numbers — displaying that dry mouth isn’t simply uncomfortable, it’s a direct pathway to rampant decay.
Christensen CM, Navazesh M, Brightman VJ. “Results of pharmacologic reductions in salivary movement on style thresholds in man.” Archives of Oral Biology. 1984;29(1):17-23. PMID: 6581768 Demonstrated 30-75% salivary movement reductions throughout antihistamines and comparable drugs — confirming simply how dramatically these medicine suppress your mouth’s major protection system.
Quilici D, Zech J. “Remedy-Induced Xerostomia and Its Implications for Dental Caries.” Common Dentistry. 2019;67(6):48-52. PMID: 31355765 A scientific overview that summarized the proof and concluded medication-induced dry mouth “typically ends in rampant caries” — the paper that makes use of that alarming phrase.
Allergic Rhinitis, Mouth Respiration & Oral Well being:
Vitale MC, Defabianis P, Rosti G, et al. “Allergic rhinitis as a danger issue for oral illnesses in youngsters: mouth respiratory, dental caries and periodontal illness.” Journal of Scientific Pediatric Dentistry. 2023;47(6):74-82. PMID: 37997235 The 2023 examine discovering 40% of allergy sufferers had been mouth breathers (vs 22% controls), with considerably extra plaque and gum irritation. Printed simply final 12 months — this connection is lastly getting the eye it deserves.
Bakhshaee M, Ashtiani SJ, Hossainzadeh M, et al. “Allergic rhinitis and dental caries in preschool youngsters.” Dental Analysis Journal. 2017;14(6):376-381. PMID: 29238375 Discovered roughly 20% greater decay charges in allergy victims, with mouth breathers displaying an extra 15% enhance — confirming the double-whammy impact.
Inexperienced Tea (EGCG) & Histamine Inhibition:
Li GZ, Chai OH, Lee MS, et al. “Inhibition of phorbol ester-stimulated mast cell activation by epigallocatechin-3-gallate.” Experimental and Molecular Medication. 2005;37(3):159-164. PMID: 16155406 The foundational paper displaying EGCG straight inhibits mast cell degranulation and histamine launch — the core mechanism behind inexperienced tea’s anti-allergy impact.
Yamashita Ok, Kumazawa T, Hatano Y, et al. “Epigallocatechin gallate inhibits histamine launch from rat basophilic leukemia (RBL-2H3) cells.” Biochemical and Biophysical Analysis Communications. 2000;274(1):159-165. PMID: 10924324 Confirmed the mechanism: EGCG prevents histamine launch by inhibiting a particular tyrosine phosphorylation pathway in immune cells.
Fujimura Y, Tachibana H, Maeda-Yamamoto M, et al. “Antiallergic tea catechin, (-)-epigallocatechin-3-O-(3-O-methyl)-gallate, suppresses FcεRI expression in human basophilic KU812 cells.” Journal of Agricultural and Meals Chemistry. 2002;50(20):5714-5718. PMID: 12236706 Confirmed that tea catechins suppress the IgE receptor — the very first set off within the allergic cascade — providing a mechanism for calming allergic response upstream of histamine launch.
C15:0 (Pentadecanoic Acid / fatty15):
Imamura F, Fretts A, Marber M, et al. “Fatty acid biomarkers of dairy fats consumption and incidence of kind 2 diabetes: A pooled evaluation of potential cohort research.” PLoS Medication. 2018;15(10):e1002670. PMID: 30303968 The unbiased landmark: 16 cohorts, 63,682 members, discovering that greater C15:0 ranges had been related to roughly 20% decrease danger of kind 2 diabetes. That is the strongest unbiased proof for C15:0’s metabolic advantages.
Wei M, Huang F, Zhao L, et al. “A dysbiotic intestine microbiome in fatty liver illness is related to altered short-chain and branched-chain amino acid and pentadecanoic acid pathways.” Nature Microbiology. 2023;8(8):1583-1596. PMID: 37386075 Printed in one of the crucial prestigious microbiology journals — discovered that intestine micro organism produce pentadecanoic acid from dietary fiber, and this pathway was protecting towards non-alcoholic liver illness.
Venn-Watson S, Lumpkin R, Dennis EA. “C15:0, an important fatty acid, is broadly related to improved well being: A cell-based, preclinical, and human scientific examine.” Scientific Reviews. 2020;10:8161. PMID: 32424181 The foundational paper proposing C15:0 as an important fatty acid — the primary recognized in 90 years. Notice: lead writer is affiliated with the fatty15 firm.
Additional studying on Ask the Dentist:
→ What I wish more people knew about green tea + your teeth — My deep dive into EGCG’s results on the oral microbiome, cavity prevention, and how you can drink inexperienced tea with out damaging your enamel.
→ If Alzheimer’s runs in your family, read this — How the oral-brain connection works, why inexperienced tea crosses the blood-brain barrier, and the nightly routine I observe for neuroprotection.
