It is common to use mouthwash to get rid of the stinging taste after eating a meal that may contain onions or garlic on the breakfast table in Ramadan in order to feel fresh.
But it was found that its use is harmful to oral and intestinal health, immediately after eating, according to what was published by the “mindbodygreen” website.
Traditional mouthwashes with antiseptic properties are meant to get rid of all the bacteria in your mouth to give you a feeling of freshness but that’s exactly the problem.
The oral microbiome is dependent on good and bad bacteria, and it’s the real gateway to your gut health. Studies have shown that oral bacteria can actually travel into the gut and alter the microbiome. Oral bacteria can affect how you absorb the nutrients in your food, specifically the heart-healthy dietary nitrate.
Nitrate-containing nutrients (commonly found in leafy greens) are essential precursors to nitric oxide, which is essential for immunity, healthy blood flow, metabolic health, and brain health.
And humans don’t have the enzymes required to reduce nitrate to nitrite, which can then enter the nitric oxide pathway. We rely on your mouth bacteria to do this conversion, so when you’ve got rid of all your mouth bacteria with a dose of mouthwash, you’re making it harder for your body to provide that basic conversion. And reap the benefits of those nutrients rich in nitrates.
So if you’re doing all the work to eat beautiful, healthy foods, and you’re using mouthwash, you’re basically short on the ability of your food to give you all the benefits it can get.
Research showed that those who used antiseptic mouthwash twice daily or more were 50% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes.
You also never want to use an antiseptic mouthwash right after a workout, for a very similar reason as oral bacteria recycle nitric oxide which plays a key role in metabolic health, including blood pressure regulation, so when you eliminate all the oral bacteria after exercise, You don’t get the same amount of nitric oxide boost.
Research has found that using a mouthwash after exercise can blunt the antihypertensive benefits.