Most individuals suppose cravings are about willpower. However what in the event that they’re actually about lacking minerals? I’ll hyperlink my favourite minerals as effectively, on the backside…
On this publication, I’ll stroll you thru why saliva is extra than simply spit, why electrolytes are the unsung heroes of oral well being, and the way protein and minerals can assist quiet cravings by giving your physique precisely what it’s lacking.
Each every now and then, I am going on a weight loss plan. I positively don’t do something excessive. However I do begin paying nearer consideration—to how I really feel, how I sleep, and whether or not my favourite denims are nonetheless snug after dinner.
And after I do this, I at all times come again to 2 issues:
protein and minerals.
Easy, proper?
However these two issues do extra than simply assist weight reduction. They assist me sleep higher. Assume extra clearly. And most of all, they preserve my saliva wholesome.
Sure—saliva.
I didn’t at all times suppose this fashion. Like most dentists, I used to be educated to think about saliva as a background character. A passive fluid that helped rinse your mouth and perhaps neutralize acids.
However over time, I’ve come to see it as one of the underrated instruments now we have for oral well being—and for whole-body well being, too.
Your tooth are breaking down proper now. Saliva is how they restore.
After each meal, your tooth demineralize. That features “wholesome” meals—particularly in the event that they embrace carbs like bread, crackers, or perhaps a few spoonfuls of rice.
Acid-producing micro organism break these meals down in your mouth and instantly begin releasing acid. That acid leaches minerals out of your enamel. You don’t really feel it. Nevertheless it’s occurring each day.
The one manner your tooth recuperate from that assault is thru remainalization.
And remineralization relies on your saliva.
Saliva accommodates the identical minerals your tooth are manufactured from—calcium, phosphate, magnesium, and extra.
Why? As a result of it’s produced from blood plasma. It’s filtered out of your bloodstream, and that’s why I usually say: saliva is mainly blood—simply with out the purple blood cells.
The minerals in your saliva float in answer, prepared to leap into motion. That skill is named ionic power. When your saliva has the appropriate stability of ions, it could actually launch minerals like hydroxyapatite—the very substance your enamel is manufactured from—proper the place the tooth wants it. Like a patch job after an acid assault.
That’s why stability issues. Too thick? The minerals can’t transfer. Too skinny? They’re too diluted to work. Your saliva solely works if the mineral content material is true.
And that relies on your electrolyte ranges.
Electrolytes aren’t only for athletes
Most individuals consider electrolytes as one thing you add after a exercise or if you’re sick. And sure, they’re nice for rehydrating.
However the reality is, electrolytes—sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphate—are important for everybody. They’re how your nerves fireplace. How your muscle tissue contract. And within the case of saliva, how minerals keep in stability so your tooth can truly remineralize.
You don’t should be working marathons. You is likely to be chasing children, working lengthy shifts, ingesting an excessive amount of espresso, or simply waking up mildly dehydrated. And all of that impacts your saliva.
When you’re low on electrolytes—or just a bit dehydrated—your saliva modifications. It will get sticky. Or watery. Both manner, it loses its ionic integrity. And when that occurs, your mouth can’t do what it’s constructed to do.
My three must-haves within the morning after I wish to lose a number of kilos:
I’ve refined my routine over time, and nowadays, it’s easy:
- I begin with a protein smoothie—round 60g of protein, half collagen and half grass-fed whey. I mix it with wild blueberries, almond butter, and sea salt.
- I pair it with a full serving of electrolytes. There are quite a lot of stable formulation on the market, however I’ve lately switched to this one (commissionable hyperlink). It’s clear, tastes nice, and accommodates a well-rounded mineral profile that helps saliva: potassium, sodium from Himalayan salt, calcium, citrate, and spirulina which provides it a startling blue coloration. It’s sweetened with monkfruit which, as you already know, is my absolute favourite sweetener—that’s why it’s one of many components in our Fygg toothpaste. We even measured the pH of those electrolytes—no acidity considerations right here.
- And I drink Pellegrino all through the day (no affiliation other than my Italian heritage). I’ve been ingesting it for years as a result of it’s mineral-rich, alkalizing, and it truly makes me really feel higher.
For years, I beneficial hint mineral drops. And so they’re nonetheless useful for muscle cramps or normal wellness. However in relation to saliva? You want extra. You want the complete suite—sodium, calcium, potassium, phosphate—in the appropriate ratios. And it has to style good and have a impartial pH, or folks gained’t keep it up.
If I get these two issues—protein and minerals—early within the day, the whole lot else appears to fall into place.
Much less snacking.
Fewer cravings.
Extra vitality.
And stronger saliva.
What in case your cravings aren’t about sugar in any respect?
That is only a concept of mine, however one I preserve coming again to.
Typically, if you really feel the urge to succeed in for a snack—particularly processed carbs—it’s not that your physique desires sugar.
It is likely to be asking for minerals.
I’ve observed that after I’m in keeping with electrolytes and mineral-rich water, I don’t crave junk. Not even after a protracted day or a hectic morning. It’s like my physique isn’t seeking to fill a niche anymore. As a result of the hole is already stuffed.
I’ve additionally observed that after I’m consuming sufficient protein, my cravings drop. Protein helps regulate ghrelin and GLP-1—two hormones that inform your mind if you’re full, or not. Pair that with minerals, and your physique lastly stops asking for one thing it’s lacking.
And the reality is, our diets are extra mineral-deficient than most individuals notice. Even in the event you eat effectively, our soil isn’t what it was. The minerals simply aren’t there. Our ancestors used to swallow and inhale them simply by taking part in outdoors, ingesting from springs, consuming actual meals. That world’s gone.
This one wants a bit assist.
When you’re searching for a spot to begin—whether or not it’s to lose a number of kilos, really feel higher in your physique, or assist your tooth long-term—I’d preserve it easy:
- Prioritize protein. Particularly early within the day.
- Replenish your minerals. (These are my favourite) Each single day.
- Hydrate in a manner that truly makes a distinction. Meaning mineral-rich water and a clear electrolyte powder that helps your saliva—not undermines it.
Your saliva isn’t simply spit.
It’s your mouth’s first line of protection.
And one in all your strongest instruments for therapeutic.
Give it what it wants—and your complete physique advantages.
Till subsequent time,
Mark
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P.S. I coined this time period “ionic integrity of saliva” throughout a podcast episode from 2023 the place I went deep on this precise matter—how electrolytes have an effect on your saliva, what which means in your tooth, starvation, mind, and efficiency, and why all of it begins with minerals. If you wish to nerd out with me for half-hour, give it a hear right here. I’d love to listen to what you suppose.
