More than a third of people in the UK regularly use mouthwash in a bid to freshen their breath and keep teeth and gums healthy. But should we bother?
A study by Harvard School of Public Health, published this month, suggests that using mouthwash twice a day could destroy protective ‘good’ bacteria in the mouth, raising the risk of diabetes by 55 per cent and increasing the likelihood of obesity.
It’s thought that certain bacteria in the mouth may help the body produce nitric oxide, which regulates insulin levels and keeps our metabolism ticking over.
But don’t bin your bottle just yet, suggests Dr Reena Wadia, a periodontist (a specialist in gum diseases) at RW Perio in Marylebone, London says: ‘It’s an interesting theory, but a lot more research is needed to establish if there really is a definite causal link.’
