InHealth | Supplements and Superfoods: How Often and How Much?

By Jill Morris, DMD

Since Covid hit the scene, people tell me they are trying to build their immune system by taking supplements and juicing vegetables. So, one month I decided to go on a liver cleanse. Each morning I would blend garlic, ginger, and grapefruit for my breakfast drink. I loved it so much, I continued to drink it after the six-week cleanse was complete. A few months later I had a series of Botox® injections to soften my wrinkles and noticed that every injection point bruised. That had never happened before. 

I recently worked with a healthy 40 something year old man who needed extensive dental work. He did not take any medications. His blood was bright red, and he bled so extensively that I had a difficult time finishing the procedure. Upon questioning him, he said that he took superfood supplements every day which included garlic, turmeric, curcumin, fish oils, ginger, and vitamin A. I asked him to stop his supplements for his follow-up procedure a month later to place his final restorations. His bleeding was minimal and easily managed. I have noticed an increase of bleeding gums in my patients no matter the age who are not on pharmaceutical blood thinners. 

Many patients are juicing vegetables daily. In Sally Norton’s book, “Toxic Superfoods”, she discusses how oxalate overload from plants such as spinach, almonds, and sweet potatoes can cause chronic health conditions. Oxalates are toxins released by plants that cause damage in the body. Excess oxalates are deposited in the teeth, bones, marrow, thyroid, and breast tissues, to name a few, and can interrupt proper cell functioning. Excess oxalate is deposited in the joints and are associated with arthritis pain, gout, and tendonitis. High oxalate deposits are also associated with Parkinson’s disease and MS because of nerve cell demyelination. 

As a dentist, I know that the gums are an important barrier to keep bacteria from entering the bloodstream. Bacteria ulcerate the inside lining of the gums and pass through the barrier into the bloodstream. These bacteria have been found in the clogged arteries of the heart and there has also been a correlation between gum disease and cancer. I have begun to question the effect that these blood thinning supplements have on bleeding gums, especially since 80% of the population has some form of gum disease.

I personally take supplements because I believe our foods have been depleted of important nutrients due to the poor soil quality. I work inside and don’t enjoy the sun and nature which also provide resources for our nutritional needs. But what is the proper supplement dosage and combination outside of the whole food? Should we be taking them long term? When we juice or take a pill, we may be bypassing critical processes necessary that balance and work synergistically together. I am not an expert, but I do have questions and hope to see research in this area of nutrition.

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