We might be out of strawberry season, but that doesn’t mean you need to give up these sweet treats for winter. Since frozen produce is flash frozen, it can have the same, and sometimes even better (depending on how far it’s traveled), nutritional content than fresh produce, because they’re picked and preserved at their peak. So, maybe they’re a little mushier — at least you get sweet, delicious strawberries.
Strawberries as nature’s teeth whiteners are one of those home remedies I’ve seen around a lot. I’ve heard a few different reasons why strawberries are considered natural teeth whiteners, including their acid content and their natural amounts of xylitol. But strawberries probably aren’t your best bet for teeth whitening, and here’s why.
Brighter, Whiter Teeth with Strawberry Acid
So, the idea behind strawberries whitening teeth is that they contain acid that can serve as an astringent to limit stains. Most sites recommend a few different tactics; one is to just put the strawberries on your teeth and then brush them off, the other is to mix the strawberry with baking soda and then brush that off. In either case, you’re probably going to do as much harm as you do good.
Here’s the thing, the ideal pH in your mouth is neutral, about 7. Once you start getting more acidic, you risk weakening the enamel on your teeth and brushing will only expedite the erosion process (European Journal of Oral Sciences;Â Wall Street Journal). Oh, and don’t forget that the seeds can also be scratching up those pearly whites. So, by increasing the acid in your mouth and then manually brushing, you might remove surface stains, but you could also be doing damage to your teeth in the long run.
Alright, let’s say you decide to add baking soda, which is alkaline. While that might help to mitigate some of the acid damage, and while baking soda definitely has benefits in oral care, you could actually still be doing abrasive damage between the seeds and the baking soda granules. Overall, this just isn’t a very effective way to whiten your teeth.
What about the Xylitol for a Healthier Mouth?
Strawberries also contain minute amounts of xylitol, which helps to reduce harmful microorganisms in your mouth. Unfortunately, strawberries don’t have enough xylitol to make an appreciable difference when compared to other things.
You might recognize xylitol as an ingredient in your favorite dentist-approved, sugar-free gum. It exists naturally in low amounts in fruits and vegetables like strawberries, raspberries, yellow plum, lettuce, and cauliflower (Current Trends in Biotechnology and Pharmacy). It’s a five-carbon sugar that comes from the reduction of xylose, a sugar that’s often derived from wood, such as birch (American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry). It’s well-loved as a sugar substitute that sweetens similarly to sucrose, making it ideal for sugar-free products. But it’s well loved by the dental community for another reason.
Xylitol is able to inhibit the growth of the microorganisms that cause dental caries, aka cavities, and also inhibits tooth demineralization. That might be why your dentist has mentioned chomping on some sugar-free gum throughout the day to keep your teeth in check. There have been several double-blind, placebo-controlled studies researching this. In one study involving 1,677 children, researchers gave kids either a flouride toothpaste or flouride toothpaste enriched with 10% xylitol. At the end of three years, the kids with the xylitol toothpaste had fewer cavities (American Journal of Dentistry). In another study involving 1,277 children, kids chewing on gum with xylitol or sorbitol got fewer cavities over a 40-month period that kids chewing gum with sugar or not chewing gum (Journal of Dental Research). Crazier still, there have been long-term benefits to using xylitol products in the years after use.
Because of this, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentristry actually recommends using xylitol-based products, including chewing sugar-free gum, to help in cavity prevention. Unfortunately, a strawberry isn’t going to have as much xylitol as chewing gum, so it’s best stick with the gum for this one.
Verdict: Trick
Strawberries are super delicious and healthy for the body, but they aren’t your best bet for teeth whitening. Their acid content might help remove stains, but it will also leave your teeth vulnerable to damage, particuarly because you’re advised to brush immediately after use. As for their xylitol content, it’s too low to really make a difference. If you want to keep your mouth free of microorganisms, it’s a better bet to invest in some sugar-free gum!