Say hello to Ola, the new brand that supports Dr Mercola's long-time mission of bringing you plant-based ingredients for a simple, effective clean every day.
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Ola Botanicals® Tulsi-Mint Toothpaste offers a natural, effective way to help achieve optimal oral health without ingredients that are risky for you and the earth. Using organic ingredients whenever available, this refreshing fluoride-free toothpaste contains no:
Did you know the inside lining of your mouth – your oral mucosa – can absorb more than 90 percent of what it comes in contact with?
This means any ingredient in your toothpaste, including a potentially hazardous one, is likely to pass directly into your bloodstream.
So what kind of chemicals are we talking about? It’s not easy to know. The box typically gets tossed in the trash and ingredients usually aren’t on the tube.
What’s more, manufacturers don’t even have to list all the ingredients on their packaging, including potential carcinogens and impurities, because many of these hazardous substances are created during the manufacturing process!
Here are listed ingredients for one of the top-selling toothpastes:
There have been concerns for all of these ingredients. Here is some light into them so you find out what your brushing with day in day out.
If your dentist practices conventional dentistry, he or she most likely advises you to use toothpaste that contains sodium fluoride.
In fact, all toothpastes with the “ADA Accepted” seal must contain sodium fluoride. That’s the American Dentist Association’s standard.
But do you really need it? And above all, is it safe?
According to the ADA, fluoride makes tooth enamel stronger and more resistant to tooth decay. It helps re-mineralise weakened tooth enamel and may reverse early signs of tooth decay.
However, recent research challenges the ADA’s long-held belief. A 2010 study found that the supposedly beneficial layer that forms on your teeth from fluoride is only six nano-meters thick.
To appreciate how thin this is, you'd need 10,000 of these layers to equal the width of a single strand of hair!
And here’s the real kicker: Simple chewing disrupts this so-called protective layer!
This raises the question of whether the fluoride in toothpaste does much or anything to safeguard your tooth enamel. But that’s just the beginning.
Dr Mercola's biggest problem with fluoride is that it carries a poison warning and can accumulate in your tissues and bones.
When kids ingest or absorb significant amounts of fluoride from toothpaste or fluoridated water during their first eight years of life, it can lead to mottling of the teeth, or dental fluorosis marked by unsightly yellow or brown stains and pits formed in the tooth enamel.
Children naturally swallow more toothpaste than do adults, so that puts them at an even greater risk of fluoride toxicity at a time when it can do the most harm.
Mottled and pitted teeth aren’t the only things that can result from too much fluoride. These other potential ill effects may occur too. Fluoride:
Dr Mercola are not convinced that the possible benefits of fluoride in toothpaste outweigh its far more serious potential health effects, especially since it can accumulate in tissues and bones.
Because most of us get far too much fluoride from other sources, they don’t believe fluoride should be added to your drinking water nor does it need to be in your toothpaste.
In their recently released report, Behind the Dazzling Smile, the Cornucopia Institute lists other common ingredients in toothpaste to avoid:
Triclosan – Commonly used as a preservative and antimicrobial agent. May affect your levels of thyroid hormone and testosterone. Animal studies show it can interfere with brain and reproductive system functioning.
Although Triclosan may soon be banned in hand sanitizers and soaps, it will still be allowed in toothpaste.
Parabens – These synthetic preservatives mimic estrogen and can act as potential endocrine disruptions. Some believe parabens may be carcinogenic.
With their ability to penetrate skin (and mouth mucosa), watch out for names like methylparaben, propylparaben and other “parabens.”
These are just some of the potentially hazardous ingredients you can find in popular toothpastes. There are more, including this next one.
Many top-selling toothpastes contain dyes, especially those marketed to children. Some parents claim their kids are more likely to brush if the toothpaste is pleasing to the eye.
Here’s what you need to know about dyes used in toothpaste:
Remember our above ingredient list from one of the top selling toothpastes? It contains both FD&C blue and D&C yellow dyes.
Just as the word "natural" doesn’t mean anything with food, it’s just as meaningless with toothpaste.
And since toothpaste isn’t regulated, there’s no guarantee that a "natural" toothpaste won’t contain potentially harmful ingredients.
While most natural toothpastes don’t contain dyes, and you can find some without fluoride, many use some of the same synthetic ingredients commonly found in brand name toothpastes, including:
Genetically engineered ingredients are also surprisingly common in even "natural" toothpastes.
Unless toothpaste is labelled organic or specifically states “No GMOs or Genetically Modified Ingredients,” there is always the possibility that some of the ingredients may be genetically engineered, especially those made with GMO-corn.
Just because carrageenan comes from a type of naturally grown seaweed, don’t make the mistake of thinking it’s a healthful food. It may not be.
Carrageenan is a refined white powder added to many products and foods, even organic ones, as a thickener to improve texture and mouth feel.
Manufacturers began adding it to food and beverages in the 1930s and now it is found in yogurt, ice cream, almond milk, infant formulas, deli meats, certain medicines, and personal care products like laxatives, lubricants, and toothpaste.
For years, scientists have warned that carrageenan is not safe to use in foods. Animal studies show it causes gastrointestinal inflammation and higher rates of intestinal lesions, ulcerations, and even malignant tumours.
Dr Mercola knew they could come up with a toothpaste that was even better than the original – one that would give you refreshingly clean teeth and breath, provide whiteness, and effectively fight and prevent caries (all types of tooth decay) without carrageenan.
Just because many "natural" toothpastes contain carrageenan, SLS, and other potentially harmful ingredients, this one didn’t need to.
Dr Mercola carefully scrutinised the source and quality of every ingredient to meet their exacting standards:
Sounds like a tall order, doesn’t it? That’s why it took them as long as it did to formulate Refreshing Mint Toothpaste With Tulsi.
Instead of using potentially dangerous ingredients, Dr Mercola turned to botanicals to provide cleaning of teeth and gums and whiteness.
One in particular, Holy Basil, or Tulsi, has held their attention for many years as an outstanding overall tonic for health. Dr Mercola believe it’s one of the finest medicinal herbs ever discovered.
Evidently, people in India agree. As part of an ancient custom, family members worship the plant and illuminate it with lamps twice a day.
To this day, Holy Basil plays an essential role in worship ceremonies. People believe it protects them from evil and brings good luck.
As for oral care, Tulsi is an exceptional mouth freshener and cleanser, and helps support a beneficial balance of healthy mouth flora. It also helps prevent dental caries while it soothes your mouth.
While Refreshing Mint Toothpaste With Tulsi contains several excellent plant extracts for cleaning teeth and gums, fighting caries, and freshening breath, in my opinion, Tulsi is the crowning glory.
Brush teeth thoroughly after meals or at least twice a day. Supervise children until good brushing habits are established. For best results, squeeze tube from the bottom and flatten as you move up the tube. Recommended for ages 4 and up.