Do you ever think of using natural products when you are
thinking of your oral hygiene? Have you thought about what type of toothpaste you
use when you brush your teeth in the mornings?
For years I have used the branded toothpastes that you can buy in the
supermarkets, but somehow, whatever the promises on the side of the tube, my
mouth never felt as fresh as I would like it to be. However, one day my friend told me about a
herbal toothpaste that she had started to use regularly and how much it had
improved her bleeding gums.
The name of the toothpaste that she showed me was Meswak toothpaste,
sometimes called Miswak toothpaste, and could be found in my local Asian
shop. I have started to use it every
time I brush and already my mouth is feeling better and fresher. So what is Meswak toothpaste? Meswak toothpaste is a herbal paste that is
derived from a shrub found throughout India, Asia, Africa and the Middle East
called Salvadora persica.
Salvadora persica is also known as the toothbrush tree and local
people would break off a small twig from the shrub to clean their teeth on a
daily basis, and it was noticed that although many of these people had poor
diets they still had excellent teeth and healthy gums. Scientific research was undertaken and it was
found that Salvadora persica had great natural antiseptic properties. Miswak
was also recommended for use to promote oral health by the World Health
Organisation in 1996.
Because of these wonderful healthy benefits it was decided
to create toothpaste from the toothpaste tree and this paste is now call Meswak
toothpaste. Commercial brands contain
many harsh chemicals, such as fluoride, artificial colours and sweeteners and
sodium laurel sulphate that can have detrimental effects on our health when we
ingest them into our bodies. Meswak is a
completely natural way to clean your tooth, and contains only natural
ingredients. It is also a suitable paste
to be used by vegetarians, vegans and even the kids! It does not have the minty taste that we
generally associate with cleaning our teeth and freshening our breath, but I
find that Meswak toothpaste has a fairly mild flavour with a hint of liquorice.
So if you want to move away from manufactured products, full
to the brim of nasty chemicals, and start using more natural oral hygiene
products, why not try out some herbal toothpaste? If they do not stock Meswak toothpaste in
your local supermarket or you do not have a local Asian shop, then have a look
online. You can find it easily on Amazon
and will soon be able to clean your teeth and keep your teeth and gums healthy naturally
and also be able to rest in the comfort that you are not putting any more harsh
chemicals into your body.
