Good morning. It’s Tuesday, June 17th.

In today’s email:

• Learn: Mouth Health = Longevity

• Try: Add 1 Oral Health Quick Win

• Laugh: Don’t Like Flossing?

• In the News: Nap Smart, Sleep Better

• Brain Games: Calcudoku

Stat of the Day

The number of bacteria (identified) in our mouth. Don’t worry many of these are good - but it’s important to have the right balance of the bacteria we want in our mouth and the ones we don’t. (National Institute of Health)

Learn

Mouth Health = Longevity

Who doesn’t want fresh breath and healthy teeth? I don’t think any of us look forward to the idea of dentures in our future.

Well that means taking care of your mouth now. But the benefits aren’t just about our mouth health - it affects our entire body and overall longevity.

In fact, oral health is one of the most overlooked levers for how we can improve our immune system, inflammation levels, and heart health.

Those bacteria in our mouth affect everything from how we digest our food to nitric oxide production in our blood to chronic inflammation all over our body.

Now the best part - we have massive power to impact the health in our mouth!

One study found that twins who didn’t floss for 2 weeks had significantly higher levels of gum disease bacteria like streptococcus mutans (a significant driver of tooth decay) - while the flossing group had more “good” microbes. That’s in just 2 weeks!

But the results also showed something else - the twin that flossed had a lower risk of:

• Alzheimer's disease

• Diabetes

• Heart disease

• Systemic inflammation

Our gut has been getting a lot of attention lately - especially how our microbiome is almost like our second brain. But the microbiome actually starts in our mouth - and this is our first line of defense for our immune system.

The Inflammation Connection

So those bleeding gums - they’re not just a dental problem.

So when we don’t floss - we get the wrong bacteria and our body needs to fight these bad bacteria.

When our immune system is called, that’s what triggers inflammation - it’s our natural defense, our army organizing for a battle.

But this inflammation doesn’t just stay in our mouth - we get chronic low-grade inflammation that can spread across the rest of our body. When our immune system is constantly fighting, it damages our organs and blood vessels, messes with our hormones, and accelerates aging with too much cellular stress.

That’s why oral inflammation has been linked to elevated C-reactive protein (CRP), a key risk factor for heart disease, insulin resistance, and cognitive decline - basically this is why you see the results from that study above.

And this isn’t just correlation - there’s growing evidence that gum disease may be a root cause of systemic inflammation.

Mouthwash Isn’t the Answer

Believing all bacteria are bad - we’ve created a market of mouthwash that gets rid of the bacteria (and our bad breath).

But again MOST bacteria is useful and just like you don’t want to wipe out all the bacteria in our gut, you don’t want to do that in your mouth either.

Traditional mouthwash (especially with alcohol) wipes out the good bacteria you NEED.

Even more than that - mouthwash reduces the production of nitric oxide (NO), a molecule we’ve talked about before that helps regulate blood pressure, oxygen delivery, and blood flow to every organ in your body.

Basically NO is way more important to our heart health than anything related to cholesterol.

If we kill all those bacteria, then we don’t have NO. That’s bad news for our heart, brain, and longevity.

So what am I doing now to boost my oral health??

My Oral Health Protocol

Daily:

• 🪥 Brush 2x/day - electric is best (this one’s obvious)

• 🦷 Floss - keeps gums oxygenated and bad bacteria away

• 👅 Tongue scrape - supports your oral microbiome and reduces bad breath

• 💦 Waterpik - clears food debris and massages gums

2x per week:

• 🥥 Oil pulling - reduces plaque and improves freshness (without destroying good bacteria). I use organic coconut oil for 10-15 min

Always:

• 💧 Rinse your mouth with water after acidic or sugary foods/drinks

• 🧼 Skip mouthwash with alcohol - use gentle alternatives only as needed

• 💦 Filter your water (reverse osmosis is best) to remove fluoride and heavy metals

A few notes on the above:

1. If you’re not great with flossing - just do it once. If you see any blood or your gums hurt, just know that’s inflammation and it will affect your longevity. If you’re still struggling, then start with floss picks (easier than floss) to at least get started. Still need motivation? See the Laugh below

2. A WaterPik - an awesome solution that shouldn’t necessarily replace flossing, but a huge value to use in your daily routine! Check out the research.

3. Tongue Scraping - just got on this bandwagon and it’s been a game-changer for how much healthier my mouth feels

4. Oil Pulling - I know the science is iffy here, but I just like how it feels after I do it and I think the research will bear out there is value

What About Fluoride?

We always get questions on the science of fluoride. From the research we’ve found -

Fluoride in toothpaste? Pretty effective.
Fluoride in drinking water? Not so good.

Fluoride helps resist acid attacks from sugar and processed food, but adding it to public water supplies introduces toxins from fertilizer runoff, including trace elements of arsenic and lead. It also is when we actually ingest it, versus just using it on our teeth and rinsing it off.

They are actually removing it from our water in Tampa.

Recent court rulings suggest fluoride in water may pose developmental risks (like ADHD, lower IQ, cognitive impairment) especially in children.

We suggest brushing with fluoride or hydroxyapatite toothpaste, but filtering your drinking water to eliminate fluoride and other contaminants.

Oral health isn’t just about cavities…

• It’s about preventing heart disease

• It’s about reducing inflammation

• It’s about boosting nitric oxide

• It’s about longevity

The best part - it’s super easy to be in the Top 1%!

Try

Add 1 Oral Health Quick Win

If you’re already brushing (ummm - good) and even if you’re flossing (great!) - try to add one more thing to really get your oral health to the next level.

Just shoot for 25 days of say tongue scraping or using a WaterPik or drinking water after every time you have something carbonated (any soda - even the “healthy” Poppi soda with probiotics) or with citrus (orange, lemon, etc).

Thrive25 Partner Spotlight

Exclusive 15% Off at Momentous!

Unlock 15% off the full range of Momentous supplements, including Creatine, L-Glutamine, Protein, Magnesium Threonate, and more - all backed by scientific research and clinical proof.

Momentous partners with top scientists and performance experts from the NFL, NBA, and MLB to create world-class products for anyone aiming to perform at their best.

Thrive25 subscribers get 15% off with code Thrive at checkout. Click HERE!

We are a proud customer and affiliate of Momentous - please consider buying products from Momentous to support our mission.

Laugh

Don’t Like Flossing?

Then think about it this way…

H&L in the News

Nap Smart, Sleep Better: Naps can sharpen your focus and restore energy - if done right. Discover the ideal nap length, timing, and setup to boost performance without wrecking your nighttime sleep. (WIRED)

From Trash to Torch - Camp Smarter: DIY fire starters made from toilet paper rolls, lint, and scrap paper are eco-friendly, budget-proof, and disaster-ready. A Girl Scout-approved hack for smart camping and sustainable living. (The Cool Down)

Resurrecting Life to Save It: Astrobiologist Betül Kaçar is reviving ancient enzymes to unlock life’s origins - and engineer climate-resilient crops. Her work could redefine evolution, sustainability, and our future on Earth and beyond. (Big Think)

Brain Games

Calcudoku

The objective is to fill in the grid with the correct digit in each cell, between 1 and 5:

• Each row contains exactly one of each digit

• Each column contains exactly one of each digit

• Each bold-outlined group (with same color) must equate the result with the numerical operation - addition (+), subtraction (-), multiplication (*) and division (/)

It’s go time -  solve this in under two minutes. Ready…set…go!

Credit: Brainzilla

** For answer, scroll to the bottom of the email

Thrive25 Referral Program

Thanks for being part of the Thrive25 community! Want to further support our mission of transforming science into digestible insights to support our health & longevity. Earn Thrive25 swag and other rewards from our Sponsors via our referral program:

Thanks for joining us today!

• Want to see what we’re up to? Sign up for early access to our platform

• Missed an issue? No problem, check out our newsletter archive

• Got feedback, recommendations or stories to share? Tell us what’s on your mind here

• Someone send you this email? Sign up here

Brain Games Answer

We’re 40-something dads that felt our bodies and minds start to slow down and we’re not ready for that. We found too much information on every subject. So we started Thrive25 to transform what we’ve learned into something useful for the rest of us to spend just 5 min a day to optimize our health & longevity.

This newsletter is for you and we truly value your feedback. Never hesitate to reach out to us at [email protected].

To health!