This excellent article by Joachim Bartoll emphasis the simplicity of the fact that eating sugars and carbohydrates leads to tooth decay.
Although that is blindingly obvious, the so called "experts" needed to do 37 studies to reach a conclusion. If they were doing studies to show the dangers of vaccinations it would probably only take them about half a dozen to show that vaccines are "safe & effective"
37
Studies Later: Sugar Still Destroys Teeth, and Modern Nutrition Science
Still Pretends This Is Complicated - By Joachim Bartoll July 8, 2026
A
new systematic review of 37 studies has concluded what any functioning
adult should have figured out by the age of twelve. Higher sugar
consumption, whether measured by amount or frequency, is strongly linked
to more dental cavities.
The
researchers found that eating or drinking sugary foods or beverages
once or more per day produced the most consistent damage. Thirty-two of
the thirty-seven studies confirmed this relationship.
This is the kind of research that makes you wonder why the field even exists anymore.
The Obvious Fact That Required 37 Studies to Confirm
Tooth
decay is not a mysterious disease that requires complex statistical
modeling to understand. When you put sugar in your mouth, bacteria that
naturally live on your teeth ferment it into acid.
That acid dissolves the enamel. The more often you feed those bacteria, and the more sugar you give them, the more acid attacks your teeth receive. This is basic microbiology and chemistry, not advanced science.
Yet here we are, in 2026, with researchers still publishing systematic reviews to confirm that sugar damages teeth. The fact that this even needs to be studied at this level reveals how corrupted and disconnected modern nutrition science has become.
Instead of stating the obvious and moving on to real solutions, the field keeps producing papers that dance around the truth while protecting the carbohydrate-based food system that created the problem in the first place.
That acid dissolves the enamel. The more often you feed those bacteria, and the more sugar you give them, the more acid attacks your teeth receive. This is basic microbiology and chemistry, not advanced science.
Yet here we are, in 2026, with researchers still publishing systematic reviews to confirm that sugar damages teeth. The fact that this even needs to be studied at this level reveals how corrupted and disconnected modern nutrition science has become.
Instead of stating the obvious and moving on to real solutions, the field keeps producing papers that dance around the truth while protecting the carbohydrate-based food system that created the problem in the first place.
What the Review Actually Found
The
researchers looked at 37 studies examining the relationship between
sugar intake and dental caries. In 32 of those studies, higher sugar
consumption, whether by total amount or by how often it was consumed,
was clearly associated with more cavities.
The strongest and most consistent link appeared when people consumed sugary foods or drinks at least once per day.
This matches what we already know from basic physiology. Every time sugar touches the teeth, acid-producing bacteria get a meal. The more frequent the meals, the more frequent the acid attacks. There is nothing surprising here.
What is surprising is that anyone still pretends this relationship is complicated or that we need dozens of studies to establish something this straightforward.
The strongest and most consistent link appeared when people consumed sugary foods or drinks at least once per day.
This matches what we already know from basic physiology. Every time sugar touches the teeth, acid-producing bacteria get a meal. The more frequent the meals, the more frequent the acid attacks. There is nothing surprising here.
What is surprising is that anyone still pretends this relationship is complicated or that we need dozens of studies to establish something this straightforward.
The Real Mechanism: How Carbohydrates Destroy Teeth
Sugars
and starches are both carbohydrates. When you consume them, oral
bacteria such as Streptococcus mutans convert them into lactic acid and
other organic acids.
These acids lower the pH in the mouth and begin demineralizing the enamel. This is not a theory. It is observable chemistry that happens inside every human mouth that contains carbohydrates.
The damage is not limited to the teeth. Carbohydrates that escape digestion feed bacteria throughout the digestive tract, contributing to systemic inflammation and microbiome disruption.
The same compounds that rot teeth from the outside also create advanced glycation end-products inside the body, damaging proteins, blood vessels, and organs over time.
Tooth decay is simply the most visible and immediate consequence of feeding the body something it was never designed to handle in any significant quantities.
These acids lower the pH in the mouth and begin demineralizing the enamel. This is not a theory. It is observable chemistry that happens inside every human mouth that contains carbohydrates.
The damage is not limited to the teeth. Carbohydrates that escape digestion feed bacteria throughout the digestive tract, contributing to systemic inflammation and microbiome disruption.
The same compounds that rot teeth from the outside also create advanced glycation end-products inside the body, damaging proteins, blood vessels, and organs over time.
Tooth decay is simply the most visible and immediate consequence of feeding the body something it was never designed to handle in any significant quantities.
Why Modern Nutrition Science Keeps Studying the Bleeding Obvious
The
nutrition science establishment has a strong incentive to keep studying
the effects of sugar rather than recommending its removal.
Admitting that carbohydrates are the fundamental problem would require dismantling decades of dietary guidelines, Big Ag and food industry partnerships, and academic careers built on the idea that “moderation” and “balance” are solutions.
It is far safer and more profitable to publish another review showing that “sugar” is bad without saying that the effect is the same with any form of carbohydrate source, and then pivot to selling supplements or fortified foods that supposedly mitigate the damage.
This is the same pattern we see across the entire field. Instead of telling people to stop consuming the toxic and damaging substances that cause disease, researchers and organizations produce endless studies that document the harm while carefully avoiding the obvious conclusion.
The result is a population that remains confused, continues eating carbohydrates, and then gets funneled into pharmaceutical and supplement solutions that treat symptoms rather than remove the cause.
Admitting that carbohydrates are the fundamental problem would require dismantling decades of dietary guidelines, Big Ag and food industry partnerships, and academic careers built on the idea that “moderation” and “balance” are solutions.
It is far safer and more profitable to publish another review showing that “sugar” is bad without saying that the effect is the same with any form of carbohydrate source, and then pivot to selling supplements or fortified foods that supposedly mitigate the damage.
This is the same pattern we see across the entire field. Instead of telling people to stop consuming the toxic and damaging substances that cause disease, researchers and organizations produce endless studies that document the harm while carefully avoiding the obvious conclusion.
The result is a population that remains confused, continues eating carbohydrates, and then gets funneled into pharmaceutical and supplement solutions that treat symptoms rather than remove the cause.
The Only Logical Solution
If
carbohydrates damage teeth through acid production and bacterial
overgrowth, the solution is not better toothpaste, more poisonous
fluoride, or synthetic useless supplements.
The solution is to stop feeding the bacteria what they need to produce acid. Removing all carbohydrates from the diet eliminates the fuel source for both oral bacteria and the broader metabolic damage they contribute to.
Remember, humans are hypercarnivores and we are not physically constructed for carbohydrate or any kind of plant-based consumption. Consuming anything that is not species-appropriate will cause damage and shorten our health- and life-spans.
On our species-appropriate, species-specific hypercarnivore diet, there are no sugars or starches to ferment in the mouth.
The oral microbiome shifts away from acid-producing species toward one that is compatible with animal foods.
The solution is to stop feeding the bacteria what they need to produce acid. Removing all carbohydrates from the diet eliminates the fuel source for both oral bacteria and the broader metabolic damage they contribute to.
Remember, humans are hypercarnivores and we are not physically constructed for carbohydrate or any kind of plant-based consumption. Consuming anything that is not species-appropriate will cause damage and shorten our health- and life-spans.
On our species-appropriate, species-specific hypercarnivore diet, there are no sugars or starches to ferment in the mouth.
The oral microbiome shifts away from acid-producing species toward one that is compatible with animal foods.
Tooth decay rates drop dramatically, immediately to near zero, without any special dental interventions.
This is not a theory. It is what happens when humans return to the diet their physiology evolved to run on. There is nothing in meat or organ meats that can damage the teeth, only the opposite.
The same principle applies to the rest of the body. Carbohydrates create glycation, severe tissue damage, and microbiome disruption throughout the system.
Removing them allows the body to repair itself instead of constantly fighting damage caused by inappropriate food.
The Real Problem Is Not a Lack of Studies
This is not a theory. It is what happens when humans return to the diet their physiology evolved to run on. There is nothing in meat or organ meats that can damage the teeth, only the opposite.
The same principle applies to the rest of the body. Carbohydrates create glycation, severe tissue damage, and microbiome disruption throughout the system.
Removing them allows the body to repair itself instead of constantly fighting damage caused by inappropriate food.
The Real Problem Is Not a Lack of Studies
We
do not need more research to understand that sugar destroys teeth. We
need the courage to state the obvious and stop protecting an industry
that profits from keeping people sick and confused.
Thirty-seven studies were not required to reach this conclusion. One functioning brain and basic observation would have been enough.
The solution has always been the same: stop consuming the substances that damage the body. Everything else is noise designed to sell products and maintain the status quo.
Sources and References:
Thirty-seven studies were not required to reach this conclusion. One functioning brain and basic observation would have been enough.
The solution has always been the same: stop consuming the substances that damage the body. Everything else is noise designed to sell products and maintain the status quo.
Sources and References:
Review summary: https://examine.com/research-feed/study/9DkvG0/
Systematic review of 37 studies examining sugar intake and dental caries risk.
Systematic review of 37 studies examining sugar intake and dental caries risk.
Original study: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42174517
Systematic review confirming the dose-response relationship between sugar consumption frequency and dental caries.
Moynihan, P.J. and Kelly, S.A. (2014). Effect on caries of restricting sugars intake: systematic review to inform WHO guidelines. Journal of Dental Research, 93(1), 8-18.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0022034513508954
Earlier WHO-supported review establishing the causal link between free sugars and dental caries.
Systematic review confirming the dose-response relationship between sugar consumption frequency and dental caries.
Moynihan, P.J. and Kelly, S.A. (2014). Effect on caries of restricting sugars intake: systematic review to inform WHO guidelines. Journal of Dental Research, 93(1), 8-18.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0022034513508954
Earlier WHO-supported review establishing the causal link between free sugars and dental caries.
Sheiham, A. and James, W.P. (2015). Diet and dental caries: the
pivotal role of free sugars reemphasized. Journal of Dental Research,
94(10), 1341-1347.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0022034515590377
Review emphasizing that frequency of sugar exposure is a critical driver of caries development.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0022034515590377
Review emphasizing that frequency of sugar exposure is a critical driver of caries development.
These
sources confirm what basic biology already tells us: carbohydrates feed
the bacteria that destroy teeth. The only real solution is removal of
the fuel source, not endless studies documenting the damage while
protecting the industries that profit from it.
This content is copied from an excellent article by Joachim Bartoll
https://bartoll.se/2026/07/teeth-decay-sugar/
https://bartoll.se/2026/07/teeth-decay-sugar/
Joachim Bartoll's entire massive and incredibly well researched website is HERE
