Liver and Teeth. Apparently eating one can help heal another. At least that’s what I’ve read and what we’re trying to do.
This past week we had our semi-annual check-up and cleaning at the dentist. All’s well with most, except little Lucius, who, according to x-rays of his molars, has several cavities on four or five teeth in each back corner.
The recommendation: We make no less than four visits to have the teeth filled in five places.
The problem: These are ALL baby teeth. He will have them for another 5 or 6 years, then they will fall out. So besides lacking the desire to see our lovely dentist that many times in the next six months, the Estimated Cost, after Estimated Insurance Coverage, would be better used to take care of dental work for Jason that he’s been putting off for Years (read: pesky wisdom teeth).
I’m not saying these cavities aren’t critical, they could be. However, when I pressed the dentist for other options, she said waiting would be perfectly fine. Even when I suggested we return in 3 months to follow up, she suggested 6. Also, Lucius reports no pain with his teeth. It was the receptionist/billing/scheduling person who was pushing the appointments. Hmm…
I’ve decided we’re going to make an honest go at Healing Them. Worst case: We’ll re-check in 6 months and they’ll have to be filled. Best case: The cavities will remineralize and the teeth will harden, fewer or no fillings required.
Over the past few years, I’ve been hearing about the book Cure Tooth Decay by Ramiel Nagel. I even purchased a copy in March 2014. In it the author presents his research and suggests a protocol for healing teeth, in a similar manner to healing any other bone in the body. You can actually find the protocol online for what to do and what to avoid. Results from bloggers who have tried it with their children or themselves are impressive! Google or read Amazon’s reviews.
Where are we starting? Liver. Beef liver to be exact. Tonight I made a Paleo recipe for Liver, Bacon, Onion & Kale with Cauliflower Mash. Jason cut the liver as I prep’ed everything else and began cooking. It was oily. It was uninviting. I followed the directions, using grass-fed butter for lard and kale in place of chard. The mashed cauliflower was pretty tasty. We didn’t taste the main dish until it was served atop the cauliflower.
I braced myself for a strong Liver taste. I could tell Jason did as well. Lucius immediately declared he didn’t like it simply because it was Beef (he prefers chicken). Julian only wanted to play with cars. We explained to the boys that this was new to EVERYONE. Somehow that helped. Julian had his first bite: Liver. It went down without issue. But he generally likes beef. Then he noticed the bacon, which he likes more, and started picking that out. It wasn’t long before he decided he was done and ready for bed (typical). Lucius had his first bite: Containing a bit of everything, fed by me at his request. He braced. He chewed. He swallowed. He went back for more! Lucius ate an adult-sized portion. Granted, I did fork most of those bites into his mouth, but he was never forced to eat. He even said he would be interested in having it again another day. What a relief! This new diet for the sake of his little teeth won’t be so bad after all. Now the tricky part will be sneaking it into everyone’s diets 3 times per week.
The book recommends 2 ounces grass-fed liver 4 or more times per week (page 100). Thankfully liver is super cheap. I bought 1.75 lbs grass-fed, organic beef liver for $5, or about $2.99/pound from my local butcher. Tomorrow I’m buying 2 pounds pastured chicken liver for $1.99/pound form a local farmer. Next on my list is a meat grinder to mix organ meats in with muscle meats to make them more palatable.
Bonus: Liver consumption should also help with Julian’s anemia.
What else are we doing?
- Fermented cod liver oil with butter oil, one teaspoon 2x daily. Lucius will take it without much complaint if followed by Elderberry syrup.
- Elderberry syrup will be made into gummies with grass-fed gelatin, for gelatin’s benefits.
- Raw milk for the boys to drink at meals. This will probably evolve to include homemade kefir and yogurt from raw milk. (I’m already making my own coconut yogurt.)
- Cereals will no longer an option for Lucius.
- I plan to try to soak and dehydrate nuts and some grains for snacks and homemade butters and flours. Nuts and grains are high in phytic acid, which can lead to tooth decay. This can be reduced or removed by soaking at least overnight, then dehydrating for use. I also plan to make him grain-free at home. School will be his exception.
- Fermented foods such as pickles, yogurt, kefir and kombucha will become a daily routine.
- I’ll be attempting to give him bone broth, whether by the cup like tea or cooked in stews and soups, which are not his favorite things.
- Raw eggs in smoothies may be an option. We have 3 hens and fresh eggs daily, so this is a very safe option for our family.
Cure Tooth Decay suggests you can aid healing by using one nutrient dense meal per day, and even outlines a protocol and suggested meal for that one meal, usually lunch. Unfortunately, I feel we need to give this our all. The protocol can only benefit everyone’s health.
We shall see.