Saliva may be something we don’t tend to think much about. Most people take saliva for granted. After all, saliva is just the watery substance in your mouth that helps break down food and begin digestion, right? Actually saliva keeps your mouth moist, helping you chew, taste and swallow food. Saliva helps to fight germs in your mouth and helps prevent bad breath. The proteins and minerals in saliva protect your tooth enamel and helps prevent gum disease. Human saliva may be 99.5% water, but the other .5% of saliva’s’ makeup is becoming more and more important. Dentists and doctors may start checking your saliva to help determine important medical indicators for your overall general health.
It was reported in The Journal of the American Dental Association that certain bacteria found in saliva can be linked to pancreatic cancer. A study of people who suffer from pancreatic cancer and or pancreatitis shows that their saliva varies than saliva of healthy people. The study conducted by researchers at the University of California Los Angeles, and the Division of Digestive Diseases at the David Geffen School of Medicine supports the suggestion that saliva may be a credible biomarker to diagnose and or track certain diseases.
The bacteria found in saliva can now be linked to pancreatic cancer. In a recent article we discovered that the bacterial makeup of your saliva can also determine if you are prone to cavities. Saliva has always played an important role in your oral and dental health; now testing your saliva could be an indicator to more serious, life threatening diseases.