For Better Looks And Health, Make That The Last Straw

Do you sip beverages through a straw? Bad idea. Straws can add pucker to your cheeks, create wrinkles around your mouth, inspire intestinal gas and help dissolve your teeth.

It is a common myth that drinking sugary and acidic beverages through a straw can help preserve your pearly whites by lessening tooth exposure to staining liquids and acids. It works only if you place the straw in the back of your mouth, causing you to miss much of the taste of the beverage. Then, what’s the point in even drinking a tasty treat?

Expert Warning

A growing number of dental experts say it is a much better idea to chase sugary and staining beverages with a bit of water to neutralize acid and minimize stains. An even better option is to opt for water as your drink of choice.

So if straws aren’t really protecting your teeth, what are they doing for you? They’re giving you wrinkles and could be causing digestive issues.

When you enjoy refreshment through a drinking straw, you make the same puckered-lip motion that smokers do as they puff away at their cigarettes. Though you may not be inhaling a multitude of poisonous chemicals, drinking a beverage through a straw may give you a wrinkly smoker’s mouth.

If you notice that you tend to be gassy or bloated after enjoying a meal or beverage, there could be many culprits. But one you may not expect is the plastic tube from which you sip your drinks. With every slurp, you may also gulp a tiny amount of air. This air builds up in your gut and can cause painful bloating and uncomfortable gassiness.