When considering the wide array of foods that contain calories, toothpaste isn't typically one that comes to mind!
However, given its unmissable presence in daily hygiene routines, the question arises: Does toothpaste have calories?
In this article, we’ll aim to provide clarity for anyone curious about the nutritional aspects of toothpaste! We’ll explore:
- The composition of toothpaste
- Whether the calories it contains are significant enough to be considered in one's dietary intake.
Let’s get started!
The Ingredients of Toothpaste
Toothpaste typically includes a combination of ingredients designed to clean teeth, freshen breath, and contribute to overall oral health. A typical toothpaste formulation might contain the following:
-
Abrasives: Ingredients like calcium carbonate or hydrated silica are included to help remove food debris and surface stains
-
n-Ha (nano-hydroxyapatite): This biocompatible mineral is a newer ingredient gaining popularity for its ability to repair tooth enamel and reduce sensitivity directly.
-
Fluorides: Often found as sodium fluoride or stannous fluoride, these compounds are key in protecting teeth from decay by strengthening tooth enamel. The active component, sodium fluoride, in the toothpaste has no calories.
-
Surfactants: Surfactants such as sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) are used to create foam, which helps lift particles away from the teeth
-
Thickeners: Compounds such as cellulose gum or xanthan gum give toothpaste its characteristic texture.
- Flavorings like saccharin or other artificial sweeteners are added to improve taste, making the toothpaste more palatable without contributing sugar that could promote tooth decay.
The two components with the fewest calories are sorbitol and sodium saccharin. A serving of toothpaste probably includes less than one gram of sorbitol, a sweetener with just about three calories per gram.
Furthermore, the majority of these calories aren't even absorbed because toothpaste is typically not digested. Another sweetener with about 4 calories per gram is sodium saccharin. A serving of toothpaste most likely contains less than one gram of this component.
The table below provides a summary of these common ingredients and their purpose:
|
Ingredient |
Purpose |
|
Abrasives |
Removes debris and stains |
|
Fluoride |
Strengthens enamel and prevents decay |
|
Surfactants |
Creates foam and lifts away unwanted food particles |
|
Thickeners |
Provides a better texture |
|
Flavorings |
Improves taste |
When examining a toothpaste's nutritional content label, you’ll probably notice that it doesn't specify a calorie count!
Considering that a large portion of the toothpaste is not consumed, if you calculate that each serving of toothpaste has about approximately 3 calories.
Since toothpaste is not meant for consumption, its caloric content is considered negligible.
Some ingredients like xylitol do have a calorie burden, but because they are used in such small amounts in toothpaste, they don't contribute significantly to the overall total.
For detailed information on non-nutritive sweeteners in toothpaste, you may find it helpful to refer to research such as a study published here.
Remember: the primary function of toothpaste is to clean teeth and not to serve as nutrition!
Therefore, the focus remains on the benefits these ingredients provide for oral health rather than their caloric value.
Do Toothpaste Calories Matter?
When you think of getting your daily calories, you wouldn’t normally associate it with toothpaste!
The human body processes calories as energy, and these are typically derived from food and beverages.
Caloric Content:
Toothpaste is not intended for consumption, so the calories it contains are negligible compared to daily dietary intake.
The comparison shows whether the calories in toothpaste are significant enough to contribute to one's daily caloric budget:
- Toothpaste (average use per brushing): 1-3 calories
- A slice of bread: 80-100 calories
- An apple: 95 calories.
As you can see, in the context of an average diet of 2000 calories a day, toothpaste's contribution is tiny!
Caloric absorption from toothpaste might occur, but it is so minimal that it does not play a factor even to those who are monitoring their caloric intake.
You would have to consume an unrealistic amount of toothpaste to equate to the caloric content of even low-calorie foods such as fruit and grains.
Since toothpaste use is externally applied and only a trace amount is ingested inadvertently, its caloric content has no practical impact on diet.
Summary
In essence: the body does process calories from any source, but toothpaste calories are so minor that they are essentially inconsequential to overall intake!
Instead, focus on the nutritional content of your diet and not the calories in your toothpaste.
And when it comes to toothpaste, it pays to choose ingredients that support enamel health and strength, whiten teeth, and taste great to boot – our very own n-Ha toothpaste, for instance!