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Is Plaque Destroying Your Oral Health? (And What to Do About It)

Is Plaque Destroying Your Oral Health? (And What to Do About It)

Justin Bosley BSc Nutritional Science, BSc Chemistry – November 05, 2022

It isn't something we often consider, but plaque is a major issue when it comes to tooth decay, gum disease, and even bad breath, but you don’t have to live with it.

It isn't something we often consider, but plaque is a major issue when it comes to tooth decay, gum disease, and even bad breath, but you don’t have to live with it.

teeth cleaning at the dentist

Introduction

You’ve probably heard of dental plaque before, and even if you don’t really know what it is, you probably know (thanks to antiplaque toothpaste and your dental hygienist) that it’s bad. Plaque is a sticky biofilm that coats your teeth and contains bacteria; if you’ve ever had that fuzzy, slimy, or cruddy coating on your teeth that makes you want to brush them at the end of the day, that’s plaque! But besides the ick factor, why is plaque so harmful? If you’ve ever struggled with tooth decay, gum disease, or even bad breath you might not have considered that plaque is actually a major player. The good news is, however, that you don’t have to live with it!

If you are like me, then you HATE going to the dentist. The high-pitched drilling, the stinging pain of needles and drills, having to lie down with your mouth gaping open drying out while saliva pools in the corners, and then comes the most excruciating part of all, the bill! You have to pay what?!?! Why does it have to be that way? You brush and floss your teeth twice a day! Then every six months you must go to the dentist and get another tooth drilled because they find yet again ANOTHER cavity! When will it end? When you finally get dentures? Uuuhgg!

Sometimes it feels as if your dentist is like a mechanic, at each checkup always looking for some new fabricated issue just to charge you more money, right? Well, maybe that isn't the case... perhaps the real issue is your toothpaste. Is it really doing everything that it needs to do to keep your mouth healthy? Or is your toothpaste letting you down?

Your toothpaste is supposed to help remove food debris and plaque, kill bacteria, and neutralize acid, but if you are still getting cavities, it isn’t doing its job well enough. If you are brushing and flossing properly, you’re probably removing all the food debris, but if you’re leaving too much plaque, bacteria, or acid in your mouth you will not be able to maintain good oral health and you’ll keep having dental problems.

What Causes Bad Oral Health?

man with dentures

The process of oral decay begins with bacteria, but it doesn’t end there. The mouth contains 700 different species of bacteria [1]! Yeah, that’s a lot! Surprisingly, that is more species than exist in your colon, which houses between 300 and 500 different species [2]! Most of the bacteria in your mouth do not contribute to tooth decay, but a handful do. The most prominent harmful species is called streptococcus mutans (or S. mutans for short) [3].

When you chew your food, particles get stuck in your teeth. The bacteria in your mouth eat these food particles, particularly the sugars, and then produce acid as a byproduct, which then dissolves your teeth and causes tooth decay. The bacteria also create plaque (which as a reminder, is that sticky, cruddy-feeling tooth coating), and they use this biofilm as their home, shielding them from things that might harm them. It creates a safe, bacteria-friendly ecosystem where they can live, continue to eat your food and dissolve your teeth, and in turn, create more space for them to live in your mouth.

In order to have a healthy mouth, you need to remove all four factors of bad oral health on a daily basis: food debris, plaque, bacteria, and acid. Because plaque, bacteria, and acid are so intertwined, plaque becomes the most significant factor in oral diseases. Removing it can make the bacteria vulnerable and allow your oral hygiene products to kill and remove them which prevents further plaque buildup. Failure to remove plaque on a regular basis can cause it to build up and harden into calculus or tartar (a calcium-infused plaque that your toothpaste can’t remove and is what your hygienist scrapes off each time), which can lead to oral diseases such as gingivitis [4], periodontitis [5], bad breath [6], and tooth decay and eventually tooth loss [7].

woman brushing teeth with charcoal

Is Your Toothpaste Doing its Job?

If you use normal big toothpaste brands such as Colgate or Crest, you are basically brushing your teeth with sweetened dish soap and fluoride. You read that right, DISH SOAP! Normal toothpaste contains a synthetic detergent chemical called sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), which is the main component of dish soap and causes it to foam up. The SLS does exactly the same thing in toothpaste that it does in dish soap—it foams up and washes your mouth to help break up fats and remove food. Sounds great, right?! Well, there is a problem. Normal toothpaste doesn’t do a great job of removing plaque, nor does it neutralize acid, so the bacteria beneath the plaque are protected from the SLS. The foaming feeling may make it feel like your teeth are getting clean, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s working that well. In addition to not doing a thorough cleaning job[8], SLS is also harmful. It irritates gums and can cause canker sores[9], gum sloughing (which is caused by SLS killing your cells)[10], and inflammation[11] and it’s not safe to swallow. Toothpaste types that contain both SLS and fluoride are actually toxic if consumed in sufficient quantities. This is especially bad for children and those with certain mental or physical disabilities who tend to swallow more toothpaste than healthy adults. This is why your toothpaste comes with a warning that says “Keep out of reach of children under 6 yrs. of age. If more than used for brushing is accidentally swallowed get medical help or contact a Poison Control Center right away.”

Since SLS is not very effective at plaque-removal, mainstream toothpaste brands attempt to compensate for this shortfall in multiple ways. Recently, toothpaste manufacturers have started using abrasives in their formulas to help remove more plaque. These abrasives used to include plastic microbeads until those were banned for environmental reasons. Now they often use calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, or micro silica beads, aka sand. Yes, not only does your toothpaste have dish soap, it also has SAND in it. Manufacturers basically put small beads of sand in your toothpaste as an abrasive to remove plaque. This DOES help remove more plaque, but since silica is harder than your teeth, it has the ability to scratch and damage your enamel, making your teeth more vulnerable to acids and bacteria. To mitigate this damage, manufacturers limit the amount and size of the beads they add to your toothpaste. Even still, it’s kind of like cleaning your teeth with sandpaper.

Despite these things, major toothpaste brands are still not doing a great job at removing plaque from the teeth, as we can see from statistics. According to the ADA[12], 50% of youths ages 5-17 suffer with tooth decay, yet according to a Gallup poll[12], 64% of youths brush their teeth twice per day. According to the CDC[13], 47% of adults over the age of 30 have periodontitis (late-stage gum disease), and by the time a person reaches 65 they have a 70% chance of developing periodontitis. Factors like sugar consumption, smoking, diabetes, poor oral hygiene, stress, genetics, crooked teeth, and others can contribute to the issue, but regardless, your toothpaste should still do a better job at protecting you from bad lifestyle habits and genetics.

Even natural toothpaste brands don’t do justice to your pearly whites. Many of them use as their main cleaning components, glycerin, salt, or clay which don’t do much to remove plaque. Some (but not enough!) use baking soda which is great at helping to reduce plaque and neutralize acids while protecting your enamel and freshening your breath. Studies have found that baking soda helps to decrease rates of gum disease when used in toothpaste formulas[14, 15]. (You can read more about the benefits of baking soda on your teeth in our article "Will Baking Soda Harm My Teeth?".)

Two things that natural toothpaste brands do well, that are not commonly found in mainstream toothpaste, are the inclusion of essential oils and xylitol. Essential oils of cinnamon[16], clove[17], oregano[18], and tea tree[19], as well as xylitol (which has been well-studied for oral health) have all been found to kill S. mutans, the key plaque-causing bacteria that cause tooth decay[20]. Although this can help to reduce the number of bacteria in your mouth and thereby reduce plaque formation in the long run, it won’t remove existing plaque or the bacteria it’s protecting. So, if you brush your teeth after every meal, it will gradually help stop plaque formation, but that takes time. You need something that is superior at removing plaque with each brushing to prevent tooth and gum diseases!

What Makes The Honest Tooth Different?

The Honest Tooth is a tooth cleaning powder that is formulated unlike any other toothpaste or powder. You won’t find anything else like it on the market today. Apart from using baking soda as its main ingredient, as well as containing xylitol, and essential oils of cinnamon and clove, The Honest Tooth contains a special ingredient that other tooth cleaning products do not: monolaurin.

Monolaurin is a fat that is naturally found in human breast milk, but can also be manufactured from coconuts. Coconuts are rich in lauric acid[21], and lauric acid is a component of monolaurin. Some people think that because lauric acid is abundant in coconut oil, using or eating coconut oil will provide all the oral benefits of monolaurin (detailed below). But lauric acid alone isn’t enough. Unless you’re a breastfeeding baby, you won’t have any naturally occurring source of monolaurin in your diet (even if you’re using coconut oil), so it must intentionally be added to your routine to get the benefits.

The Benefits of Monolaurin

Monolaurin has several benefits for dental health. Not only is it antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory, it’s also incredible at removing plaque quickly without damaging gums or enamel, and (unlike SLS) it’s safe to consume! The antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antiplaque properties in particular have been the focus of many studies[22–36]. Specifically, it has been shown to inhibit and kill gram-positive[23] food-borne pathogens and infectious bacteria such as group B Strep[37], staphylococcus aureus[22–30], Listeria[35, 36], and S. mutans[32–34]. It is theorized that monolaurin kills bacteria by breaking up the cell membrane. Monolaurin also helps to break up bacterial biofilm (plaque) and prevent its formation as well[31–34], however, the mechanisms by which it works are still unknown.

In two studies, rats were given a high-sugar diet and exposed to S. mutans. They were then given either a normal diet or one that contained monolaurin for 21 days. The scientists then measured the number of cavities in the rats and found that the rats given the monolaurin had significantly fewer[31, 32]. Unfortunately, to date, no published human studies have been done specifically on the effects of monolaurin for dental health, but the in-vitro and rat study results are promising.

However, we at Evexia Science have done our own informal studies going head-to-head with normal toothpaste to compare The Honest Tooth’s plaque-removing abilities. We had participants brush their teeth as usual with their normal toothpaste, then chew a plaque stain tablet to color the leftover plaque pink. The next day we had participants brush their teeth with The Honest Tooth and chew another plaque stain tablet. We then compared the amount of plaque left over, on and in-between the teeth, with their normal toothpaste compared to The Honest Tooth. Here are the results.

In these before-and-after photos, you can clearly see that the kinds of toothpaste that the participants normally used (which included conventional and natural brands) left more plaque on the teeth than The Honest Tooth. The Honest Tooth did a superior job at cleaning and removing plaque from the teeth compared to the natural and even the big toothpaste brands.

Conclusion

Plaque is a major issue for dental health today which leads to a lot of dental health issues. Conventional and even natural toothpaste brands do not remove enough plaque, or bacteria, and may not neutralize acids in your mouth. We need tooth powders and pastes that remove more plaque and leave your mouth healthier, fresher, and cleaner. The Honest Tooth is a superior tooth cleaning powder that can neutralize acids, eliminate harmful microbes, and remove plaque better than leading brands of toothpaste.

Give The Honest Tooth a try today and you will see and feel the difference for yourself!

Learn more about The Honest Tooth by clicking here

► References
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Evexia Science Blog – Justin Bosley BSc Nutritional Science, BSc Chemistry – April 15, 2024

Fart Less, Live More: Tips for Reducing Gas and Bloating

After you eat, do you feel like you swallowed an air mattress? Your stomach is gurgling and growling, ready to unleash noxious fumes at any moment. It's happened before - the moment of gastrointestinal betrayal when your body rebels, subjecting innocent bystanders to the horrors within. But never fear, there are ways to tame the beast and restore peace to your insides. This article will explore simple tips to improve your gut health and reduce embarrassing gas and bloating. You may not achieve sainthood, but you can aim for basic human decency. We know it isn’t the most glamorous topic, but read on to discover how small changes can lead to good gut feelings all around. The Causes of Excessive Gas and Bloating Simple Sugars Well, folks, the truth is your tummy troubles are likely self-inflicted. Those irresistible candies, cakes, and ice cream you’ve been packing away are packed with sugar that feeds the bacteria festering in your gut. The result? Enough hot air to fuel your backyard BBQ. Your Bad Bacterial Overgrowth That’s right, there’s a whole microbial mosh pit going on in your intestines. When the nasty bacteria get the upper hand, they have a gas-fuelled field day breaking down undigested food and the resultant hydrogen and methane are what’s puffing you up like a balloon. You Talk Too Much Your mama always told you not to talk with your mouth full, but did you listen? No, you insisted on yammering away during dinner, gulping in extra air with every bite. All that excess air has to go somewhere, so it heads straight down to your gut. You’re a Slurper and a Straw-Sucker If you drink carbonated soft drinks or you’re prone to slurping your drinks or sucking them up through a straw, you’re swallowing a bellyful of air. And that air is getting trapped, causing your midsection to inflate like a puffer fish. Dietary Changes That Can Reduce Gas and Bloating Let's face it, some foods just don't agree with our digestive systems. If you find yourself frequently feeling like an overinflated balloon, it may be time to make some dietary changes. The good news is with a few simple fixes like easing up on the gassy grub, improving your eating habits, and taking the right supplements, you’ll be back to your slender and graceful self in no time and enjoying meals without the musical accompaniment. Now that’s something worth tooting your horn about! Increase Your Fiber Intake Slowly Fiber is important for gut health, but too much of a good thing can lead to excess gas. Gradually increase your fiber intake and be sure to drink plenty of water to help the extra roughage move through your system. Some people find relief by switching to less gas-inducing sources, like whole grains over beans. Careful with the Legumes Speaking of beans, lentils, broccoli, and cabbage, limit these notorious gas-causers at first. The more you eat them, the more your digestive system will adapt and you won't produce as many noxious fumes. Watch Your Lactose Your gut bacteria will adjust over time, but take it slow. The same goes for dairy, if you're lactose intolerant. Try lactose-free options or non-dairy milk and yogurts. The Right Supplements Gut Reset, an herbal supplement from Evexia Science, contains berberine and silymarin, which can help improve gut health and ease bloating by potentially reducing gas-producing bacteria in the intestines. Use the code HealthyGut10 to get 10% off today! Products like Beano also contain enzymes to help break down gas-causing compounds in certain foods. While probiotics are great for gut health, some can initially cause excess gas and bloating. Start with a lower dose and build up slowly. The same goes for prebiotics like inulin - moderation is key. Making a few simple diet changes can significantly reduce your gas and bloating, leaving you free to do more of the important things in life - like leaving the room without embarrassment after passing wind! Your gut and those around you will surely thank you. Lifestyle Tips to Improve Digestion and Decrease Gas Eat Slowly, Chew Thoroughly When you wolf down your food like a ravenous beast, you end up swallowing a lot of air with every bite. All that extra air in your gut leads to gas and bloating. Slow down, chill out, and taste your food. Chew each bite 20-30 times to help break it down and release its nutrients. Your stomach will thank you. Stay Hydrated Being dehydrated slows down digestion and can lead to gas and constipation. Aim for 6-8 glasses of water per day to keep your gut happy. Other gut-friendly beverages include peppermint or ginger tea, which can double as a natural digestive aid. If plain water bores you, add some lemon or cucumber for extra flavor and hydration. Electrolytes Staying hydrated with plain water is important, but adding electrolytes can also help reduce bloating and aid digestion. Electrolytes like sodium, potassium, and magnesium help draw water into your gut and keep it hydrated. This hydration helps digestive enzymes work properly and also speeds up transit time, reducing gas and bloating. Some easy ways to get more electrolytes: Drink electrolyte beverages like coconut water or sports drinks in moderation. Start with a small amount and see how your body reacts. Add a pinch of salt to your water. While salt gets a bad rap, the right amount can aid digestion. Just be sure not to overdo it. Eat more potassium-rich foods like bananas, avocados, sweet potatoes, and leafy greens. These high-potassium plant foods also provide fiber to feed your gut bacteria. Drink potassium-rich fruit and vegetable juices such as carrot juice or orange juice. Sprinkle some magnesium-rich foods into your diet like pumpkin seeds, almonds, spinach, and dark chocolate. Magnesium helps relax muscles throughout your digestive tract, easing gas and cramping. Move That Body Exercise helps stimulate bowel movements and improves digestion. Even taking a 30-minute walk can help get your gut moving. Yoga or Tai Chi are also great for reducing stress and relaxing your abdomen. Specific yoga poses like knees-to-chest, cat/cow, and twists can gently massage your intestines and release any pent-up gas. So get off the couch and go move around - your gut will thank you, and the people around you will too! Frequently Asked Questions About Reducing Gas and Bloating Do probiotics really help? Probiotics are supposed to help by adding “good” bacteria to your gut, but whether or not they work depends on the person and the product. Some studies show probiotics may reduce gas and bloating for certain individuals, but for others, they do diddly squat. The good bacteria in most over-the-counter probiotics may not even take up residence in your gut due to all of the other bacteria in there taking up space. Our advice? If you want to make probiotics more effective then you should try using Gut Reset to help clear some of the space for the good bacteria to grow. What about digestive enzymes? Do they reduce gas? Digestive enzymes can help break down food so your gut doesn’t have to work as hard, which may lead to less gas overall. Look for a broad-spectrum enzyme formula containing proteases for protein, lipases for fat, and amylases for carbs. Enzymes won’t solve an underlying issue like SIBO or IBS, but they can provide relief from occasional gas and indigestion. I’ve heard simethicone can reduce gas. Does it really work? Simethicone products like Gas-X contain an anti-foaming agent that helps break up gas bubbles in your gut. For some people, simethicone does seem to provide relief from gas and make passing gas less uncomfortable. However, simethicone just treats the symptoms, it doesn’t actually reduce the amount of gas in your intestines or prevent gas formation. It also may not work for gas caused by certain foods or conditions like SIBO or IBS. Simethicone can be worth trying for occasional gas relief, but for chronic issues, you’ll need to address the underlying cause. Are there any natural remedies that can help reduce gas? Some natural remedies that may reduce gas include: Peppermint or ginger tea: Both are soothing to the gut and have anti-gas properties. Probiotic yogurt: Look for yogurt containing live active cultures like lactobacillus or bifidobacterium. Fennel seeds: Chew on a teaspoon full of fennel seeds after meals to improve digestion and reduce gas. Turmeric: Turmeric has anti-inflammatory effects and may help ease gas and bloating. Try turmeric supplements or adding turmeric to your meals like yellow curry. Berberine and silymarin combined: These two herbs work in synergy to kill bad bacteria and may benefit those with digestive health issues by reducing bacteria in the intestines. This is the active ingredient formula that is found in Gut Reset. Conclusion So there you have it, folks. A few small tweaks to your diet and lifestyle can lead to big improvements in the wind farm situation. We know it's not the most glamorous topic, but a little less toot can mean a lot more spring in your step. This ain't no laughing matter - reducing gas and bloating can seriously enhance your quality of life. And your loved ones will thank you too. So take these tips to heart, stomach, and other affected areas. You've got the power to take control of your hot air supply. It's time to say "see ya" to excess fumes and start feeling - and smelling - like a whole new you. Now go forth and fart less my friends. Your body and your neighbor will thank you. References “Symptoms & Causes of Gas in the Digestive Tract - NIDDK,” National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Accessed: Apr. 20, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/gas-digestive-tract/symptoms-causes “Bloated Stomach: Causes, Tips to Reduce & When to be Concerned,” Cleveland Clinic. Accessed: Apr. 20, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/21740-bloated-stomach “Practical tips to reduce bloating, belching and gas,” Mayo Clinic. Accessed: Apr. 20, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/gas-and-gas-pains/in-depth/gas-and-gas-pains/art-20044739 “What Is Intestinal Gas?,” Cleveland Clinic. Accessed: Apr. 20, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/7314-gas-and-gas-pain “Gas and gas pains-Gas and gas pains - Symptoms & causes,” Mayo Clinic. Accessed: Apr. 20, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/gas-and-gas-pains/symptoms-causes/syc-20372709

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Evexia Science Blog – Justin Bosley BSc Nutritional Science, BSc Chemistry – April 01, 2024

Dental Plaque: The Silent Threat to Your Smile

Hey there! You might not realize it, but your smile could secretly be under attack. That sticky film that builds up on your teeth - yup, that gross plaque - is actually a big threat to your oral health. Plaque might seem harmless, but it can wreak havoc if you don't remove it regularly. The good news is you can fight back and protect your pearly whites with some simple plaque-removal tricks. Stick with me and you'll learn how getting rid of more plaque can transform your smile for the better. Even small changes to your routine can make a huge difference, so let's talk about how to defeat plaque once and for all! What Is Dental Plaque Many people seem to accept that plaque is a normal part of life and just focus on brushing their teeth. The truth is, that plaque buildup is dangerous to your oral health and smile. Plaque is a sticky, colorless film of bacteria that forms on your teeth and along the gum line. If left unattended, plaque hardens into tartar, which can only be removed by a dental professional. The Effects of Plaque Buildup on Your Teeth and Gums Plaque is that sticky, colorless layer of bacteria that forms on your teeth and gums. While it may seem harmless, plaque buildup can wreak havoc on your oral health over time. Gum disease. As plaque builds up along your gum line, it causes inflammation and irritation. Left untreated, this can advance to periodontitis, a serious gum infection that damages the soft tissue and bone supporting your teeth. Warning signs include swollen, red gums, persistent bad breath, and loose or shifting teeth. Tooth decay. The bacteria in plaque produce acids that break down the enamel on your teeth. This results in cavities, which get bigger over time and may require fillings or crowns to repair the damage. Cavities often don’t cause any symptoms until they get quite large, so regular dental exams are critical to catching them early. Bad breath. The bacteria in plaque release foul-smelling gases, especially in areas that are hard to reach with your toothbrush. Removing plaque through brushing, flossing, and professional cleanings helps eliminate the causes of bad breath and leaves your mouth feeling fresh. Stained or yellow teeth. As plaque builds up on your teeth over days and weeks, it causes surface stains that make your teeth look dull or yellow. Thorough plaque removal helps prevent staining and keeps your smile bright and white. How to Remove Plaque Effectively The most effective way to remove plaque from your teeth is through daily brushing and flossing. Brushing removes plaque from the surfaces of your teeth, while flossing removes plaque between teeth where the toothbrush can’t reach. Floss at Least Once Per Day Flossing removes plaque and food particles from between your teeth which the toothbrush can’t reach. Floss at least once per day, preferably at night before bed. Brush Your Teeth Twice a Day You should brush your teeth at least twice per day for two minutes each time, preferably after every meal. Pay extra attention to brushing along the gum line and hard-to-reach areas in the back of your mouth. Use a soft-bristled brush. Brush your teeth at a 45-degree angle to your gums. Brush with The Honest Tooth The Honest Tooth is a tooth powder that is designed to get your teeth cleaner and whiter, and your breath fresher than normal toothpaste. The Honest Tooth can remove all four causes of dental issues: plaque, bacteria, food debris, and tooth-eating acids. It works much better than normal toothpaste. It does this through several key ingredients. Baking soda – Baking soda helps to neutralize tooth-eating acids as well as gently polish your teeth to remove plaque. Xylitol – xylitol is a natural sugar-alcohol derived from birch trees. It helps to kill bacteria that cause tooth decay such as S. mutans. Monolaurin – Monolaurin is a fat that is enzymatically derived from coconut oil. It helps to dissolve the plaque and remove it from the hard-to-reach areas and grooves in your teeth and gums. Cinnamon and clove essential oils – Have been scientifically proven to kill s. mutans, the bacteria that causes cavities. The Benefits of The Honest Tooth Cleaner teethA whiter smileFresher breathReduced risk of gingivitisReduced risk of cavities   Get your bottle today! Use the code Evexia10 to get 10% off your order! Conclusion So in summary, plaque is a sneaky thing that can ruin your beautiful smile before you even realize it's there. Don't let it creep up on you! Make plaque your enemy and fight it daily with good brushing and flossing habits, and use The Honest Tooth. Your pearly whites will thank you. Remember, plaque is always ready to attack, so be vigilant. But you've got this! With the right tools and techniques, you can send plaque packing. Stay on top of your oral hygiene game and keep that knockout grin. You only get one set of adult teeth, so take good care of them. They're yours for life!

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Evexia Science Blog – Justin Bosley BSc Nutritional Science, BSc Chemistry – September 23, 2023

Strongest Antiviral Essential Oils (According to Science)

Plants produce chemical compounds to protect themselves and stay healthy. Many plants produce volatile (quickly evaporating) oils. We call them essential oils because they contain the essence of the plant and are essential to the health of the plant. Without these oils, the plant would quickly succumb to diseases. It is very remarkable how versatile these little compounds are. They can work as deterrents to bugs, many different bacteria, and even viruses!

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