Using mouthwash twice a day linked to increased risk of diabetes: Study

People who use mouthwash twice a day are more likely to develop diabetes, according to a new study that challenges what is good oral hygiene.

Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health found that overweight people who swished antiseptic around their gums in the morning and evening had a 55 percent higher chance of having diabetes or being pre-diabetic, the Daily Mail reported.

This was compared to people who only used mouthwash once a day or even less.

While oral rinses kill off bacteria harmful to the mouth and that contribute to bad breath, it also kills essential good bacteria — which helps regulate insulin levels, metabolism and keeps bad bacteria at bay, among other things.

Killing off good bacteria allows bad bacteria to thrive, the Daily Mail reported.

In the study, researchers followed 1,206 overweight people aged 40 to 65 who were at risk for developing diabetes. Participants who didn’t or rarely used mouthwash were at a 17 percent risk of developing diabetes or having pre-diabetes. People who used mouthwash once a day had a 20 percent risk and that number rose to 30 percent if a person rinsed twice a day.

The study was published in the December issue of the journal Nitric Oxide.