Don’t spit it out: your saliva is more valuable than you think

Saliva keeps your lips' humidity

It clearly can be memorized, during the childhood I was usually to use our saliva in preventing bleeding. While, traditional teaching in Sibolga, Indonesia, utilizes Sikaduduk leaves to heal the wound by chewing it first. This method actually generates two things related to the healing process of the wound. Either the saliva or the leaf has abilities in healing, but the question is “are they anti-bacterial?”

Saliva is common liquid produced by salivary gland and this liquid is secreted through tubes near upper teeth, under the tongue and in the floor of the mouth. Saliva is produced in addition to moisten the mouth and processing the food, for instance, in processing the starch into more simply compound, which is glucose. Interestingly, the presence of saliva is also preventing the tooth from decaying which can be caused by chemical compounds or the bacterial itself. Previous article also suggested that the saliva can prevent oral cancer for smoker.

The properties of saliva have been recognizing widely in medical worlds as antioxidants and antibacterial. Despite of its lubricative properties, saliva is composed by antibacterial compounds (including thiocyanate, hydrogen peroxide, immunoglobulin A); enzymes that can terminate bacteria such as Lysozyme, lactoperoxidase, lactoferin and many minor enzymes. Although its composition is almost consisted as water, these antibacterial enzymes and compounds have been keeping the mouth from many oral and dental diseases, and those are including cancer.

But more importantly, the properties of saliva are not merely as antibacterial compounds. 2017’s study conducted by Chilean researchers discovered new attributes that can make saliva as the main actor in healing the wound faster than any parts in our body. The researchers discovered that the peptide histatin-1 which can be found in the saliva contributes in triggering of healing the wound in oral mucosa. But, how the saliva can be considered as the one which is responsible in healing the wound?

The answer lies on the contribution of the histatin-1 which is considered as antibacterial and inhibitors in promoting the cell adhesion, migration, and angiogenesis. What? Angiogenesis? What does it mean?

According to the National Cancer Institute, the definition of angiogenesis is the ability of body in starting the formation of new blood vessels which involves the migration, growth, and differentiation of endothelial cell. The procedure of angiogenesis comprises many stages, however, the process begins when the body stimulates the brain to stop the blood and creating the new vessels. This auto-biological-recovery works faster in the mouth because of the histatin-1, while in the skins, the helps of healing wound only are originated from the blood plasma containing protein that can form a fibrin net.

It means that unlike skins, the oral system creates two natural band aids which come from the saliva and the blood. Therefore, the healing process is faster in the mouth than in the skins. Overall, the saliva which we sometimes spit out from the mouth contains antibacterial compounds. Furthermore, if we get injured and create wound, do not hesitate to use your saliva to cover the wound in order to prevent infection from outside bacterial.

Reference
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