Did you know that in an average lifetime, you’ll produce over 23,000 liters of saliva? That’s nearly 80 bathtubs-full!

While most of us go through our days without really thinking about the importance of saliva, it plays a crucial role in our oral and overall health. From protecting your enamel to enhancing your taste, you might be surprised just how many functions saliva carries out every day.

To celebrate this incredible liquid, let’s explore what exactly saliva is, why it’s so important, and how you can nurture healthy saliva through mindful, everyday habits.

what is saliva?

The easiest answer to this question is that saliva is spit, but in the world of oral and overall health, it’s much more than that! It’s a (mostly water-based) fluid.

Your saliva is up to 99% water and 1% proteins, salts, electrolytes, glucose, urea, hormones, and more. Healthy saliva contains up to 1,000 different types such as enzymes, mucins, antibodies, and anti-inflammatory peptides. That’s a lot of substances for a little bit of liquid! Each of these substances helps your saliva carry out crucial functions to nurture your overall health, which we’ll cover in a bit.

how is saliva produced?

It’s no surprise that your saliva comes from the salivary glands in your oral cavity (mouth). Three pairs of major glands make about 90% of your saliva: the parotid, submandibular, and sublingual glands. Many other minor glands make the remaining 10%.

Many things can influence your saliva production, such as the things you smell, the food and drinks you taste, and the consistency of the foods and drinks you put in your mouth (crunchy, soft, sugary, acidic, etc).

Many people don’t realize that saliva production is also directly linked to your nervous system. No matter what “mode” your nervous system is in, it should always trigger saliva production. But when your parasympathetic nervous system (aka your fight, flight, freeze response) gets activated, it can have larger, longer-lasting effects on your saliva. It can change the volume and consistency of your saliva, leading to dry mouth and other uncomfortable consequences. This is just another reminder that stress can have massive underlying effects on your holistic health!

functions of saliva

Saliva has so many incredible functions throughout your body. In a way, saliva is a prime example of our motto, “Your mouth is the window to your overall health.” What do we mean by that? Let’s explain by diving into saliva's importance as it nurtures your holistic health.

• saliva coats your mouth and throat: this coating acts as a barrier between your oral mucosa (the soft membrane that lines your mouth) and the foods and contaminants that enter your mouth. For example, if you’re outside breathing in car exhaust, cigarette smoke, pollen, and other irritants, healthy saliva will protect your oral mucosa from these things!
• saliva flushes out your mouth: not only does saliva help you wash out food debris, but it also helps to preserve your enamel, a healthy bacterial balance, and a healthy pH balance in your mouth. This is why dry mouth can be so detrimental, as it allows bacteria to flourish and release acids that can harm your enamel and gums.
• saliva enhances taste: healthy saliva acts as a dissolvent when you eat or drink something, interacting with your taste buds and bringing out more distinct flavors.
• saliva aids in digestion: in a similar manner, saliva begins the digestive process! This is why your mouth can start watering right when you smell a delicious meal. Once food enters your mouth, saliva binds to the food to break it down and make it easier to chew and swallow.
• saliva can indicate larger health risks: your saliva contains your DNA (hence mouth swabs for DNA tests). The DNA in your saliva (or lack of saliva, aka dry mouth) can indicate conditions like cancer, aging, hormonal imbalance, viruses, cardiovascular complications, allergies, nutrient absorption issues, and more. Not to mention, the volume and composition of your saliva can indicate other systemic health issues such as insulin resistance, diabetes, oral infections, and beyond.

As you can see, healthy saliva (or lack thereof) plays a huge role in our daily lives and can tell us so much about our overall health!

how can you nurture healthy saliva?

Daily intentional habits can help you maintain healthy saliva. If you have unexplained dry mouth or other issues with the volume/texture of your saliva, we highly recommend visiting your dentist! But if you’re looking for general maintenance, check out these tips below.

• stay hydrated: especially in these summer months, ensure you’re getting 100-125 ounces of water daily and consider adding electrolytes to your water. Remember, your saliva is made up of these substances!
• eat a mouth-healthy diet: to us, a mouth-friendly diet consists of whole foods that stimulate healthy saliva production and give your mouth a daily dose of essential nutrients like proteins, calcium, vitamin D, fiber, and phosphorus.
• avoid alcohol and tobacco: alcohol is a diuretic, meaning it can dehydrate you by depleting your body’s salt and fluid stores. Tobacco contains nicotine, a substance that’s known to decrease saliva flow and cause dry mouth. The same goes for vaping and smoking cannabis…you’ll want to avoid all of these substances to nurture healthy saliva!
• manage stress: mindfulness, deep breathing, and exercising are all great ways to calm your nervous system and help your body produce adequate amounts of healthy saliva. As we mentioned, chronic stress is a massive underlying cause of salivary issues like dry mouth (among other oral and holistic health issues).
• address mouth breathing: if you’re mouth breathing during the day, mindfulness can help you switch to intentional nasal breathing. If you’re mouth breathing because you’re congested, you’ll want to identify the root cause (allergies, viruses, etc.). But if you suspect you’re mouth breathing at night (waking up with dry mouth, bad breath, or drool stains), try mouth taping. Among many other negative impacts, mouth breathing dries out your mouth, so it’s essential to address if you want to maintain healthy saliva.
• brush daily with Davids the best dry mouth toothpaste: our natural dry mouth toothpaste is formulated with premium moisturizing ingredients like xylitol, peppermint oils, and vegetable glycerin to stimulate saliva flow and keep your mouth from feeling dry. On top of that, our hydroxyapatite toothpaste contains essential minerals to fortify your enamel against bacteria…like the bacteria that flourish under dry conditions. Together, these ingredients can work wonders for nurturing healthy saliva.

We hope this article inspires you to feel grateful for your spit…the often unsung hero of our oral and overall health!

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