To straw or not to straw?!

Random topic it may seem, but in recent years I've started drinking all soft drinks through a straw thinking of the benefit of protecting my teeth. Yesterday I read an article that said drinking from straws can cause premature wrinkles!! Aaarrghhh!!!!!!!!!! A dilemma? You betcha!!!

So I've done my homework (naturally) and thought I'd share my findings and let you make up your own mind.

FOR:

1. Discovering Foreign objects - you read about it all the time. People finding 'things' in their food or drink, and usually nor pleasant things. Take a swig straight from a glass or can and youmight find a mouthful of something you weren't expecting. Use a straw, however, and you can identify the object before your lips come to any harm.
2. Teeth Preservation (my personal favourite!) - dentists have always recommended drinking through straws. Drinking from cups sugary liquid spends more time in the mouth covering teeth and leaving them more susceptible to decay, erosion and cavities . Straws direct liquids through the mouth faster and away from teeth.
3. Reduced risk of choking - Drinking from cups encourages bigger swigs and liquids are more likely to go down the wrong way as a result. This is apparently less likely with straws as there is smaller amounts of liquid passing through the mouth at any one time.
4. Helps the Medicine Go down - if a straw is directed further to the back of the mouth it can avoid liquid(especially yukky ones!) coming in contact with taste buds. And for kids it makes drinking unpleasant liquids more fun - especially swirly convoluted straws!!

AGAINST:

1. Fine lines and wrinkles - Dermatologists are now saying that lines around the mouth are as likely to be caused be drinking through straws as much as smoking as it is the same pursing of the mouth action which causes them!!
2. Landfill - most straws are non biodegradable. Do you throw yours in the recycling bin? And most are disposable which means that the majority of standard straws end up contributing to landfill.

There's a few other suggestions out there about causing excess wind in the stomach and contributing to certain types of cancer, but none of these are from recognised institutes or people and I had difficulty finding anything to substantiate these claims.

So there you have it.

Fine lines or rotten teeth...

YOU DECIDE!!