Omega 3 May Lower Gum Disease Risk

Thu, 28 Oct 2010

Foods that contain large amounts of Omega-3 fatty acids such as oily fish may help tackle gum disease, according to new research.

Researchers from Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Public Health in the US carried out a study on over 9,000 adults who took part in the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 1999 and 2004 and received dental examinations.

They found that the prevalence of periodontitis - a more severe form of gum disease - fell considerably reduced among those who consumed high amounts of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) – two of the most nutritionally important omega-3 fatty acids.

Asghar Z Naqvi of the Department of Medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center said: "We found that Omega-3 fatty acid intake, particularly DHA and EPA, are inversely associated with periodontitis in the US population."

"To date, the treatment of periodontitis has primarily involved mechanical cleaning and local antibiotic application. Thus, a dietary therapy, if effective, might be a less expensive and safer method for the prevention and treatment of periodontitis ."

He added: "Given the evidence indicating a role for Omega-3 fatty acids in other chronic inflammatory conditions, it is possible that treating periodontitis with Omega-3 fatty acids could have the added benefit of preventing other chronic diseases associated with inflammation ."

Flax seeds, salmon, walnuts and sardines are excellent food sources of omega-3 fatty acids.
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