Can This Diet Help Your Teeth?

The Mediterranean diet has been touted for years for its health benefits. There have been many offshoots of this popular way of eating that have developed as well. Now, there is evidence to suggest a new benefit - to your teeth:

People who follow a Mediterranean diet appear more likely to have better gum health, researchers reported Sept. 15 in the Journal of Periodontology

On the other hand, folks who chowed down on red meat and sugary treats tended to have more severe gum disease and higher levels of inflammation, researchers found.

“Our findings suggest that a balanced, Mediterranean-type diet could potentially reduce gum disease and systemic inflammation,” lead researcher Guiseppe Mainas, a postdoctoral researcher at King’s College London, said in a news release.

For the study, researchers analyzed data from 195 patients participating in the King’s College London Oral, Dental, and Craniofacial Biobank study.

As part of the study, patients underwent a full dental exam, provided blood samples and completed a diet questionnaire.

Based on the diet survey, researchers categorized 112 of the patients as being highly adherent to a Mediterranean diet. This eating pattern:

• Emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, beans and healthy fats like olive oil
• Calls for moderate amounts of fish, poultry, lean meat and dairy
• Limits red meat, sweets, sugary drinks and butter

The Mediterranean diet has already been linked to a lower risk of developing heart disease, age-related brain decline and some cancers, researchers noted.

People whose regular eating patterns closely matched the Mediterranean diet were up to 65% less likely to suffer from severe gum disease, after accounting for other oral health risk factors, results show.

In addition, more frequent red meat consumption increased a person’s risk of gum disease by 2.7 times, researchers report.

Folks who didn’t stick to a Mediterranean diet had higher levels of inflammation in their bodies, blood tests showed. 

“There may be a connection between periodontal disease severity, diet, and inflammation,” Mainas said. “These aspects should be holistically considered when assessing the treatment for periodontitis in patients.”

Protein-rich diets can create an oral environment that promotes the growth of harmful bacteria, researchers noted.

“There is emerging evidence about the role that a balanced diet might have in maintaining a periodontal healthy status,” senior researcher Luigi Nibali, a professor of periodontology at King’s College London, said in a news release.

“Our research shows the potential effect that a nutrient-dense, plant-rich diet could play in improving the nation’s gum health,” Nibali said. “Nevertheless, more investigation is needed to develop personalized approaches to help people manage their gum health.”

You can read the full article here.

So, it does not appear to be conclusive. But, with the other, proven benefits of the Mediterranean diet, would it be a bad thing if it could positively affect your dental health, too? Are you will to give it a try?