Omega-3 may reduce gum disease
Omega-3 fatty acid intake is inversely associated with periodontitis in the US population, according to research published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.
The new study found that that a moderate dietary intake of the omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) were associated with a decreased prevalence of periodontitis of up to 20 percent.
“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,” wrote the researchers, led by Dr Asghar Naqvi from Harvard Medical School.
“Our results also suggest that DHA ([in] doses recommended by the American Heart Association …) may be as or more potent in influencing periodontitis,” they added.
