Lee Swanson Research Update

Omega-3 May Reduce Gum Disease

November 2010

Omega-3 fatty acid intake is inversely associated with periodontitis in the U.S. population, according to research published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.

The new study found 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.

Periodontitis is a common, chronic inflammatory disease that is characterized by gum tissue separation from the tooth—forming a periodontal pocket that can lead to bone and tooth loss.

Traditional therapies for periodontitis focus on targeting the initial bacterial infection, however more recent therapeutic strategies have aimed to target the response to the infection, which is thought to play an important role in the pathogenesis of periodontitis.

A study published earlier this year in Molecular Oral Microbiology did report potential anti-bacterial effects, extending the benefits beyond inflammation.

Researchers from the University of Kentucky reported that EPA, DHA and LNA (alpha-linolenic acid), as well as their fatty acid ethyl esters, could inhibit the growth of oral pathogens, including Streptococcus mutans, Candida albicans and Porphyromonas ginigvalis at relatively low doses.

The study was said to be the first to demonstrate an antibacterial activity of omega-3 fatty acids and their esters against oral pathogens.

The new study refocuses attention on the anti-inflammatory potential of the fatty acids for reducing the risk of periodontitis. Dr. Naqvi and his colleagues studied data from over 9,000 adults who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 1999 and 2004, finding a reduction of approximately 20% in periodontitis prevalence in people consuming the most dietary DHA.

The reduction association with EPA was found to be smaller but still significant, while the correlation to LNA was not statistically significant, reported the authors.

Journal of the American Dietetic Association 110(11):1669-1675, 2010

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