A new study has found that not getting enough lycopene in the diet may raise the risk of severe gum disease among older adults in the United States.
Lycopene is a natural compound found in red fruits and vegetables, especially tomatoes. It acts as a powerful antioxidant that may help protect the body from inflammation and cell damage.
The study was published in The Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging and included data from 1,227 people between the ages of 65 and 79. These participants were part of a national health survey conducted from 2009 to 2014.
The research was led by Katherine Kwong from Connecticut College, with help from scientists at Tulane University, UC San Diego, Yunnan University, Southern Illinois University, and Louisiana State University.
According to the results, nearly half of the older adults in the study had some form of periodontitis, a disease that damages the tissues and bones that support the teeth. Even more concerning, about 78% of the participants were not eating enough lycopene-rich foods.
After accounting for factors like age, gender, race, education, and smoking habits, the study found that people who consumed enough lycopene had about one-third the risk of severe gum disease compared to those with low lycopene intake.
The researchers also discovered that the risk of gum disease was not the same for everyone. Men were more likely to have severe periodontitis than women, and non-Hispanic Black adults had a much higher risk than non-Hispanic white adults. In fact, non-Hispanic Black participants were almost three times more likely to have severe gum disease.
Interestingly, the link between lycopene and lower gum disease risk was stronger among non-Hispanic white adults. Among non-Hispanic Black adults, the same protective effect was not clearly seen. This finding suggests that race and sex may influence how diet affects gum health.
To put it simply, the study found that getting enough lycopene may help prevent serious gum problems, especially in older white adults and women. However, it’s important to note that this was a cross-sectional study, which means it looked at a snapshot in time. It cannot prove that low lycopene directly causes gum disease.
Still, these findings raise important questions. Could increasing lycopene intake through diet or supplements help protect older adults from gum disease? Could targeted nutrition plans that focus on specific racial or gender groups improve oral health overall?
The researchers say that more studies are needed to answer these questions. Long-term studies or clinical trials could help determine whether boosting lycopene in the diet actually prevents gum disease or slows it down once it starts.
In the meantime, older adults may want to consider eating more foods rich in lycopene, such as tomatoes, watermelon, red grapefruit, and papaya. Not only could this benefit gum health, but lycopene also supports heart and skin health.
For those already dealing with gum disease, a healthy diet, regular dental care, and discussions with a dentist or doctor may help reduce the risk of serious complications.
This study also sheds light on health inequalities. The fact that men and non-Hispanic Black adults had higher rates of severe gum disease suggests that dental care, education, and access to healthy foods may vary across different groups. Future prevention efforts may need to consider these differences in order to be more effective.
If you care about tooth health, please read studies about an important causes of tooth decay and gum disease, and common tooth disease that may increase risks of dementia.
For more health information, please see recent studies about mouthwash that may increase your tooth damage, and results showing this diet could help treat gum disease.
The study is published in The Journal of nutrition, health and aging.
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