Vitamin C May Help Keep Gum Disease At Bay
January18, 2005

By Nancy Volkers
InteliHealth News Service

INTELIHEALTH - Vitamin C may play a role in periodontal (gum) disease in older people, according to Japanese researchers.

Scientists from Niigata University studied 413 people ages 70 and older. They found that people with lower levels of vitamin C in their blood had slightly more evidence of gum disease than people with higher levels.

Before making their conclusions, the researchers cancelled out the effects of smoking, diabetes, gender, oral hygiene habits and the number of teeth left in the mouth. All of these factors can affect whether someone has gum disease, and how severe it is.

Other studies have also shown that vitamin C may help to reduce the risk of periodontal disease.

The Japanese study appears in the January issue of the Journal of Clinical Periodontology.