Some fatty acids may reduce perio disease

Oct 25, 2010

Dietary intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) such as fish oil, which are known to have anti-inflammatory properties, shows promise in the treatment and prevention of periodontitis, according to researchers from Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Public Health (Journal of the American Dietetic Association, November 2010, Vol. 110:11).

Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), investigators found that dietary intake of the PUFAs docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) were associated with a decreased prevalence of periodontitis, although linolenic acid (LNA) did not show this association.

The study involved more than 9,000 adults who participated in the survey between 1999 and 2004 who had received dental examinations. Dietary DHA, EPA, and LNA intake were estimated from 24-hour food recall interviews and data regarding supplementary use of PUFAs were captured as well. The NHANES also collected extensive demographic, ethnic, educational, and socioeconomic data, allowing the researchers to take other factors into consideration that might obscure the results.

The prevalence of periodontitis in the study sample was 8.2%, they reported. They found an approximately 20% reduction in periodontitis prevalence in those subjects who consumed the highest amount of dietary DHA. The reduction correlated with EPA was smaller, while the correlation to LNA was not statistically significant.

"We found that n-3 fatty acid intake, particularly DHA and EPA, are inversely associated with periodontitis in the U.S. population," said Asghar Naqvi, M.D., M.P.H., Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, in a press release. "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."

Given the evidence indicating a role for n-3 fatty acids in other chronic inflammatory conditions, "it is possible that treating periodontitis with n-3 fatty acids could have the added benefit of preventing other chronic diseases associated with inflammation, including stoke as well," he added.

In an accompanying commentary, Elizabeth Krall Kaye, Ph.D., a professor at the Boston University School of Dental Medicine, noted three interesting results emerged from this study. One was that significantly reduced odds of periodontal disease were observed at relatively modest intakes of DHA and EPA. Another was the suggestion of a threshold dose; that is, there seemed to be no further reduction in odds or periodontal disease conferred by intakes at the highest levels. And third, the results were no different when dietary plus supplemental intakes were examined.

These findings are encouraging in that they suggest it may be possible to attain clinically meaningful benefits for periodontal disease at modest levels of n-3 fatty acid intakes from foods, Kaye said.