Health has omega-3s in its mouth
More omega 3 to stay healthy!
This seems to be the phrase that best sums up the research findings on the effects of consuming these fatty acids on the health of teeth and gums.
In fact, in addition to protecting the heart, arteries and nervous system, these nutrients also have other important positive health effects, including benefits exerted in the oral cavity. Let's see what they are.
An anti-inflammatory action for a healthier mouth...
In a study published in 2010 in the journal Nutrion*, a group of Japanese researchers showed that the incidence of periodontitis in those with low levels of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) was 1.5 times higher than in those with high amounts of this Omega 3.
According to the research authors, this protective effect would be based on the anti-inflammatory action exerted by these nutrients.
The study authors did not stop with these results, and the following year published the results of a larger analysis in which the focus was on the association between the incidence of periodontitis and the ratio of dietary intake of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids.
In fact, it is known that these two types of nutrients exert opposite roles toward inflammation: while the former promote the synthesis of pro-inflammatory molecules, Omega-3s are the precursors of molecules with anti-inflammatory activity.
According to reports in the pages of Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes, and Essential Fatty Acids**, new analysis has shown that a ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 that is unbalanced in favor of the former is associated with a higher frequency of periodontal problems.
These results confirm that high levels of Omega-3 protect against this gum disease.
... and antibacterial effectiveness for a cleaner mouth
In contrast, experts from the Center for Oral Health Research at the College of Dentistry at the University of Kentucky (Lexington, U.S.) have, for the first time, demonstrated that Omega-3s have antibacterial properties.
In a study published in Molecular Oral Microbiology*** researchers tested the bacterial-killing ability of not only DHA, but also two other food-derived Omega-3s, EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and ALA (alpha-linolenic acid).
The analysis was also extended to particular chemical forms of these three nutrients, the ethyl esters, which, in many cases, are the form in which Omega-3s are taken.
Both EPA, DHA and ALA and their esters have shown potent antibacterial action against several microorganisms that are hazardous to oral health.
These include Streptococcus mutans, Candida albicans, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Fusobacterium nucleatum, and Porphyromonas gingivalis.
Even more interestingly, this antibacterial action is effective already at relatively low doses of Omega-3s or their derived esters.
A new avenue for health-friendly fats
Research, in short, all seems to lead toward the same conclusion: teeth and gums can also benefit from the properties of Omega-3s.
These nutrients are thus added to the list of natural molecules that keep the mouth healthy, from calcium to vitamins B12, C and D, from magnesium to resveratrol in wine and catechins in green tea.
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Source
* Iwasaki M, Yoshihara A, Moynihan P, Watanabe R, Taylor GW, Miyazaki H, "Longitudinal relationship between dietary ω-3 fatty acids and periodontal disease," Nutrition. 2010 Nov-Dec;26(11-12):1105-9. Epub 2010 Jan 25
** Iwasaki M, Taylor GW, Moynihan P, Yoshihara A, Muramatsu K, Watanabe R, Miyazaki H, "Dietary ratio of n-6 to n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and periodontal disease in community-based older Japanese: a 3-year follow-up study," Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids. 2011 Aug;85(2):107-12. Epub 2011 May 20
*** Huang CB, Ebersole JL, "A novel bioactivity of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and their ester derivatives," Mol Oral Microbiol. 2010 Feb;25(1):75-80
