Can eating whole grains reduce your risk for periodontal disease? It’s possible. Results of a 14-year study of more than 34,000 professional men in the United States indicate that those who consumed more whole grains were older, more active, less likely to smoke, and had a lower body mass index (BMI) when compared with those who ate the least amount. Additionally, consuming whole grains reduced the risk of diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and hyperglycemia associated with greater production of inflammatory cytokines and an increased risk of infection. The men’s ages ranged from 40 to 75 years, and at the beginning of the study none of the men had diabetes, periodontitis, myocardial infarction, stroke, or elevated cholesterol. On regular intervals of 2 to 4 years, lifestyle, medical, and nutritional updates were gathered. Over the 14-year period, 1,897 new cases of periodontitis were diagnosed. Men with higher whole grain diets developed fewer cases of peridontitis, with a ratio inverse to whole grain intake. Periodontitis risk de-creased 6% for every 1.0 g/d intake of whole grains over refined grains. When fiber, fruit fiber, and vegetable fiber were evaluated, no relationship was evident. Factoring in age, smoking, BMI, and physical activity also produced no relationship. The risk of periodontitis was specific to whole grain intake of up to 4 servings per day. One serving was equivalent to 1 slice of bread or a three-fourth cup of cereal.
(Source: Dental Abstracts, Volume 52, Issue 2, 2007)
