Carbohydrates, sugary foods may affect oral health

Scientists at the University at Buffalo have shown how eating certain types of food affects the oral microbiome of postmenopausal women

In a study in Scientific Reports, the team at UB-led, publisher of the open-access journal Nature, investigated whether carbohydrates and sucrose, or sucrose, are associated with oral bacterial diversity and composition using 1,204 samples using data from menopausal women Post-Women's Health Initiative

This is the first sample to study carbohydrate intake and the subgingival microbiome, consisting entirely of postmenopausal women

"This is important because oral bacteria associated with periodontal disease are mainly found in the plaque under the gums," said the study's lead author, Dr.

"Looking at saliva bacteria may not tell us about the relationship between oral bacteria and periodontal disease because we're not looking at the correct environment in the mouth," she added

The research team reported a positive correlation between total carbohydrate, glycemic load and sucrose and Streptococcus mutans, which is a cause of tooth decay and certain types of cardiovascular disease, a finding that confirms previous observations result

The researchers observed that ciliated bacteria associated with gingivitis, a common gum disease, were positively associated with sugar intake in some studies

"We examined the association of these bacteria with daily carbohydrate intake in postmenopausal women, including total carbohydrate intake, fiber intake, disaccharide intake, and monosaccharide intake," Mirren said

The key question now is what all this means for overall health, which is not very well understood

"As more studies use similar sequencing techniques to look at the oral microbiome, and the progression or progression of periodontal disease over time, we may begin to better infer the relationship between diet and the oral microbiome and periodontal disease.

Journal Reference :

1. Amy E.