Abstract
A previous randomised controlled trial showed that an anti-inflammatory diet (AID) significantly reduced gingival inflammation despite constant plaque values. This exploratory study investigated the role of serum fatty acids in relation to the observed clinical effects. Therefore, data of thirty participants with gingivitis, following either a pro-inflammatory dietary pattern (PID) rich in saturated fat, omega 6 fatty acids, and refined carbohydrates or an AID for 4 weeks, were correlated with corresponding serum samples for a variety of fatty acids. Changes in the fatty acid profile and effects on clinical periodontal parameters were analysed. Results showed that the polyunsatured:saturated fatty acids ratio (PUFA:SFA ratio) and nervonic acid level were significantly higher in the AID group than in the PID group at the end of the study. Significant intragroup differences were seen only in the AID group. Diverse fatty acids showed heterogeneous relations to clinical parameters. This study demonstrated that the serum fatty acid profile was not fundamentally associated with the clinical gingivitis-lowering effects of an AID in short-term, although some fatty acids showed individual relations to clinical parameters with respect to inflammation. Hence, short-term effects of dietary therapy on gingivitis may be rather based on carbohydrate-related effects and/or micronutrients.
Highlights
A previous randomised controlled trial showed that an anti-inflammatory diet (AID) significantly reduced gingival inflammation despite constant plaque values
While for several decades, the destruction of bacterial biofilms has been the major focus of periodontal therapy and is still the proposed as the treatment of c hoice[3], there is growing evidence that dental plaque may not be the true cause of gingivitis[4]
Omega-6 fatty acids are naturally found as linoleic acid (LA) and the metabolite arachidonic acid (AA) while omega-3 fatty acids are represented by alpha-linoleic acid (ALA) and the metabolites eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docopentahexaenoic acid (DHA) among o thers[19]
Summary
A previous randomised controlled trial showed that an anti-inflammatory diet (AID) significantly reduced gingival inflammation despite constant plaque values This exploratory study investigated the role of serum fatty acids in relation to the observed clinical effects. While for several decades, the destruction of bacterial biofilms has been the major focus of periodontal therapy and is still the proposed as the treatment of c hoice[3], there is growing evidence that dental plaque may not be the true cause of gingivitis[4] In this context, a landmark study conducted under stone-age conditions (simulated from archeological findings between 4000- and 3500 BC) found that gingival inflammation decreased due to stone-age dietary pattern, even in the absence of any plaque control measures and higher dental plaque values[5]. In a review by Chee et al, the intake of omega-3 fatty acids was found to improve clinical periodontal outcomes[24], and this was confirmed by a recently published meta-analysis[13]
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