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As I have been saying for years now, vitamin D is an extremely important nutrient and you must increase your levels if you want optimal health. Unfortunately, many Americans do not get enough vitamin D, largely because of experts' recommendations to avoid all sun exposure. Experts have recently discovered another good reason not to avoid vitamin D: It could be important for your oral health.
The analytical study looked at a possible connection between vitamin D levels in the blood and periodontal disease, a widespread chronic inflammatory condition marked by a loss of attachment of the thin ligaments that connect teeth with their surrounding bone sockets. Periodontal disease is a primary cause of tooth loss, particularly among the elderly.
Scientists studied relevant data on 11,202 men and women aged 20 or older on periodontal attachment loss and blood levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D3, a biomarker indicating vitamin D levels accumulated from both dietary intake and exposure to sunlight.
Researchers found the higher the levels in volunteers' blood serum, the better their periodontal health. Among men and women aged 50 and older, on average, those in the groups at the low range of vitamin D levels had 25 to 27 percent more attachment loss than had those in the highest range.
Experts suspect vitamin D cuts down on the inflammatory response that leads to periodontal disease.
Science Blog August 27, 2004