According to new research in the journal Nutrients, there are five critical nutrients that most Americans aren’t getting enough of: vitamin D, vitamin E, fiber, calcium, and magnesium. Deficiencies occur across nearly every age group. Some of these nutrients are lacking in more than 90% of the population.
“We know that what we eat affects the prevalence of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and cancer,” says [lead study author] Carlene Starck, a nutrition scientist and biochemist at the nutrition research and communications company FOODiQ Global. [source]
Indeed, the findings paint a concerning picture of nutritional gaps that may be helping to fuel our nation’s epidemic of chronic disease. But what grabbed our attention even more was the fact that every one of those five nutrients has a role to play in maintaining healthy gums.
- Vitamin D acts as a powerful anti-inflammatory. It also supports the immune system and enhances the production of antimicrobial peptides. Perhaps most importantly, vitamin D is essential for calcium absorption. If you don’t have enough D3, the calcium you consume can’t get where it needs to go.
- It’s not just teeth that need calcium. Your jaw and the alveolar bone that supports your teeth need it, too. A deficiency in calcium weakens this support system, making it more likely that teeth will loosen in their sockets as gum disease progresses, and some may eventually be lost.
- Magnesium works with calcium to support proper bone metabolism while providing its own anti-inflammatory benefits. A lack of it can interfere with your body’s ability to use calcium effectively, even though you may be getting plenty of calcium.
- Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant, protecting gum tissues from the oxidative damage caused by bacterial toxins and inflammatory processes. Studies have shown that people with higher E levels tend to have healthier gums and less periodontal destruction.
- Fiber promotes the growth of helpful bacteria in the mouth and provides some cleaning action when you chew. It also supports digestive health, and this, in turn, affects systemic inflammation.
But nutrients aren’t the only thing that gum disease and those systemic health issues have in common.
The Inflammatory Thread that Connects Everything
Nearly every chronic condition mentioned in the study – cardiovascular disease, diabetes, certain cancers – is marked by chronic inflammation. So is gum disease.
When your gums are infected and inflamed, they release inflammatory markers into your blood. The same ones that destroy gum tissue also contribute to things like arterial inflammation, insulin resistance, and cellular damage throughout the body. It’s no coincidence that people with severe gum disease have higher rates of heart disease, diabetes, and other inflammatory conditions.
This creates a vicious cycle: Nutrient deficiencies promote gum inflammation. Gum inflammation increases systemic inflammation. Systemic inflammation depletes nutrients further and makes it harder for the body to heal and maintain healthy tissues.
Breaking the Cycle Through Nutrition
On the plus side, when you focus on eating a nutritionally complete diet – including those five key nutrients – you’re not just preventing gum disease. You’re supporting your whole body’s ability to manage inflammation and maintain good health.
The key is to focus on whole foods and not isolated supplements. Your body is designed to use nutrients in the complex forms found in real foods – complete with cofactors and synergistic compounds that enhance absorption and effectiveness.
So look for vitamin D first through sunlight but also in fatty fish like salmon and sardines, and egg yolks from pastured chickens. For calcium, look beyond dairy sources and also include things like dark leafy greens, beans, nuts, and seeds. Those dark leafy greens are also a good source of magnesium, along with avocados, nuts, and seeds (especially pumpkin). Good sources of vitamin E include sunflower seeds, almonds, hazelnuts, and olive oil, while fiber is found in vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, and legumes.
Aim for variety to support good bacterial diversity in mouth and gut alike.
Rather than treating oral health and whole body health as two separate things, we need to recognize that the health of each one depends on the health of the other. Supporting your body’s nutritional needs is foundational to this.
