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Report: yogurt may keep teeth from
falling out
Eating yogurt and other foods laden with lactic acid may keep your gums
from receding a
nd teeth from falling out, Japanese researchers report.
Eating yogurt and other foods laden with lactic acid may
keep your gums from receding and teeth from falling out, Japanese researchers
report.Dr. Yoshihiro Shimazaki and colleagues found that consuming yogurt and
lactic acid drinks was significantly associated with better periodontal health.
"But, milk and cheese were not," Shimazaki said.
Periodontal disease is a chronic bacterial condition associated with
receding gums and tooth loss. Outside of regular brushing and flossing,
effective measures to allay this disease are limited, Shimazaki, of Kyushu
University in Fukuoka, Japan, and colleagues note in the Journal of
Periodontology.
Previous research identified a lower occurrence of periodontal disease
among people who eat high amounts of dairy products, but did not identify which
dairy products were most beneficial, the researchers report.
Shimazaki's team assessed the severity of periodontal disease in 942 men
and women, aged 40 to 79 years, and their intake of milk, cheese, and lactic
acid foods.
They found that people with generalized (more advanced) periodontal disease
had a lower intake of lactic acid foods than people with localized (less
advanced) periodontal disease.
Compared with individuals reporting no lactic acid food intake, those
eating 55 grams or more of yogurt (half an 6-ounce carton) or lactic acid drinks
a day had significantly fewer markers of severe periodontal disease. The
investigators made allowances for factors such as age, gender, smoking, alcohol
intake, frequency of tooth brushing, blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
(Agencies)
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