Foods rich in saturated fat and cholesterol may exacerbate alveolar bone loss associated with periodontal disease, indicating that a person's diet may affect long-term dental health.
In animal experiments, diets rich in saturated fat and cholesterol were associated with increased bone loss due to exposure to bacterial lipopolysaccharides, a key factor in the progression of periodontal disease.
In rabbits fed a diet high in saturated fat and cholesterol, bone loss was greater when exposed to bacterial lipopolysaccharides. Additionally, these rabbits had increased inflammation in liver acinar cells and higher levels of triglycerides and phospholipids in the blood, the article said.
According to research, periodontitis is associated with various systemic diseases such as metabolic syndrome, atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), caused by fat accumulation.
To better understand this connection, the rabbits were divided into two groups: one group was fed a normal diet, while the other group ate a high-fat, high-cholesterol diet for 40 days. To induce periodontal disease, half of each group received injections of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) twice a week.
LPS caused greater bone loss around teeth in rabbits fed both types of diet, but in those fed a high-fat, high-cholesterol diet, the situation was much worse. Additionally, rabbits fed a high-fat, high-cholesterol diet and LPS injections had more liver inflammation and higher levels of triglycerides and phospholipids in the blood, according to the study.
However, further research is needed to fully evaluate the impact of diet on periodontal disease in humans, the authors write, and monitoring saturated fat and cholesterol intake may promote long-term gum health.