Eating breakfast is a more important aspect of health than most people realize. According to a large study, regularly skipping breakfast can lead to periodontal disease.
The study authors write that people who regularly skip breakfast may be more than 1.23 times more likely to develop periodontal disease compared to those who regularly eat in the morning.
“Regular breakfast consumption can reduce the risk of periodontitis, which can promote public health,” wrote the study authors, led by Guoli Yang of Zhejiang University School of Dentistry in China.
About 30% of adults have periodontitis, which is associated with systemic diseases including diabetes and high blood pressure. This 30% represents a public health concern.
Skipping breakfast may result in low blood sugar levels and increased lipid oxidation, which leads to chronic inflammation. In addition, not eating breakfast on time may disrupt sugar and lipid metabolism, which may affect the inflammatory status. In addition, previous studies have shown that glucose and lipid metabolism along with systemic inflammation may influence the correlation between eating habits and gum disease.
To examine the association between breakfast skipping and periodontitis, as well as the mediating role of sugar and lipid metabolism in the development of systemic inflammation, data from 11,953 patients were analyzed. Logistic regressions and subgroup analyses were performed taking into account factors such as age, gender, body mass index (BMI), urban residence, educational level, marital status, and diabetes. In addition, according to the study, modeling assessed potential mediating factors related to glucose and lipid metabolism and systemic inflammation.
A positive association was found between skipping breakfast and periodontitis (odds ratio [OR] = 1.234 [1.026-1.483], p = 0.025). Additionally, there was a significant increase in the incidence of gum disease among those who reported “almost never” eating breakfast compared with those who reported eating breakfast five to seven times a week (OR = 1.299 [1.090-1.564], p = 0.006).
Moreover, an association was found between regular breakfast skipping and periodontitis, which could be explained to some extent by the mediating effects of glucose (β ± SE = 0.006 ± 0.002, p = 0.014), triglycerides (β ± SE = 0.004 ± 0.002, p = 0.033), and white blood cell count (β ± SE = 0.004 ± 0.002, p = 0.033). ± SE = 0.011 ± 0.003, p = 0.003). The study authors write that this analysis may uncover the mechanism underlying the association between breakfast skipping and gum disease.
However, this study had its limitations, including its cross-sectional nature. This ruled out theorizing about a causal relationship between breakfast skipping, mediating factors, and gum disease due to the potential for a bidirectional relationship.
The authors write that future longitudinal and interventional studies should be conducted to further validate the study's findings.
“This present study demonstrates a significant association between breakfast skipping and periodontitis, particularly in middle-aged individuals. This association could potentially be mediated by glucose metabolism, lipid metabolism, and systemic inflammation,” Yang and co-authors write.