Relationship between lycopene intake, periodontitis

Lycopene may be an effective adjunct therapy in patients at risk of periodontitis.

In a study published in The Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging, investigators examined the dietary habits, total lycopene intake and demographic data of more than 1,200 non-Hispanic white and non-Hispanic Black individuals aged 65 to 79 years who participated in the 2009 to 2014 National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey.

The investigators found that nearly 50% of the participants had periodontitis and a similar percentage had insufficient dietary lycopene intake. The participants with insufficient lycopene intake were more likely to develop severe periodontitis. Further, non-Hispanic Black participants and male participants had a greater risk of experiencing severe periodontitis compared with non-Hispanic white participants and female participants, respectively.

The findings indicated the need to incorporate dietary interventions into preventive treatments for periodontitis on the basis of race and sex.

Read more: The Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging

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