Whole Grain-Rich Diet May Reduce Gum Disease Risk
(NY, Reuters Health, 6/20/06)

Dr. Anwar T. Merchant, of McMaster University in Ontario, Canada, and team, used 14 years worth of data gathered from diet questionnaires given to over 34,000 men in the Health Professionals Follow-Up study. The investigators found that the risk of developing periodontitis, which is gum disease that involves the bone, was 23% less for men who ate about three daily servings of whole grains—like brown rice, dark breads and popcorn—compared with those eating less than one daily serving. These findings suggest that a diet rich in whole grains may improve oral health. The scientists theorize that whole grains improve glucose metabolism and the resultant lower levels of blood sugar is what reduces the periodontitis risk, especially in diabetics.

(American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, June 2006)