The Relationship between Vitamin C And Bleeding Gums
Are you experiencing bleeding or swollen gums? If so, it may be worth taking a look at your vitamin intake, because while supplements are important for your body overall, certain vitamins are really beneficial for oral health in particular.
Take Vitamin C, for example. People with a deficiency of this vitamin may be more prone to issues like gum overgrowth, swelling, bleeding, and gum disease, and a meta-review of studies has suggested that supplementing with vitamin C could reduce gum bleeding.
Fortunately, though, there are also lots of tasty foods that are packed with vitamin C, like cantaloupe, citrus fruits, broccoli, red cabbage, kiwi, and red bell peppers.
Vitamin D deficiency has also been linked to periodontal disease. Because it has anti-inflammatory and antibiotic properties, it’s important for musculoskeletal health throughout the whole body, and that includes your teeth.
You can get vitamin D through both food and sunlight, which might mean you need to bump up your intake in the winter when there’s less sun by eating more foods rich in this vitamin, like fatty fish, egg yolks, and mushrooms.
Although vitamin C is probably the vitamin most commonly associated with gum disease, deficiency of vitamin B3 (aka niacin) can also lead to bleeding gums. And other vitamins are also helpful when it comes to maintaining good oral health; vitamin A levels can impact whether your gums bleed when you get your teeth cleaned at the dentist, and if you’re low in vitamin B, you might have problems like weakened tooth enamel. Vitamin E isn’t directly related to gum health, but it has been linked to cavities, especially in children, so keeping those levels up is also important.
To learn more about how various vitamins impact your oral health — and to find out which foods are full of the vitamins you need most — take a look at this handy infographic. And don’t be afraid to talk to your doctor or dentist if you have concerns!Â
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