Does popular supplement target oral inflammatory pathway?
Omega-3 fatty acids could help reduce oral and systemic inflammation, according to a news article from the Dental Tribune.
In a study published in The Journal of the American Dental Association, researchers randomly assigned nearly 250 participants with coronary artery disease requiring statin use to receive either high doses of omega-3 supplementation with eicosapentaenoic acid or docosahexaenoic acid or no supplementation to determine whether omega-3 fatty acids were effective in decreasing inflammatory markers.
After a follow-up of 30 months, the researchers found that the participants who received either of the omega-3 supplements exhibited lower levels of macrophage inflammatory protein-1 beta in their left maxillary gingival crevicular fluid as well as a reduction in their systemic neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio compared with those who did not receive the supplements. The researchers hypothesized that the reduction in inflammatory markers may have been pronounced in the left quadrant over the right quadrant because those who are right-handed tend to practice greater mechanical oral hygiene techniques in the left side of their oral cavity compared with their right side.
The researchers suggested that omega-3 fatty acids may aid in the improvement of periodontal health as an adjunct to standard management strategies targeting oral inflammation. The findings could also contribute to a greater understanding of the correlation between oral and cardiovascular health.
Read more: Dental Tribune
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