Vitamin D and Gums

Vitamin D may help prevent the inflammation that causes bleeding gums, and that may eventually lead to periodontal disease, say dental experts at Boston University and elsewhere. Earlier studies had suggested that vitamin D can also prevent periodontal diseases by strengthening bone.

Source: American Journal of Clinical Nutriton 82: 575, 2005.

Note: Vitamin D is produced in the body in response to sunlight exposure. Dietary sources of vitamin D are hard to come by. Fatty fish, such as salmon and mackerel, contain large amounts of vitamin D as do eggs, liver, fortified dairy products and orange juice. Other sources are multivitamins or vitamin D supplementation.

For more information on Vitamin D go to http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamind.asp. It will take you to the Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Vitamin D. Also, the November 2006 issue of Nutrition Action Health Letter features Vitamin D.