Share:
Arugula, spinach and chard vegetable juice for a good dental health
Caries and gingivitis are major causes of tooth loss. To counteract the problem, it can obviously help to drink more often vegetable juice. According to a new study, nitrate present in various vegetables can significantly improve the course of chronic gingivitis.
Nitrate with health promoting properties
Leafy vegetables such as rocket or spinach are often considered problematic because of their nitrate content. However, the offending ingredient also has health promoting properties. For example, Swedish scientists recently reported that spinach promotes muscle growth. The researchers assume that the nitrate increases the concentration of protein contained in the muscles. And at the beginning of the year, US researchers wrote in the journal "JAMA Ophthalmology" that vegetables with a high nitrate content can protect against glaucoma. But that's not all: in a study of German scientists now showed that nitrate can help against gingivitis.
Leafy vegetables such as rocket or spinach are often considered problematic because of their nitrate content. However, a new study has shown that nitrate from vegetable juice can help against gingivitis. (Image: Printemps / fotolia.com) Vegetable juice improves course of gingivitis
Nitrate, which plays an important role in the growth and health of plants, accumulates in the leaves of, for example, leafy vegetables such as rocket, spinach or chard. The various leaf salads are among the most significant nitrate sources in human nutrition. A recently published study by the University of Hohenheim and the University Hospital Würzburg has now shown that nitrate from a commercial vegetable juice can noticeably improve the course of chronic gingivitis after just two weeks.
Consumption of nitrate-rich foods is viewed critically
The food scientist Prof. dr. Reinhold Carle from the University of Hohenheim said in a statement from the university: "Nitrate itself is not harmful to health." However, the consumption of nitrate-rich foods has so far been considered critical because digestive processes convert nitrate under certain circumstances to nitrite, nitric oxides and so-called nitrosamines. "In particular, nitrosamines are considered to be highly carcinogenic and are associated with the development of esophageal and gastric cancers."
Vitamin C prevents nitrosamine formation
However, scientific studies in recent years have also shown health-promoting effects through the consumption of nitrate-rich leafy vegetables. Dr. Ralf Schweiggert of the University of Hohenheim explained: "If vitamin C is also taken up together with the nitrate, nitrosamine formation does not occur." This is usually the case: "Plant foods usually contain adequate amounts of natural vitamin C. Therefore, we have to eliminate nitrate intake Leaf vegetables are considered to be quite different from cured meats to which the additives nitrate and nitrite are added. "
Patients with chronic gingivitis
Together with the periodontist Prof. Dr. med. Ulrich Schlagenhauf from the University Hospital Würzburg, showed the research team led by Prof. Dr. med. Carle that this nitrate from vegetables can even develop health-promoting properties. They published their findings in the journal "Journal of Clinical Periodontology".
The total of 44 study participants with chronic gingivitis were initially divided into two groups. The first group of 21 people consumed three times a day over a period of two weeks. Caroline and his team developed a placebo salad drink. From this, the naturally contained nitrate had been removed by a special adsorber process. The second group of 23 persons received at identical intervals the identical test drink with the originally contained amount of nitrate.
"Amazed at the differences"
The subjects were examined before the start of the study and for the first time after 14 days. "We were surprised about the differences," said Prof. Dr. med. Ulrich Schlagenhauf. "After only two weeks, significant and statistically significant improvements in the gingival inflammation of our patients were observed. On the other hand, we could not find any improvement in the placebo group, ie in the group in which the nitrate was removed in the test drink. "
According to the researchers, dietary nitrate is rapidly absorbed in the stomach and upper small intestine and then transported via the blood to the salivary glands. There, a good quarter of the absorbed nitrate is released into the saliva. In this way, the nitrate concentration in the oral cavity is significantly increased not only when drinking the salad juice drink, but also over a longer period thereafter measurably.
Nitric oxide can trigger anti-inflammatory processes
As explained in the University's Communication, certain bacteria that occur throughout the pharynx, and especially in the interdental spaces, convert the nitrate into nitrite. On the one hand, this therefore has an antimicrobial effect and, by inhibiting harmful bacteria, could directly contribute to the relief of gingivitis. On the other hand, it is converted to nitric oxide (NO). The latter is considered as hypotensive, blood circulation-promoting and can trigger anti-inflammatory processes in the body.
The consumption of leafy vegetables is not discouraged
"The study results should also fuel the health debate on nitrate from plant foods," said Prof. Dr. med. Carle. "Neither the World Health Organization nor the European Food Safety Authority advise against eating leafy vegetables, especially if you are not limited to the particularly nitrate-rich rocket, but balanced compilation and preparation of various leafy lettuce and vegetables." (Ad)