When you brush or floss your teeth, do your gums bleed? If you answered yes, you could possible have gingivitis which is a disease that causes inflammation of the gums.
If you gums continue to bleed, it's time to see a dentist and they can provide you with the best treatment option. However, according to a new study from the University of Washington recommends getting a blood test done to check your vitamin C levels.
The study was conducted by Philippe Hujoel, a participating dentist and professor of oral health sciences in the UW School of Dentistry. Below is a synopsis of the study...
"Hujoel's study, published Feb. 1 in Nutrition Reviews, analyzed published studies of 15 clinical trials in six countries, involving 1,140 predominantly healthy participants, and data from 8,210 U.S. residents surveyed in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The results showed that bleeding of the gums on gentle probing, or gingival bleeding tendency, and also bleeding in the eye, or retinal hemorrhaging, were associated with low vitamin C levels in the bloodstream. And, the researchers found that increasing daily intake of vitamin C in those people with low vitamin C plasma levels helped to reverse these bleeding issues."
"The study does not imply that successful reversing of an increased gingival bleeding tendency with vitamin C will prevent strokes or other serious health outcomes, Hujoel stresses. However, the results do suggest that vitamin C recommendations designed primarily to protect against scurvy -- a deadly disease caused by extremely low vitamin C levels -- are too low, and that such a low vitamin C intake can lead to a bleeding tendency, which should not be treated with dental floss."
It is also mentioned that if you partake in a specialized diet like paleo or low carb, it's vital to take vitamin C.
If you would like to read more about this study you can find the article here!
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