John Myers
You can do a lot yourself against periodontal disease. Anti-inflammatory foods and longer meal breaks support the success of the treatment of periodontitis.
Combating the causes of periodontitis not only includes professional dental cleaning but also switching to a balanced, anti-inflammatory diet. Because chronic inflammation of the gums not only endangers the teeth – it promotes diseases throughout the body. Periodontitis is a major risk factor for heart disease and diabetes.
Periodontal disease: lots of vegetables and fiber
The nutrition docs recommend the so-called Okinawa diet for periodontitis. Okinawa is a Japanese archipelago that has the highest percentage of healthy centenarians in the world. This not only has to do with the pleasant climate, but also with the local food culture: On Okinawa, people eat a lot of leafy greens, mushrooms, root vegetables, sweet potatoes, and buckwheat noodles instead of pasta made from wheat. The islanders also eat seafood and fish.
Carbohydrate-reduced diet in periodontitis with diabetes
If you already have diabetes, make sure your blood sugar is well controlled. Orientation based on the Logi principle helps here: Carbohydrates should be significantly reduced, especially sugar – including hidden sugar in industrially produced foods – and light-colored flour. The right diet prevents periodontitis and is a prerequisite for the permanent healing of periodontal inflammation.
The most important nutrition tips for periodontitis
- 2-3 meals a day and no snacks if possible.
- Rule of Five: Eat 3 handfuls of vegetables (prepared with high-quality oils) and 2 handfuls of low-sugar fruit every day.
- Proteins keep you full for a long time and thus prevent food cravings, so eat 2-3 portions a day: e.g. E.g. lean meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, nuts, and legumes.
- Plate principle: half vegetables (or fruit), one-third for protein sources such as meat, eggs, or legumes, and only a few potatoes, pasta, rice, or bread. Prefer high-fiber carbohydrates (wholemeal pasta, wholemeal bread…) because they keep you full for longer.
- Good fats are also important and filling – for example, high-quality nut oil, olive oil, linseed oil, or hemp oil.
- Plan 2-3 fish meals a week: Salmon, herring, and mackerel are rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
- Significantly reduce sugar! Maximum 1 small serving of candy/sugar per day. Prefer raw food or a handful of nuts. If it has to be something sweet: dark chocolate with 70 percent cocoa content as a dessert, right after a meal.
- Drink a lot! At least 2 liters, and definitely sugar-free drinks such as water and tea. Fruit juices and spritzers are unsuitable.
- Build up intestinal flora with foods that contain lactic acid bacteria, such as yogurt, kefir, uncooked sauerkraut, and bread drink – preferably daily.
- Anti-Inflammatory Diet: Eat mostly meatless, lots of vegetables/fruit instead, and use anti-inflammatory spices like turmeric, ginger, curry powder, nutmeg, and black pepper on a daily basis.
