Bleeding gums? Perhaps the problem is not to be found in incorrect dental hygiene but in a lack of vitamin C, which in turn could have important repercussions on the health of eyesight, brain and heart. This is what emerges from a recent scientific research appeared in Nutrition Reviews magazine thanks to the work of an American team (Hujoel et al, Nutrition Reviews, 2021).
Bleeding gums can be a sign of gingivitis, the initial stage of periodontitis. And therefore in this case an intervention by the dentist and a higher attention to dental health can solve the problem. However, as highlighted by the authors of the research we are talking about today, bleeding from the gums could be an important signal that the body is deficient in vitamin C. The researchers, to reach this conclusion, analyzed the data of 15 previous studies, assessing the health conditions of nearly 10,000 people. What emerged is that gingival bleeding can be associated with a vitamin C deficiency. Not only that, a vitamin C deficiency can be reflected in other microcirculation problems such as a higher tendency to haemorrhages of the retina but also vascular micro-haemorrhages in the brain, kidneys and heart. It has also been observed that, in people with low circulating vitamin C values, that is, below 28 micro mol per liter, greater vitamin C integration has led to a reversal in the bleeding tendency. Of course, as indicated by the authors of the study themselves, the results do not indicate that increasing the vitamin C values, if too low, can also prevent heart attacks or strokes. However, it is certainly emphasized that a low intake of vitamin C can lead to generalized bleeding which cannot be treated only with the correct use of dental floss but which require more attention to one's diet.
As suggested in the research, it is therefore a good choice to include foods rich in vitamin C in your diet, such as kale, peppers and kiwifruit or, in the case of a vitamin C deficiency, also resort to supplements that contain 100 to 200 milligrams of this vitamin per day. In fact, the recommended daily amount of vitamin C to prevent scurvy, about 10 mg per day, is considered too low to protect vascular health as well.
