A new study has explored the advantages of Vitamin C in healing bleeding gums. Bleeding gums could be a sign of gingivitis. However, one should also check their Vitamin C intake. Findings of the study led by the University of Washington, were published in the journal 'Nutrition Reviews'.
Lead author of the study, Philippe Hujoel was quoted in a report as saying, “When you see your gums bleed, the first thing you should think about is not, I should brush more. You should try to figure out why your gums are bleeding. And Vitamin C deficiency is one possible reason.”
The study analysed studies of 15 clinical trials in six countries, involving 1,140 predominantly healthy participants, and data from 8.210 US residents surveyed in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. 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.
The researchers found that increasing the daily intake of Vitamin C in those people with low Vitamin C plasma levels reversed these bleeding issues. The study does not imply that successful reversing of an increased gingival bleeding tendency with Vitamin C will prevent strikes or other serious health outcomes. However, it does suggest that Vitamin C recommendations designed primarily to protect against scurvy 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.
