Two Grapefruit a Day to Beat Gum Disease ; Health in Brief

EATING grapefruit could help fight gum disease, say researchers.

Having just two grapefruit a day pushes up vitamin C levels in the body and stops bleeding gums.

The antioxidant effect of vitamin C appears to increase healing in the gums, say researchers at the Friedrich-Schiller University in Germany.

A new study published in the British Dental Journal looked at grapefruit’s effect on 58 people – smokers and non-smokers.

Most of the volunteers had lower than normal vitamin C levels – with the levels of those who smoked 29 per cent below those of nonsmokers – and most suffered bleeding gums.

About half ate two grapefruit each day for a fortnight after a main meal.

All those eating grapefruit had higher levels of vitamin C in the blood by the end of the two-week study, said researchers.

In non- smokers, vitamin C levels rose by 50 per cent and almost doubled in smokers, while levels remain unchanged in volunteers who did not eat grapefruit.

There was also a significant reduction in bleeding from the gums among those who ate grapefruit.

A spokesman for the British Dental Association said: ‘Because vitamin C promotes the healing of wounds and boasts antioxidant properties, it contributes to the therapy and prevention of gum disease.’ The spokesman added that any fruit rich in vitamin C would probably have a similar effect.