Vitamin D and Bad Breath

You may not be aware of this, but, in some cases. a deficiency of vitamin D may be linked to bad breath.

A new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition demonstrates a link between low blood levels of vitamin D and the occurrence of gum disease. Gum disease, of course, can be a cause of bad breath.

The study, however, focused on another consequence of low vitamin D levels -- tooth loss. In the study, a group of more than 11,000 adults over the age of 20 were tested. Eighty percent of this group had inadequate vitamin D levels, and the lower their vitamin D serum levels, the greater the risk of tooth loss. In fact, men and women aged 50 and older, those with the lowest vitamin D levels, had 25% to 27% more tooth loss than those in the highest range.

Researchers suspect that vitamin D may cut down on the inflammation that leads to gum disease...that, in turn, leads to tooth loss, and even bad breath.

How do you know if you have a deficiency of vitamin D? Ask your doctor to give you a blood test for vitamin D. If it's low, then spend more time in the sun, preferably in the early morning and late afternoon hours to avoid the sun's most harmful rays. You can also take vitamin D that you get at your local health food store.

If you have bad breath, check out some of the most common causes in No More Bad Breath , which you can access through this link.