Frequency of Fruit and Vegetable Consumption and the Oral Health-Related Quality of Life among Japanese Elderly: A Cross-Sectional Study from the Kyoto-Kameoka Study

Abstract

Objective: Many previous studies have reported that fruit and vegetable consumption is associated with a reduced risk of various disease, but whether or not their consumption is associated with the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) is unclear. The objective of this study was to examine the association between the frequency of fruit and vegetable consumption and the OHRQoL in elderly subjects by sex. Methods: We analyzed cross-sectional data from a population-based Kyoto-Kameoka Study in 2012 of 3112 men and 3439 women (age ≥ 65 years). The frequencies of fruit and vegetable consumption were assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire. We evaluated the OHRQoL using the General Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI), a self-reported measure designed to assess the oral health problems in old adults. Results: After adjusting for age, body mass index, alcohol, smoking, education, socioeconomic status, history of disease, medication use, mobility disability, and total energy intake, a higher frequency of combined fruit and vegetable consumption showed a significant positive association with the GOHAI score in both men and women (p-trend < 0.001 in both sexes). These associations remained significant after adjustment for poor mastication and denture use (p-trend all < 0.05 in both sexes). We observed a significant positive association even when the frequencies of fruit or vegetable consumption were analyzed separately (all p-trend < 0.05 in both sexes). Conclusions: A higher frequency of fruit and/or vegetable consumption independently showed a strong positive association with the OHRQoL in both men and women. Further prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Effects of fruit and vegetables intake in periodontal diseases: A systematic review

“…It should be highlighted, however, that smoking is a significant risk factor in the progression of periodontitis, irrespective of the actual intake of F&V. 37 Our findings were similar to those presented by Nanri et al and Moynihan, where higher F&V consumption was also associated with better oral health-related quality of life. 38,39 Moreover, our systematic literature review indicated that incorporating F&V (especially citrus fruit and berries) into the diet, as well as nutritional education activities that stress the need for adequate intake of F&V by individuals with various forms of periodontal diseases, could lead to a significant enhancement in the oral health status by improving gingival inflammation indices 34 and inhibiting the progression of periodontitis. 22,33,34 An interesting alternative seems to be provided by the potential use of freeze-dried F&V in the treatment of periodontitis.…”

Validation of Energy and Nutrition Intake in Japanese Elderly Individuals Estimated Based on a Short Food Frequency Questionnaire Compared against a 7-day Dietary Record: The Kyoto-Kameoka Study

“…Dietary sodium, potassium, and saturated fatty acid intake estimated using this FFQ are related to all-cause mortality and cardiovascular death [23,24]. In addition, in the Kyoto-Kameoka study using this FFQ, we reported that frequency of consumption of some foods (i.e., fruit and vegetable or protein-rich foods [seafood and dairy products]) is associated with geriatric disorders such as oral health-related quality of life [25] and frailty [26]. Although we reported an association between the frequency of consumption of specific foods and geriatric disorders, the precision of ranking elderly individuals according to dietary intake using this FFQ has not been validated [21].…”

Serum Nutrient Levels and Aging Effects on Periodontitis

“…Observational studies have shown a strong correlation between the intake of fruits and vegetables and other antioxidant nutrients, with oral health-related quality of life in adults [39,40,41,42]. These effects have been mainly attributed to their function in reducing oxidative stress and inflammation, and were related to intake of β-carotene, vitamin C, a-tocopherol, and omega-3-fatty acids [33,43,44].…”