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The Importance of Nitrate Reduction for Oral Health
B T Rosier1, N Takahashi2, E Zaura3
1Department of Health and Genomics, FISABIO Foundation, Valencia, Spain.
Journal of Dental Research
|February 24, 2022
Summary
Dietary nitrate, converted by oral bacteria, may improve oral health by producing nitric oxide, which has antimicrobial properties. This process can prevent cavities and gum disease, promoting a healthy oral microbiome.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Oral Health
- Nutrition
Background:
- Salivary glands concentrate plasma nitrate, leading to high salivary nitrate levels, especially after consuming nitrate-rich vegetables.
- Oral bacteria, unlike human cells, can effectively reduce nitrate to nitrite, increasing systemic nitrite availability.
- Increased systemic nitrite can enhance nitric oxide (NO) production, potentially benefiting conditions like hypertension and diabetes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the evidence linking dietary nitrate consumption to improved oral health.
- To explore the mechanisms by which microbial nitrate reduction impacts the oral microbiome and oral conditions.
- To discuss the potential preventive and therapeutic applications of nitrate in oral health.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies investigating dietary nitrate and oral health.
- Analysis of in vitro and in vivo studies on bacterial nitrate reduction and its effects.
- Examination of the association between specific oral bacteria, nitrate consumption, and oral disease states.
Main Results:
- Oral bacteria reduce nitrate to nitric oxide, which exhibits antimicrobial properties against anaerobic bacteria implicated in periodontal diseases.
- Dietary nitrate increases resilience against salivary acidification, potentially preventing dental caries.
- Nitrate-reducing bacteria like *Rothia* and *Neisseria* are more prevalent in healthy individuals and increase with nitrate intake, while disease-associated bacteria like *Veillonella* and *Prevotella* decrease.
Conclusions:
- Dietary nitrate acts as an ecological factor that promotes oral eubiosis by favoring health-associated bacterial species and functions.
- Nitrate reduction by oral bacteria may offer preventive and therapeutic benefits for oral conditions such as periodontitis, caries, and halitosis.
- Further robust clinical studies are needed to confirm the oral health benefits of nitrate reduction due to limited in vivo evidence.
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