Carbs, sugary foods may lead to poor oral health'

Scientists from the University at Buffalo have shown how eating certain types of foods impacts the oral microbiome of postmenopausal women.

They found that higher intake of sugary and high glycemic load foods may influence poor oral health and, perhaps, systemic health outcomes in older women due to the influence these foods have on the oral microbiome.

It is the first study to examine carbohydrate intake and the subgingival microbiome in a sample consisting exclusively of postmenopausal women. The study was unique in that the samples were taken from subgingival plaque, which occurs under the gums, rather than salivary bacteria.