Kiwifruit Effect on Periodontal Inflammation Kiwifruit Effect on Periodontal Inflammation

The Effect of Twice Daily Kiwifruit Consumption on Periodontal and Systemic Conditions Before and After Treatment: a Randomized Clinical Trial

The importance of micronutrients has been extensively reviewed and it was concluded that for prevention and treatment of periodontitis daily nutrition should include sufficient antioxidants, vitamin D and calcium.

Up to now there is limited research available investigating the effect of vitamin C supplementation on the periodontal condition. Supplementation of vitamins and micronutrients has however raised numerous questions on clinical efficacy. Recently, a significant increase of medical literature on the effect of nutraceutical dietary aliments on general health has been noted.

the aim of the present study is twofold. The first objective is to investigate the effect of twice-daily kiwifruit consumption as sole treatment modality in untreated periodontitis, followed after two months by initial periodontal therapy supported by continued kiwifruit consumption. The second objective is to investigate the effect of twice daily kiwifruit consumption on periodontal and systemic parameters of these periodontitis patients 3 months after treatment.

Inclusion Criteria:

• proximal attachment loss of ≥3 mm in ≥2 non-adjacent teeth,
• PPD≥4 mm and bleeding on probing on at least 25 % of their total sites
• documented radiographic bone loss

Exclusion Criteria:

• younger than 18 years or older than 70 years,
• pregnant or lactating females,
• females using contraceptive pharmacological medications,
• reported diagnosis of any systemic illnesses including cardiovascular, renal, and liver diseases,
• in need of antibiotic treatment during initial periodontal treatment (IPT),
• IPT in the previous 6 months,
• allergic to latex, kiwifruit and fruits in general,
• suffering of eating or digestive disease or food intolerances,
• smoking more than 20 cigarettes per day.