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In periodontitis management, coconut oil supports microbial health and reduces cytokine-driven inflammation.
A triple-blind clinical trial led by Simón Pardiñas López et al. has spotlighted coconut oil as a promising natural adjunct to standard periodontal therapy, showing its potential to rebalance the oral microbiome and alleviate inflammation in periodontitis-affected patients. Investigators assessed the clinical effectiveness of coconut oil, 0.12% chlorhexidine, and placebo mouthwashes as adjunctive therapies in periodontal care.
Conducted on 30 patients diagnosed with periodontitis, the study segregated participants into 3 treatment groups: coconut oil, chlorhexidine, and placebo. Researchers collected saliva and gingival crevicular fluid samples at three key points—prior to treatment, 1 month after treatment, and again 1 month after receiving nonsurgical periodontal therapy. Using next-generation sequencing to analyze bacterial DNA from the V3–V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene, the team tracked shifts in the oral bacteriome.
Additionally, inflammatory markers including interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) were measured from gingival crevicular fluid samples. The results were compelling! Coconut oil markedly reduced harmful bacterial families such as Spirochaetaceae and Tannerellaceae, while enhancing beneficial microbial populations like Streptococcaceae. On a more granular level, coconut oil reduced periodontopathogens such as Tannerella forsythia and Treponema denticola and simultaneously increased the presence of beneficial species like Streptococcus.
These changes contributed to a measurable improvement in the subgingival microbial dysbiosis index—on par with improvements observed in the chlorhexidine group. Moreover, coconut oil therapy was linked with a prominent decrease in pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNF-α, reflecting decreased local inflammation in periodontal tissues. This anti-inflammatory effect underscores its dual action—both antimicrobial and immunomodulatory.
In conclusion, the study provides robust evidence that coconut oil not only modulates harmful bacterial populations but also curbs local inflammation, positioning it as an effective, natural, and safe adjunct in nonsurgical periodontal treatment.
Clinical Oral Investigations
Anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial efficacy of coconut oil for periodontal pathogens: a triple-blind randomized clinical trial
Simón Pardiñas López et al.
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