New research suggests that a common dietary compound found in tomatoes may be linked to gum health in older adults.
A recently published study reports that older adults in the United States who do not consume enough lycopene in their diet face a much higher risk of developing severe periodontitis. The findings apply to adults ages 65 to 79 and show that risk levels vary depending on both race and sex. The research appeared in The Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging.
The study was led by Katherine Kwong from the Department of Human Development at Connecticut College in New London, Connecticut. She worked with researchers from Tulane University, the University of California San Diego, Yunnan University, Southern Illinois University, and Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center.
Researchers examined health and nutrition data from 1,227 participants who took part in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2009–2014). The analysis showed that gum disease was widespread among this age group. Nearly half of the participants, or 48.7 percent, had some form of periodontitis. At the same time, 77.9 percent were not getting enough lycopene in their diet, a carotenoid commonly found in tomatoes and other red fruits.
Association Between Lycopene and Periodontitis
After accounting for factors such as age, sex, race, smoking status, and education level, the researchers found a strong link between lycopene intake and gum health. Older adults who consumed adequate amounts of lycopene were far less likely to have severe periodontitis. Their odds were roughly one-third of those seen in participants with insufficient intake.
The study also revealed clear differences in who was most affected by severe gum disease. Men were more likely than women to experience severe periodontitis, and higher rates were also observed among non-Hispanic Black adults compared with other groups.
Key findings include:
- Adequate lycopene intake was associated with a reduced likelihood of severe periodontitis (odds ratio 0.33; 95% CI 0.17–0.65).
- Non-Hispanic Black adults had higher odds of severe periodontitis than non-Hispanic White adults (odds ratio 2.82; 95% CI 1.46–5.45).
- Women were less likely than men to experience severe periodontitis (odds ratio 0.27; 95% CI 0.14–0.55).
- Among non-Hispanic White adults, both female sex and sufficient lycopene intake were associated with lower risk.
- Among non-Hispanic Black adults, the same lycopene association was not observed, suggesting differences in risk patterns.
Implications and Future Research
The authors write that the findings suggest dietary lycopene may be an important modifiable factor for preventing severe gum disease among older adults. However, because the study was cross-sectional, causality cannot be determined.
The study also highlights racial and sex disparities in periodontal disease, with non-Hispanic Black adults and men experiencing a higher prevalence of severe disease. The authors recommend that future prevention strategies consider race- and sex-specific dietary interventions, and call for longitudinal or randomized controlled trials to examine whether increasing lycopene intake reduces disease risk or progression.
Reference: “Lycopene, Race and Periodontitis: Disparities in Older Adults” by Katherine Kwong, You Lu, ZhuoHuan Li, Susu Luo, Zhaoyu Huang, Zhong Chen, Na Zhao and Tung-Sung Tseng, 13 December 2025, The Journal of nutrition, health and aging.
DOI: 10.1016/j.jnha.2025.100759
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