(Image from The Spirit Science)
New York, (IINA) - A new study revealed that smoking can dramatically change the balance of bacterial species in the mouth, which may affect the risk of mouth, lung and digestive system diseases, UPI reported.
The research also found that the proper mix of bacteria in the mouth is restored if people quit smoking.
Researchers analyzed the mix of about 600 bacterial species in the mouths (oral microbiome) of more than 1,200 Americans. All were 50 or older. The group included smokers, former smokers and people who never smoked.
Those who were still smoking had significantly increased growth of more than 150 bacterial species, while 70 other species showed sharp decreases in growth. For example, Proteobacteria species accounted for less than 5 percent of overall bacteria in the mouths of smokers, compared with about 12 percent in nonsmokers, the researchers reported.
Proteobacteria helps in breaking down toxic chemicals introduced by smoking, the researchers said.
Compared with nonsmokers, smokers had 10 percent more species of Streptococcus, which promotes tooth decay, the study authors said.
However, researchers found that mouth bacteria seem to return to normal after a person quits smoking, although it is not clear how long that takes. All former smokers who did not smoke for at least 10 years had the same balance of bacterial species as nonsmokers, the study authors said.
"Our study is the first to suggest that smoking has a profound impact on the oral microbiome", said study senior investigator and epidemiologist Jiyoung Ahn, an associate professor at NYU Langone Medical Center.
"Further experiments will be needed, however, to prove that these changes weaken the body's defenses against cancer-causing chemicals in tobacco smoke, or trigger other diseases in the mouth, lungs or gut", Ahn said in a news release.
AG/IINA
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