Dietary Antioxidant Index and the Risk of Recurrent Aphthous Stomatitis

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) is a common condition that affects the oral mucosa. Antioxidants are crucial in neutralizing free radicals in the body and may have a preventive role against RAS. This study aims to examine the association between dietary antioxidant index (DAI) and RAS occurrence. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 144 individuals with RAS and 135 individuals without RAS. The dietary intake of the participants was assessed using the food frequency questionnaire. The DAI was applied to measure the antioxidant capacity of the diet. Logistic regression models were applied to assess the link between RAS and DAI after adjusting the confounding variables. RESULTS: There was a significant negative association between RAS and DAI of zinc (OR = 0.639, CI95: 0.456-0.896, P = .009) and total score of DAI (OR = 0.802, CI95: 0.682-0.944, P = .008) after adjustment for age. The results remained significant after further adjustment for body mass index and calorie intake. CONCLUSION: The present study indicated a possible negative association between the risk of RAS and the DAI score as a measure of the antioxidant potential of diet. Further studies are warranted.