Link between Dental biorhythm and adolescent weight gain
Written By : Isra Zaman
Medically Reviewed By : Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli
Published On 2022-08-23 04:00 GMT | Update On 2022-08-23 04:00 GMT
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An international research team led by Dr Patrick Mahoney at Kent's School of Anthropology and Conservation discovered the biorhythm in primary 'milk' molars (Retzius periodicity [RP]) is related to aspects of physical development during early adolescence. A faster dental biorhythm produced smaller gains in weight and mass.
The first-of-its-kind research published by Nature Communications Medicine found that adolescents with a faster biorhythm (five or six-day cycle) weighed less, gained the least weight, and had the smallest change in their body mass index over a 14-month period compared to those with a slower biorhythm. Those with a slow biorhythm (seven or eight-day cycle) produced the greatest weight gain.
Dental histologists have known about the biological rhythm for over 100 years, but its significance for body mass and growth emerged recently in studies that compare mammalian species. Research has now focused on the meaning of the rhythm for humans.
One surprising finding was that participants with slower biorhythms were six times more likely to have a very high body mass index. Rapid change in body size is a natural consequence of adolescence, but excessive weight gain during puberty can have vast consequences for health such as obesity in adulthood.
Ref:
Dr Patrick Mahoney et al,Dental biorhythm associates with adolescent weight gain,Communications Medicine,10.1038/s43856-022-00164-x
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