Eating two grapefruits a day for two weeks may help those with gum disease, a study suggests.

Researchers at Friedrich Schiller University in Germany found eating grapefruit daily increases the serum vitamin C level and relieves periodontitis, or gum disease.

On average, smokers¡¯ vitamin C levels were 29 percent lower than those of nonsmokers. Eating two grapefruits a day raised vitamin C plasma levels for all the study participants.

Vitamin C in the periodontal patients studied was below the normal level.

Each grapefruit contains approximately 92.5 milligrams of vitamin C.

The researchers suggested that those consuming acidic fruits should brush their teeth immediately after eating grapefruit since acidic citrus juice can weaken tooth enamel, making it susceptible to erosion.

Editor: Donald