A fasting-mimicking diet (FMD) paired with the standard nonsurgical periodontal therapy may reduce the body's inflammatory response to gum disease, according to a press release from King's College in London.
The low-calorie diet that induces a fasting-like state while providing essential nutrients appeared to be linked with lower levels of key inflammatory biomarkers, according to the release.
Prior evidence has shown that a FMD sets off systemic responses similar to fasting, including reduced inflammation and tissue repair, without the hunger pangs of fasting and with greater compliance.
To test the feasibility of a FMD on the systemic and periodontal response following nonsurgical periodontal therapy, researchers recruited 20 people with severe periodontitis. Patients received either the standard periodontal treatment or a five-day FMD plus the treatment.
Blood and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) samples were collected on days one and seven and three months post-treatment and evaluated for inflammatory biomarkers, researchers said. Patients also kept food journals, which were evaluated for compliance.
Of the 19 who completed the study, FMD patients showed a non-statistically significant serum concentration of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), a protein found in blood that corresponds with systemic inflammation, of 0.20 ± 0.30 mg/l. In non-FMD patients, hs-CRP levels were 0.11 ± 0.52 mg/l (p = 0.632). Additionally, lower levels of matrix metalloproteinase-8, interleukin (Il)-6, and Il-beta were noted in the GCF of fasting patients one day post-treatment, according to the researchers.
Minimal adverse effects were reported, including nausea, fatigue, weakness, and dizziness. There were no differences in patient-reported outcome measurements, but further studies are needed, according to the release.
"This study suggests that one cycle of adjunctive FMD is feasible and may modulate the inflammatory response post-non-surgical periodontal therapy," co-lead authors Luigi Nibali, PhD, MSc, and Dr. Giuseppe Mainas of King's College London and colleagues wrote (J Dent, February 19, 2025, Vol. 156, 105644).
