LONDON — A clinical trial conducted by King's College London researchers found that a short-term low-calorie diet reduced markers of inflammation associated with gum disease. The study enrolled 28 patients who were recruited from hospitals in Spain.

Participants were divided into two groups: one that followed a five-day restrictive diet and a control group that maintained their usual diet. The restrictive diet protocol involved consuming 1,100 calories per day for two days, followed by 750 calories per day for three days. On the sixth day, participants introduced soft foods, and they resumed a normal diet on the seventh day. This dietary cycle was repeated three times over a six-month period.

After the six-month intervention, researchers analyzed blood and gingival crevicular fluid samples from all participants. The fasting group exhibited lower levels of C-reactive protein in their samples compared to the control group. Additionally, the fasting group showed reduced levels of inflammation-related molecules in gum tissue when compared to the control group.

Lead researcher Giuseppe Mainas said: "Our study suggests lifestyle modifications could be important alongside proper tooth brushing for patients." He added: "Now we have established this relationship, we would like to do a larger study, before potentially incorporating into gum disease treatment in the future." Mainas said: "There may be patients where restricting foods can be dangerous, such as those with diabetes, so the advice will need to be targeted to specific patient groups."

Senior researcher Luigi Nibali said: "There may be multiple reasons why fasting is beneficial to gum disease patients. Fasting reduces oxidative stress in the body, a common cause of inflammation, which can damage cells and DNA." Periodontitis affects millions of people worldwide and is associated with heart disease and diabetes.

The study results were published in the Journal of Clinical Periodontology. The research received funding from a Medical Research Council-Impact Accelerator Account grant.