Can short-term fasting benefit periodontitis?
Researchers examined whether an adjunct to nonsurgical periodontal treatment could positively impact patients with periodontitis.
In a pilot study published in the Journal of Clinical Periodontology, the researchers randomly assigned 28 participants with stages 3 to 4 periodontitis to undergo the first two steps of periodontal treatment followed by either a regular diet or three cycles of fasting-mimicking diet over the course of five days. They noted that the fasting-mimicking diet involved three cycles of the consumption of 1,100 calories for two days, 750 calories for three days and their usual diets thereafter over the study period. The researchers assessed gingival crevicular fluid and blood samples, clinical parameters and patient-reported outcome measures with the goal of determining the posttreatment clinical and inflammatory outcomes between the two groups.
Among the 27 participants who completed six months of posttreatment diet management, several inflammatory biomarkers were lower among those who followed the fasting-mimicking diet — including high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, matrix metalloproteinase-8 and interleukin-6. However, there were no statistically significant differences in the clinical parameters and patient-reported outcome measures between those who followed the fasting-mimicking diet or a regular diet.
In a news article from U.S. News & World Report commenting on the study, the researchers hypothesized that fasting and specifically avoiding the intake of high-calorie foods such as refined carbohydrates can help reduce the oxidative stress known to lead to inflammation and both cell and DNA damage.
The findings demonstrated that a fasting-mimicking diet could elicit a reduction in local and systemic inflammatory responses. Regardless, because the analysis was exploratory, the researchers urged clinicians to be cautious in interpreting the results of the study, especially considering the potential harms of fasting among patients with conditions such as diabetes. They emphasized the need for larger trials to better understand the potential benefits of this type of posttreatment dietary management.
Read more: Journal of Clinical Periodontology
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