King's College London

Unlike traditional fasting, which requires complete abstinence from food, fasting-mimicking diet (FMD) is a carefully designed, low-calorie diet that provides essential nutrients while inducing a fasting-like state in the body. As reported in the existing scientific evidence, this approach triggers cellular and metabolic responses similar to prolonged fasting, including reduced inflammation and enhanced tissue repair, but with greater adherence and reduced discomfort compared to complete fasting.

Twenty patients with severe periodontitis were randomised to receive standard periodontal treatment either alone or with a 5-day course of FMD (Prolon, L-Nutra Inc., Los Angeles, CA, USA). The study found that FMD was safe and well-tolerated, with only mild and temporary side effects such as nausea, dizziness, weakness and fatigue.

While no statistically significant differences in systemic inflammation markers were observed, three months after treatment there was a trend toward a greater reduction in serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) in the FMD group compared to controls. Additionally, a trend toward lower levels of key inflammatory biomarkers (matrix metalloproteinases-8 (MMP-8), Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and Interleukin-1beta (IL-1b) in the gingival crevicular fluid was observed one day post-treatment in FMD patients.

Lead authors of the study, Prof. Luigi Nibali and Dr. Giuseppe Mainas from the Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences at King’s explain: “By potentially modulating the inflammatory response, this fasting-mimicking approach may lead to decreased systemic and local inflammation.”

“The observed results suggest that FMD may effectively have systemic anti-inflammatory effects in the oral cavity. This research introduces a novel, non-invasive dietary approach to complement periodontal therapy, paving the way for future studies to further explore its clinical impact."