As scientists uncover the broader impacts of oral health, one thing is crystal clear: taking care of your teeth is about so much more than having a megawatt smile. Poor oral hygiene, as established in previous research, has been linked to a higher risk of chronic illnesses, including cancer. Now, a new insight: following a particular diet—one that’s already been lauded for its potential health benefits—could improve oral health and its resulting inflammation, too.
A September 2025 study, led by a group of periodontal researchers from England and Italy and published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Periodontology, reviewed data from 200 participants to determine how eating a Mediterranean-style diet might be connected to gum disease and inflammation in the body. After reviewing dental exams, blood samples, and dietary questionnaires, they found that people who followed a Mediterranean diet more closely had healthier gums and less systemic inflammation, even after considering other factors such as age and smoking.
Gum disease, also called periodontitis, is a chronic disease where bacteria in the mouth cause inflammation that can damage the gums and bones around the teeth. In this study, people with low adherence to the Mediterranean diet were found to be more likely to have severe gum disease (stage III or IV).
When the team looked at individual dietary components of the Mediterranean diet, they noted that higher red meat consumption also correlated with a higher likelihood of advanced gum disease. They hypothesized that red meat increases oxidative stress, creating an oral environment that is favorable to harmful bacteria, thus undermining the benefits of an otherwise healthy diet. Oxidative stress, as defined by the Cleveland Clinic, is “an imbalance of free radicals and antioxidants in your body that leads to cell damage.”
While the researchers didn’t find strong links between diet and all blood markers of inflammation, they did notice that people who ate more plant-based foods had lower levels of several inflammation markers, including interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein. These findings align with existing research suggesting that plant-based nutrients—rich in polyphenols, fiber, and unsaturated fats—can modulate immune responses and reduce inflammation.
Smoking also played a big role in the study. People who followed the Mediterranean diet were “significantly more likely to be never-smokers, while current smokers were more frequent in the low-adherence group,” though the researchers also noted the “already elevated baseline inflammatory status” of those who smoked may have obscured the diet’s full effects.
For daily wellness updates, subscribe to The Healthy by Reader’s Digest newsletter and follow The Healthy on Facebook and Instagram. Keep reading:
