CRP and periodontitis: Negative relationships between HEI-2015 and inflammatory markers, including C-reactive protein, white blood cells, and neutrophils, have also been reported.24 Drawing from this, we postulated that diet may reduce inflammation levels through several mechanisms, including inhibiting the expression of the nuclear transcription factor NF-κB, regulating host immune responses, altering the composition of oral microbiota, and suppressing NLRP3 inflammasome activation.13,14,36 Inflammation could be a major factor in the pathophysiology of periodontitis.