Research shows that IF can benefit brain health in a number of ways, as long as it’s done safely.
However, these benefits have mostly been seen in people with cognitive impairment or medical conditions like Alzheimer’s disease, epilepsy, and multiple sclerosis (MS).
A 2021 review28 published in Nutrients found no significant short-term benefits of IF on brain function in healthy people but did find evidence that IF could benefit people with epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease, and multiple sclerosis by improving symptoms and slowing disease progression.
Some studies show that IF can be a helpful tool for improving brain function in older people with cognitive impairment. A 2020 study29 published in Nutrients found that older adults with mild cognitive impairment who regularly practiced IF had better cognitive function and higher scores on brain function tests at 36 months of follow-up.
Fasting may help reduce neuroinflammation30improve insulin resistance, and prevent the formation of amyloid plaques28 in the brain, all of which could improve brain health and help protect against cognitive decline.
IF has also been shown to increase levels of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF)31a molecule that’s involved in learning, memory, nerve function, nerve cell formation, and the regulation of brain inflammation.
According to Jason Fung, MD, a nephrologist and intermittent fasting expert, fasting may be beneficial for concentration and memory. “There is limited research on fasting and brain health, although theoretically, it may be beneficial,” he tells mindbodygreen. “Insulin resistance, obesity, and metabolic syndrome are all associated with cognitive decline… and fasting reduces those conditions. In the short term, fasting may improve concentration, memory and other cognitive functions because of the increase in sympathetic tone.”