Boosts Brain Function
While intermittent fasting is better known for its benefits in weight loss and cardiovascular health, it’s also an excellent way to maintain brain health. Apart from slowing down the aging process, some studies show that it can potentially increase the brain’s neuroplasticity. Also referred to as brain plasticity or neuroplasticity, it relates to the process involving functional and adaptive structural changes to your brain. It’s characterized as the nervous system’s ability to change its activities as a response to extrinsic or intrinsic stimuli.
In other words, it aids in optimizing brain function while increasing its resistance to diseases and injuries. Moreover, intermittent fasting triggers autophagy, which keeps specific neurodegenerative disorders like Parkinson’s disease at bay. In addition, it can clear mental fog, sharpening the mind. As a result, there have been reports of people thinking much clearer and with elevated moods, which can benefit brain-gut connection while improving overall happiness.
A published study in 2021 found fasting may improve memory. However, it’s worth mentioning that the research was primarily done on animals. Another review in the same year did look into how it may affect the human brain, and it didn’t find any short-term benefits in cognition.
