Research
Hormonal
Intermittent fasting enhances cognitive function and protects against neurodegenerative diseases by increasing BDNF and ketone levels.
Fasting may help your brain stay sharp as you age. It increases BDNF, a protein that supports brain cells, and ketones, which the brain uses efficiently. This might protect against cognitive decline.
ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
Emerging findings also suggest other possible mechanisms through which IF can maintain or even enhance cognitive function during aging. For example, both mice with normal weight and mice with obesity maintained for 3 months on 40% CR/TRF exhibit an increased density of dendritic spines on hippocampal dentate granule neurons, and this increase in synapse numbers is correlated with an increased level of BDNF (100).
Why this rating
Most evidence is from animal models; human data is limited and noted as needing more research.
Source
Flipping the Metabolic Switch: Understanding and Applying the Health Benefits of Fasting
Stephen D. Anton et al. · Obesity · 2017
DOI 10.1002/oby.22065
narrative_reviewCited 751×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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- Intermittent fasting improves cardiometabolic risk factors, including insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and inflammation, by triggering the metabolic switch.Good
- Intermittent fasting regimens that induce the metabolic switch (shifting from glucose to fatty acid/ketone oxidation) preserve lean muscle mass more effectively than continuous caloric restriction.Moderate
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