Intermittent fasting is a dietary regimen that addresses not only "what" a person eats, but also "when" the food is consumed. In this article, we will discuss how and whether it can affect your risk of developing dementia.
How does intermittent fasting work?
A dietary regimen that defines the possibility of consuming food for 8 hours a day, accompanied by 16 hours of fasting. Some practice a division of 12 hours of eating and 12 hours of fasting. There are additional fasting/normal eating distribution regimens. Currently, there does not appear to be an advantage to one or the other division. During the eating time, the person eats a normal menu (without excess and according to general and/or personalized healthy diet recommendations).
During the fasting period, you can drink beverages that do not cause the body to secrete insulin (water, unsweetened herbal tea, etc.).
What is the connection between fasting and dementia?
It is now accepted that dementia is a disease related to metabolic aspects of the human body. A variety of studies have so far found a positive effect of intermittent fasting on reducing inflammation, nerve cell plasticity, a positive change in blood pressure values, and more.
Recent studies reveal that the practice of intermittent fasting, meaning eating restricted to a certain time during the day, may trigger a metabolic mechanism that may actively protect the brain.
In 2020, a study was published on subjects with mild cognitive decline, a condition known to precede the onset of dementia (about 12% of those diagnosed develop Alzheimer's-type dementia within a year).
Participants in this study were divided into three groups:
- A group that practiced intermittent fasting regularly
- A group that practiced intermittent fasting irregularly
- A group that did not fast at all.
At 3-year follow-up, the group that regularly fasted had fewer cognitive changes.
Muslims observe alternating fasts each year:
Muslim believers actually follow an annual intermittent fasting regime during the month of Ramadan, in which they fast during daylight hours. This fast may last for several hours in years when Ramadan falls in the summer. A small 2016 study examined the effects of fasting during Ramadan on healthy adults. A comparison was made of various measures before the start of Ramadan and during the second week of the holy month. The researchers found that fasting had a positive effect on performance in terms of measures of psychomotor function, processing speed, and attention.
In conclusion:
There is consensus among researchers that diet has an impact on cognitive health at any age. Recent research evidence suggests that it is not only how much or what type of food is consumed that matters, but also when the food is consumed.
Sources:
AM Alsharidah, G. Murtaza, MM Alsharidah & S. Bashir. (2016). Fasting in Ramadan affects cognitive and physiological function in normal subjects (Pilot Study). Neuroscience and Medicine , 7(2).
TC Ooi, A. Meramat. NF Rajab, S. Shahar, IS Ismail, AA Azam & RS (2020).
Intermittent Fasting Enhanced the Cognitive Function in Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment by Inducing Biochemical and Metabolic Changes: A 3-Year Progressive Study. Nutrients , 12 (9), 2644.