Ruhi Deshpande

Intermittent fasting protects against late-in-life mental and cognitive damage

Started May 10, 2024

Abstract or project description

The normal aging process is an inevitable breakdown of the mind and body, altering the manner in which an individual lives their life indefinitely. The decline in working memory and mental well-being is apparent in a large part of the aging process which contributes to a decline in the quality of life. Lifestyle alterations have become increasingly popular methods to alleviate symptoms of such mental and cognitive decline. Intermittent fasting (IF) is a lifestyle diet choice that consists of eating for an “on” and “off” period in order to restrict caloric intake. This period of fasting triggers the release of ketones into the bloodstream, resulting in various other metabolic changes in the body. The metabolic changes caused by fasting have been clearly shown to alleviate symptoms of depression. Anxiety, however, does not appear to be alleviated by IF to the same extent as depression. The effects of IF also result in improvement in memory and learning. This review will include an analysis of existing literature on the effects of IF on mental and cognitive health in older adults and explore the underlying mechanisms. As the growing elderly population increases, we require effective solutions to combat negative lifestyles that result in the loss of cognitive function and poor mental health. IF proves to be a valuable lifestyle modification that addresses the changes in cognitive and mental health expected with old age.