Ruhi Deshpande
Class of 2025Plano, Texas
About
Projects
- "Intermittent fasting protects against late-in-life mental and cognitive damage" with mentor Shenee (Working project)
Project Portfolio
Intermittent fasting protects against late-in-life mental and cognitive damage
Started May 10, 2024
Abstract or project description
Intermittent fasting, specifically time-restricted fasting, is a lifestyle choice that consists of eating for an “on” and “off” period, typically restricting caloric intake for a longer period of time in the day. This period of fasting triggers the release of ketones into the bloodstream, triggering various other metabolic changes in the body. During normal aging, the decline in attention, working memory, and processing speed are apparent in a large part of the population. The benefits of fasting such as reduced oxidative stress, autophagy, and nutrient delivery to the brain can result in improvements in memory, and cognition, and slow neurodegenerative disease progression. This review will include an analysis of existing literature on the effects of intermittent fasting on cognitive health in older adults and explore the underlying mechanisms.