Intermittent fasting is normally associated with weight loss and it is indeed a proven weight loss tool, as many have testified. But can it really improve your mental well-being too?
Yes, according to the research. It appears there are two ways in which intermittent fasting (IF) can exert positive effects on mood and cognitive function. The first is by increasing levels of a protein in the brain called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). The second is by triggering a process called autophagy.
How it works – BDNF
BDNF is a neuroprotective substance that increases resistance to damage and encourages the growth of new neurons.
Studies have shown that BDNF levels tend to be lower in people with depression, anxiety and major depressive disorder, and the lower levels are, the more severe the symptoms.
One of the ways that BDNF has been shown to enhance mood is by working in concert with the neurotransmitter serotonin. Some antidepressants – the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) – work by maintaining levels of serotonin in the brain. Serotonin and BDNF together act ‘cooperatively’ to enhance brain activity, and impaired signalling between these two substances is thought to be a core feature of depression and anxiety disorders.
Low levels of BDNF are also associated with various neurological disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease.
The association with Alzheimer’s disease is probably because BDNF is particularly active in the areas of the brain related to memory, especially the hippocampus.
A 2006 study found that ‘there is strong evidence that BDNF may contribute to the pathogenesis of several neuropsychiatric disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), affective disorders (AFDs), and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).’
How it works – autophagy
The second link between intermittent fasting and mental health is a process called autophagy. Discovered in 2016 by a Japanese cell biologist – who won a Nobel Prize for his efforts – autophagy is a remarkable process that the body uses to give itself what is essentially a good cleanout.
Meaning “self-eating” in Greek, autophagy is often likened to a form of cellular housekeeping. Each cell is capable of destroying or engulfing old or worn-out internal components and taking them to its waste disposal unit within the cell, called the lysosome.
Some of those components include damaged proteins and other debris that are “common features of neurodegenerative diseases”.
Consider autophagy to be a means of conducting quality control. By weeding out worn-out components, autophagy protects brain cells and slows the advancement of disease.
How to make it happen?
Fortunately for us all, autophagy is something that doesn’t require medication. All you have to do is stop eating.
When you do so, blood glucose is depleted, and insulin production stops. Insulin suppresses autophagy – when you take a break from eating, insulin declines and autophagy is triggered. Conversely, when you are busy eating and digesting, autophagy is put on hold: the cell is otherwise engaged.
A 2010 study discovered,“One well-recognized way of inducing autophagy is by food restriction.”
What’s more, you don’t have to starve yourself or become malnourished. A simple, short fast will suffice.
Fasting is normal for humans and not a passing fad. It’s what our hunter-gatherer ancestors did, in the absence of shops – they had to be able to make critical decisions and move fast on an empty stomach.
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