Reducing Calories Boosts Brain Activity

Author: Leticia Celentano Time for reading: ~1 minutes Last Updated: August 08, 2022

Fasting during the day helps to lose weight, life expectancy and prevents the development of Alzheimer's disease.

Fasting during the day promotes weight loss, life expectancy and prevents the development of Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's and other degenerative brain changes, according to a study by the American Institute on Aging.

Reducing calorie intake is good for the brain, but not by reducing food intake - it's not the best way to trigger this protection, explains Prof. Mark Matson, head of the neuroscience lab at the American Institute on Aging.

The diet also protects against cardiovascular disease, is good for blood circulation and protects the brain from diseases such as Alzheimer's disease.

For the purposes of the study, some participants ate every other day, and others - every day.

Both groups get unlimited access to food on the days they can eat, and end up consuming the same amount of calories.

It is clear that those who eat every day are more sensitive to insulin and should produce less of it, explains Prof. Mark Matson.

High levels of the hormone, which is produced to control postprandial blood sugar levels, are usually associated with lower brain activity and a higher risk of developing diabetes.

It has also been found that people on a low-calorie diet improve the function of brain synapses - the connections between brain cells that promote the production of new cells and make them more resistant to stress.

Previous research has shown that fasting for a few days helps fight cancer.

Reducing Calories Boosts Brain Activity

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