UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – A Recent study reveals that short-term intermittent fasting keeps adult cognitive performance stable, though children may show slight declines when fasting.
As reported by The Independent, a new study challenges the widespread belief that skipping meals harms cognitive function.
What did a new study reveal about intermittent fasting and thinking?
A study released by the American Psychological Association finds that intermittent fasting, involving several consecutive hours without food, shows no significant decline in mental sharpness over the short term.
Researchers studied 71 studies to compare cognitive performance in adults who were fasting and those who had recently eaten.
The research focused on cognitive skills, decision-making, reaction time, and accuracy in adults.
The study was published in Psychological Bulletin, analyzing data from 3,484 participants, with daily fasting periods averaging around 12 hours.
The research showed that cognitive performance may decline after 12 hours of fasting, especially in children, who made up a smaller portion of participants.
What did David Moreau say about fasting and mental sharpness?
David Moreau, associate professor of psychology at the University of Auckland and the study’s author, stated,
“While fasting has become trendy over the years, there is widespread concern, often reflected in common sayings like, ‘You’re not you when you’re hungry’, that going without food might acutely impair mental sharpness.”
Commenting on the study results, he said,
“We were certainly surprised in one sense, as our results contradict the widespread assumption that fasting inherently compromises thinking ability.
Dr Moreau stated,
“Across a broad range of diverse tasks, cognitive performance remained remarkably stable. Many people believe that missing a meal leads to immediate declines in mental acuity, but our synthesis of the evidence suggests otherwise.”
He said,
“Our main finding was that there is generally no consistent evidence that short-term fasting impaired mental performance. Individuals who fasted performed remarkably similarly to those who had recently eaten, suggesting cognitive function remains stable in the absence of food intake.”
Dr Moreau suggests intermittent fasting may benefit overall health, not just weight.
He added,
“Physiologically, fasting triggers important metabolic shifts. When glycogen stores are depleted, the body uses ketone bodies produced from fat tissue as an alternative energy source.”
The associate professor said,
“Emerging evidence suggests that relying on ketones may confer broad health benefits, modulate hormonal systems, and activate cellular repair processes linked to longevity.”
Dr Moreau continued,
“Children showed noticeable declines in performance while fasting, echoing earlier studies that highlighted the steady cognitive advantages of eating breakfast in younger age groups.”
He highlighted that poor task performance mainly occurred in food-related activities, such as identifying food images or words.
The study’s lead author added,
“Hunger might selectively divert cognitive resources or cause distraction only in food-relevant contexts, but general cognitive functioning remains largely stable.”
What did Clare Thornton-Wood say about intermittent fasting and weight loss?
Clare Thornton-Wood, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for the British Dietetic Association, said intermittent fasting may help in reducing weight but,
“it needs to go hand-in-hand with eating a healthy, balanced diet for the rest of the time.”
She added,
“If you then make up those calories by eating more on other days and eat whatever you like for the rest of the week, you actually won’t lose weight overall.”
How can intermittent fasting improve health?
Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern that cycles between periods of eating and fasting, promoting fat burning, cellular repair, and hormone regulation for health and weight benefits.
A Harvard study says eating only during an 8-hour window each day can help you eat fewer calories, about 250 fewer a day. This adds up to roughly half a pound of weight loss each week.
The research finds fasting helps reduce food intake and key hunger hormones, but does not increase calorie burn. Those who practice it report steadier hunger throughout the day, especially in the evening.
