Fasting for Long-Term Brain Health

“I fast for greater physical and mental efficiency.”  

~ Plato

Fasting is helpful to optimize brain health by protecting your neurons and glial cells. Intermittent fasting improves sleep, which helps to enhance clearance through the brain's lymphatic system. It helps prevent age-related deficits such as brain fog, slowed cognition and concentration, hyperactivity, difficulty remembering, and forms of dementia and Parkinson's disease. 

Fasting also improves mood, anxiety, and depression symptoms. 

Intermittent fasting can decrease cognitive deficits in Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's patients have impaired brain cell uptake of glucose but are still able to use ketones. The shift in fuel utilization from glucose to ketones is crucial in enhancing cognitive functions. Fasting also reduces inflammation and hyperexcitability while increasing adaptive neuronal stress-resistant pathways by reducing inflammation and increasing adaptive neuronal stress-resistant pathways, dementia, and Alzheimer's disease symptoms, especially when used before the onset of symptoms. 

Fasting has also been shown to reduce motor deficits and attenuates dopamine depletion in Parkinson's Disease. 

Your body is unique. Your treatment should be unique as well. Always consult your physician before starting a fasting or nutritional program.

Remember to reach out at info@treerootwellness.com to schedule a discovery call to learn more about my practice. 

PMID: 15741046, 12724520, 29321682