How intermittent fasting may protect brain health and help extend longevity – expert tips on how to begin and how long to fast for

Neuroscientist Mark Mattson says intermittent fasting produces a more efficient brain fuel and helps relieve stress and inflammation

There are various intermittent fasting methods; Mattson opts for the 18:6, a variation on the standard 16:8, and does not eat breakfast

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Intermittent fasting might promote brain health and help protect against diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, according to neuroscientist Mark Mattson. Photo: Getty Images

Published: 7:15pm, 20 Nov 2023Updated: 7:52am, 27 Nov 2023

This is the 24th instalment in a series on dementia, including the research into its causes and treatment, advice for carers, and stories of hope.

Mark Mattson began studying brain ageing and Alzheimer’s disease in the late 1980s – long before anybody talked about intermittent fasting.

The professor of neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University in the US state of Maryland took notice of growing evidence that intermittent fasting – a dietary approach that alternates between periods of feeding and fasting – could extend the lifespan of laboratory rats.

“My team wondered whether intermittent fasting might protect neurons and preserve brain function in animal models of Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and stroke,” Mattson says.

“We found that indeed it was effective.”

Mark Mattson is a professor of neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University.

Scientific evidence of the benefits of intermittent fasting continues to grow. An October 2023 study conducted by the University of California San Diego in the US found that time-restricted feeding “rescues brain pathology and improves memory in mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease”.

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How intermittent fasting may protect brain health and help extend longevity – expert tips on how to begin and how long to fast for

Neuroscientist Mark Mattson says intermittent fasting produces a more efficient brain fuel and helps relieve stress and inflammation There are various intermittent fasting methods; Mattson opts for the 18:6, a variation on the standard 16:8, and does not eat breakfast

Neuroscientist Mark Mattson says intermittent fasting produces a more efficient brain fuel and helps relieve stress and inflammation

There are various intermittent fasting methods; Mattson opts for the 18:6, a variation on the standard 16:8, and does not eat breakfast