As many people have attested, one of the most common intermittent fasting benefits is typically related to weight reduction and is, in fact, a tested weight loss method. But can it actually enhance your mental health as well?
According to the study, yes. Intermittent fasting (IF) appears to have two potential benefits for mood and cognitive performance. The first involves raising the concentrations of the brain protein known as a brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). The second method involves starting an autophagy process.
How Can Food Affect Mood?
To discuss the different psychological benefits of fasting, we need to elaborate on the effect food has on our mood. There is a connection between the brain circuits controlling food and mood, despite the fact that the fundamental processes are yet unclear. Additionally, dopamine, a neurotransmitter important for mood, energy, and enjoyment, is influenced by digestive hormones.
Dopamine levels in people with depression and bipolar disorder are abnormal. It is believed that disturbed eating patterns lead to mental disorders.
It is perhaps possible that irregular eating contributes to the intricate underlying causes of mood disorders. For instance, those who suffer from depression or bipolar illness often have irregular eating schedules and altered internal cycles, which considerably exacerbate mood symptoms.
Additionally, shift workers have higher rates of sadness and anxiety than the overall population due to their inconsistent eating routines. Despite this data, most psychiatric settings do not currently include monitoring eating cycles in conventional clinical therapy.
What Physiological Changes Occur in Our Body While Fasting?
Autophagy: A procedure that eliminates waste and deteriorated structures while mending damaged ones. As opposed to when one is not fasting, the autophagy process is substantially more active during fasting.
BDNF: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a protein that rises during fasting. In regions of the brain connected to memory, learning, and cognition, BDNF interacts with a number of neurons.
Ketones: When the brain lacks glucose, a substance called ketones is employed to protect it. Ketone production increases while fasting.
The following 5 psychological advancements take place as a result of these modifications:
Neurodegenerative Conditions
Lower autophagy in mice was associated with increased body fat and decreased brain development. In addition, reduced levels of BDNF have been linked to cognitive decline, neuronal death, memory loss, and degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. Additionally, studies have shown that raising ketones helps to prevent neurodegenerative diseases.
Learning, Memory, and Cognition
Memory loss, neuronal death, and cognitive impairment are all reduced by an increase in BDNF.
Sleeping
According to studies, one of the effects of IF on our mental health condition is improved sleep. People who participated in this study reported that their sleeping patterns improved drastically.
Anxiety & Depression
For 80% of individuals with chronic pain, fasting has been proven to considerably lessen their anxiety symptoms. Additionally, for a very long time, lower BDNF levels have been linked to worsening depressive symptoms. This alternatively suggests that greater BDNF levels are linked to decreased depressive symptoms.
Furthermore, it is widely recognized that physical activity reduces the risk of depression. This is because, similar to fasting, physical activity causes our brains to produce hormones that signal that our bodies are in danger.
In a metaphorical sense, fasting may be seen as a single preventative and curative medication for stroke, depression, anxiety, insomnia, and neurodegenerative diseases. It would also enhance memory, cognition, and learning.
Tiredness
According to several studies, intermittent fasting may make it difficult to fall asleep.
The quantity of REM sleep, or the deep sleep during which the body heals, may be reduced due to the spike in cortisol and insulin levels that occurs while one is fasting. This is according to a study published in the Journal Nature and Science of Sleep. Your ability to fall asleep might be hampered by an empty stomach, and getting too little sleep can have a negative impact on your mental health.
Loneliness
You run the risk of missing out on social engagements that entail food if you restrict your mealtimes. The American Psychological Association states that this may cause a sense of social isolation and loneliness.
Impulsive Behaviors
According to some studies, abstaining from eating for an extended period of time might increase your propensity for impulsivity and short-term thinking. According to specialists, insufficient levels of the feel-good hormone in the brain and impulsive behavior are both caused by prolonged fasting.
However, research published in the Journal of Research Studies in Bioscience showed that intermittent fasting boosts learning and memory by increasing the number of neurotransmitters.
Conclusion
It is critical to remember that even though fasting may be a potent tool for mental and physical renewal, it is not a replacement for mental health care.
Regardless of the improved psychological condition of fasting, you still need to consult with a qualified consultant if you are depressed or unhappy for extended periods of time.
