By: Asha Dukkipati
Intermittent fasting is eating within a specific time window. This eating pattern protocol is practiced by thousands of people throughout the world and is a part of many religions. Numerous doctors and health professionals believe intermittent fasting can improve brain function and increase mental clarity. Three scientists named Liao Li, Zhi Wang, and Zhiyi Zuo decided to perform an experiment on mice to test this theory. The study was trying to see how intermittent fasting and a high-fat diet affect obesity and brain function in mice. For our purposes, we will focus on intermittent fasting and its effect on the brain. Dr. Li, Wang, and Zuo had a control group and a group on intermittent fasting. Each group was monitored for 11 months on their diet and then tested. In the experiment, Dr. Li and her colleagues put mice from both groups in a Barnes maze. They tried to see if intermittent fasting would affect the time difference positively or negatively. The results showed that intermittent fasting positively affected the mice. The mice who were on intermittent fasting for 11 months could finish the maze faster. Dr. Li and her colleagues explain how the mice who were on intermittent fasting compared to the mice who were on a regular diet had better learning skills and memory. This experiment helped prove that intermittent fasting can help people struggling with ADHD and Autism because it reduces stress and helps improve focus and productivity. Another professional named Rahul Jandial also agrees with Dr. Li and her colleagues. Dr. Jandial, a Ph.D. and Md, explains the benefits of neuro fitness from intermittent fasting in his book. He shows how intermittent fasting helps reduce blood sugar and shed fat, but it helps reawaken the senses, clears the mind, improves brain function, and prevents diseases. Jandial recommends intermittent fasting twice a week and each time for 16 hours; however, there are many different ways to intermittent fast. Overall, the four specialists agree, based on research and personal findings, that intermittent fasting is beneficial and can increase focus, energy, mental clarity, and reduce stress. These benefits will help solve some symptoms children and adults with ADHD and Autism face.
Bibliography
Z;, L. L. Z. (n.d.). Chronic intermittent fasting improves cognitive functions and brain structures in mice. PloS one. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23755298/
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