Intermittent fasting seems to be an easy and direct way to stimulate your brain. It is experienced by the body as a mild stress. In case of mild stress, cells of the brain respond adaptively by improving their ability to function properly and resist disease.

It has been scientifically proven that intermittent fasting accelerates the growth and development of new brain cells and nerve tissues (neurogenesis). You can notice this by increased brain performance, better memory, better mood and concentration. One specific study showed that intermittent fasting not only affects the speed of neurogenesis but also stimulates the production of new brain cells.

Besides, intermittent fasting also increases the production of an important protein called BDNF (Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor) that is involved, among other things, in communication between your brain cells, which are related to learning and memory.

In addition, intermittent fasting helps to reduce damage to brain cells by removing waste in the brain. When old or damaged cells are left in the body, they cause inflammation and can lead to the development of cancer. Intermittent fasting stimulates the clearing of old, dead and / or damaged (brain) cells. In this way, it helps the body to clean and repair itself, reducing inflammation and risk of cancer.

And this is not all. Intermittent fasting increases the main ketone, beta-HBA, which is a type of super fuel that produces ATP energy (= chemical energy obtained from the breakdown of food molecules) more efficiently than glucose.

All of the above processes benefit your brain. I wrote a whole article about the influence of intermittent fasting on the brain, based on many scientific sources. This article is written in Dutch. If you are interested, let me know.