A new study finds short-term fasting does not impair thinking and memory in healthy adults, but it may cause modest cognitive dips in children.
If you’ve ever skipped breakfast or tried intermittent fasting and worried it might make you a little spacey, a new study says that’s not the case.
Research from the American Psychological Association finds skipping meals for up to 12 hours doesn’t impair brain power in healthy adults.
Scientists reviewed 71 studies with nearly 3,500 participants… including some kids…. and compared people who were fasting with those who’d recently eaten.
They tested their memory, decision-making and reaction time—and found no real difference in adults.
The lead author says, “Individuals who fasted performed remarkably similarly to those who had recently eaten, suggesting cognitive function remains stable in the absence of food intake.”
The only exceptions? Modest dips were noted after fasting longer than 12 hours and among children, whose developing brains have been shown to benefit from regular meals.
Interestingly, the researchers found fasting mainly affected cognitive tasks involving food stimuli—like processing food-related words.
They say this suggests the distraction may be due to hunger and not cognitive decline.
The study also notes that short-term fasting can trigger beneficial metabolic shifts, such as using fat for energy, which may support long-term health.
Source: Psychological Bulletin, American Psychological Association
Author Affiliations: University of Auckland, Lodron University
Copyright © 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Leave a Reply