{"id":31412,"date":"2025-11-06T20:21:37","date_gmt":"2025-11-06T20:21:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/?p=31412"},"modified":"2025-11-06T20:21:39","modified_gmt":"2025-11-06T20:21:39","slug":"new-study-reveals-intermittent-fastings-effect-on-mental-performance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/new-study-reveals-intermittent-fastings-effect-on-mental-performance\/","title":{"rendered":"New Study Reveals Intermittent Fasting&#8217;s Effect on Mental Performance"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-blockquote uagb-block-e7eb3fc3 uagb-blockquote__skin-border uagb-blockquote__stack-img-none\"><blockquote class=\"uagb-blockquote\"><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__content\">A global review of 71 studies concludes that short-term fasting does not significantly impair cognitive function in adults, though children and adolescents might face challenges. The study provides reassurance for those practicing intermittent fasting and highlights considerations for vulnerable groups.<\/div><footer><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__author-wrap uagb-blockquote__author-at-left\"><\/div><\/footer><\/blockquote><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-content-justification-space-between is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-0dfbf163 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\"><div style=\"font-size:16px;\" class=\"has-text-align-left wp-block-post-author\"><div class=\"wp-block-post-author__content\"><p class=\"wp-block-post-author__name\">The University Network<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share uagb-social-share__outer-wrap uagb-social-share__layout-horizontal uagb-block-ee584a31\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-ec619ce7\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"facebook\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M504 256C504 119 393 8 256 8S8 119 8 256c0 123.8 90.69 226.4 209.3 245V327.7h-63V256h63v-54.64c0-62.15 37-96.48 93.67-96.48 27.14 0 55.52 4.84 55.52 4.84v61h-31.28c-30.8 0-40.41 19.12-40.41 38.73V256h68.78l-11 71.69h-57.78V501C413.3 482.4 504 379.8 504 256z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-32d99934\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"twitter\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M389.2 48h70.6L305.6 224.2 487 464H345L233.7 318.6 106.5 464H35.8L200.7 275.5 26.8 48H172.4L272.9 180.9 389.2 48zM364.4 421.8h39.1L151.1 88h-42L364.4 421.8z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-1d136f14\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"linkedin\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\"><path d=\"M416 32H31.9C14.3 32 0 46.5 0 64.3v383.4C0 465.5 14.3 480 31.9 480H416c17.6 0 32-14.5 32-32.3V64.3c0-17.8-14.4-32.3-32-32.3zM135.4 416H69V202.2h66.5V416zm-33.2-243c-21.3 0-38.5-17.3-38.5-38.5S80.9 96 102.2 96c21.2 0 38.5 17.3 38.5 38.5 0 21.3-17.2 38.5-38.5 38.5zm282.1 243h-66.4V312c0-24.8-.5-56.7-34.5-56.7-34.6 0-39.9 27-39.9 54.9V416h-66.4V202.2h63.7v29.2h.9c8.9-16.8 30.6-34.5 62.9-34.5 67.2 0 79.7 44.3 79.7 101.9V416z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The health benefits of intermittent fasting are well-documented, but concerns about its impact on mental performance have left many wondering if skipping meals could leave them less sharp. A comprehensive review of 71 studies conducted worldwide seeks to resolve these uncertainties. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The findings, <a href=\"https:\/\/psycnet.apa.org\/fulltext\/2026-76741-001.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">published<\/a> in the journal Psychological Bulletin, provide strong reassurance for adults, indicating no substantial difference in cognitive function when going without food for periods ranging from eight to 24 hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cPeople often worry that if they fast they won\u2019t be able to concentrate at work or study effectively,\u201d senior author David Moreau, a neuroscientist at the University of Auckland, said in a news release. \u201cOur results show that, for most adults, short-term fasting is unlikely to have a major impact on mental sharpness.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, the study reveals some important nuances. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In particular, children and adolescents tend to perform less well cognitively during fasting, underscoring the necessity of a proper breakfast before school. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Additionally, the timing of the fasting seems to matter. Participants who fasted experienced cognitive dips later in the day, which might amplify natural declines in circadian rhythm function.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Specific tasks, especially those involving food-related cues, also appeared to undermine performance in fasting individuals. Judging portion sizes or responding to food imagery, for instance, could be particularly distracting for those who are hungry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt seems the brain is quite resilient in the face of temporary food shortages,\u201d added Moreau, who works in the University\u2019s School of Psychology and leads the\u00a0Brain Dynamics Lab. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHumans evolved with periods of food scarcity, so it makes sense our cognitive systems can function well without constant refuelling,&#8221; he explained. &#8220;That said, children and teenagers appear more vulnerable, which fits with what we know about their high energy demands.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The studies reviewed had a median fasting duration of 12 hours, with only a few extending beyond 24 hours. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThese results don\u2019t mean fasting is risk-free for everyone,\u201d Moreau added. \u201cPeople with health conditions, children, and those fasting for extended periods may still experience negative effects. Our review highlights the need for careful consideration in these groups.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The study&#8217;s lead author is Christoph Bamberg, who was a doctoral student at the University of Auckland and is now at Lodron University Salzburg. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:16px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurekalert.org\/news-releases\/1104435\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">University of Auckland<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The health benefits of intermittent fasting are well-documented, but concerns about its impact on mental performance have left many wondering if skipping meals could leave them less sharp. A comprehensive review of 71 studies conducted worldwide seeks to resolve these uncertainties. The findings, published in the journal Psychological Bulletin, provide strong reassurance for adults, indicating [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"single-no-separators","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[285],"class_list":["post-31412","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-health","tag-university-of-auckland"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"The University Network","author_link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/author\/funky_junkie\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"The health benefits of intermittent fasting are well-documented, but concerns about its impact on mental performance have left many wondering if skipping meals could leave them less sharp. A comprehensive review of 71 studies conducted worldwide seeks to resolve these uncertainties. The findings, published in the journal Psychological Bulletin, provide strong reassurance for adults, indicating&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31412","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31412"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31412\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31421,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31412\/revisions\/31421"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31412"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31412"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31412"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}