Prepared by: Dr. Fatima Abdullah
Fasting can be defined as voluntary abstinence from food and drink for specific and repeated periods of time, according to different religions and spectrums of societies. Feeding is often compared to nutrition as desired, which is characterized by eating three or more meals per day in modern societies, and may increase – along with an inactive lifestyle – the risk of a person with chronic neurological diseases. Fasting and hunger should not be confused, and it is a state of unique and non -controlled chronic nutrition, and may lead to the failure of organs and death.
Glucose is the main source of energy for the brain, and in fasting the brain derives its energy from ketone bodies derived from fats or ketones. Ketones are a more efficient source of energy for each oxygen unit in the muscles, and in the brain.
Fasting has multiple effects on brain health, not exclusively to be summarized at several important points:
1- Stimulating the production of new neurons: When fasting, the body increases the secretion of a substance called the nerve nervous growth (BDNF), a substance that helps stimulate the growth of neurons and helps improve communication between neurons in the brain .. The high levels of BDNF are useful for learning, memory and brain health in general.
2- Improving cognitive functions: Some studies indicate that fasting Ramadan may enhance some cognitive functions. For example, I noticed one of the studies that were studied on fifteen sound volunteers between the ages of 21 and 28 years of great improvements in tasks that evaluate cognitive flexibility and attention during fasting periods.
3- Enhancing brain function and maintaining or reducing the risk of some neurological diseases: fasting stimulates the autophage, as the body removes damaged or unnecessary cells, as a mechanism for survival. When food is not available, the body resorted to its internal resources to maintain energy and protect vital tissues, especially the brain. This process is necessary to maintain cell health, support longevity in general, and prevent diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s and other atrophic neurological diseases, which are characterized by the presence of harmful proteins that are deposited in neurons that cause these diseases.
4- Improving the mood: Some studies show that fasting may improve the mood and reduce anxiety and depression. This is believed to increase the level of some neurotransmitters produced by the brain, which in turn improves the current mood of the fasting person.
5- Improving stress resistance: When a person fasts, the body is exposed to a state of moderate stress that stimulates the brain to adapt to challenges; Due to the lack of water and food during the fasting period, which improves its resistance to mental and physical stress. This mechanism is not only limited to humans, but also to microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi and worms, which is the way of living to maintain resources, reduce damage, and enhance longevity. Fasting also improves physical and cognitive activity of some organisms such as lung fish, marine snakes, frogs, snakes, and arthropods, unusual resistance to the scarcity of nutrients, which improves their ability to search for and obtain food.
6- Reducing the risk of infection with some neurological diseases: fasting causes a metabolic condition that improves the vital energy of nerve cells, and their elasticity, in a way that may reflect a wide range of neurological disorders. In both experiments and research conducted on animals and humans, it prevents fasting and treats metabolic syndrome, which is a major risk factor for many neurological diseases, especially strokes. In cases of human cancers, including brain cancers, fasting reduces the side effects associated with chemotherapy, and may protect normal cells from the effects of chemotherapy. Fasting also improves perception, stops the cognitive deterioration associated with age, slows down the atrophy of neurons, reduces brain damage, is enhanced by functional recovery after stroke, and reduces the pathological and clinical features of epilepsy and multiple sclerosis in animal models.
In conclusion, fasting leads to a coordinated change of many metabolic mechanisms in the body, which helps to improve communication between neurons and brain health in general. Fasting also enhances cognitive functions, reduces the risk of infection from neurological diseases, and due to the strength of evidence derived from experiments and research on animals, there may be many exciting discoveries pending future investigations about the feasibility of fasting as a treatment for neurological diseases.
* Consulting Brain and Neurological – Member of the Friends of Health Association
