Intermittent fasting diet enhances memory and lowers dementia risk

Intermittent fasting, the type of diet made popular by Dr Michael Mosley, is good for your brain as well as your body - according to new research. The study found better brain function in people who follow an intermittent fasting diet, which involves only eating on certain days or during certain hours of the day.

The research followed adults with obesity and insulin resistance - which both lead to a higher risk of Alzheimer's disease and cognitive decline. Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine and the National Institute on Aging assigned people either a standard healthy diet or an intermittent fasting diet.

Both types of diet decreased insulin resistance and improved brain function - with better memory and decision-making. The results were strongest on the intermittent fasting diet.

Half of those taking part were on an intermittent fasting diet that restricted calories to one-quarter of the recommended daily intake for two consecutive days per week, and followed an approved healthy diet the other five days. The other half were on the standard healthy diet every day.

Both diets equally reduced insulin resistance and caused weight loss. But the intermittent fasting diet improved mental skills by 20% more than the standard diet.

Mark Mattson, professor of neuroscience at Johns Hopkins, said: "Neurons release a lot of proteins, and one idea is that intermittent fasting may be causing some kind of neuroplasticity (a change in structure) in neurons, causing the release of neurofilament proteins."

Intermittent fasting can be harmful to some people and you should always talk to a doctor first.