Intermittent fasting may help reduce signs of depression and will have no harmful effect on mood or anxiety on those who take up this pattern of eating, which alternate periods of eating and fasting. This is one of the findings suggested by a study made by the research team from the University of Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM) and published by the journal Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, and whose authors still call for more conclusive results, stressing the need to do more research in this field to obtain more robust conclusions.
Set out with the aim of assessing possible implications of intermittent fasting on mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, and the mood of people in general, this systematic review is supported by clinical trials, including a total of fourteen studies with 562 participants. The article entitled “Does intermittent fasting impact mental disorders? A systematic review with meta-analysis” stresses that depression and anxiety are the most prevalent and debilitating disorders in the whole world, even more so in the wake of COVID-19, and shows the close relationship they have with obesity. In parallel to this, there is remarkable growth in implementing intermittent fasting as a more effective dietary alternative to traditional calorie counting, which people eventually tend to give up on.
 The study includes different scientific evidence from clinical models on the benefits of intermittent fasting for mental health on stimulating the formation of new neurons (neurogenesis), improving communication between them (synaptic plasticity) and generally nurturing the protection of the brain. Moreover, these improvements can be seen in the three main categories of intermittent fasting: alternating fasting and eating days with no restrictions; the 5:2 diet which entails 5 days of eating with no restrictions and two fasting days per week; and time-restricted eating, which establishes daily windows between four and ten o´clock in which to eat and the remainder for fasting, except for drinking water. The latter category helps align the circadian rhythms, since meals are in step with the internal biological clock (depending on the position of the sun) which optimises how our bodies function. 
 
The studies included in this systematic review and meta-analysis suggest that intermittent fasting interventions could have a more beneficial effect on alleviating the symptoms of depression and have no negative effect on anxiety or mood.

The research team heading this systematic review is made up of Rubén Fernández Rodríguez, Vicente Martínez-Vizcaíno, Arthur E. Mesas, Blanca Notario Pacheco and María Medrano, from the Healthcare Studies Centre (CESS) at the UCLM and the Cuenca Faculty of Nursing; and  Leonie K Heilbronn, from the Adelaide Faculty of Medicine and the South Australia Research Institute in Health and Medicine.

UCLM Communication Office Cuenca, 8th of July 2022