Intermittent Fasting Is Doing More Than You Think
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Mind Body Connection: Weight loss. Mental clarity. A feeling of lightness. A reset. These are the reasons people give when they explain why they’re doing intermittent fasting. How much validity there is to these claims has never been entirely clear to us. But according to new research published in Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology, there may in fact be something interesting going on between your gut and brain when you fast intermittently.
The Study: Researchers tracked 25 obese adults who followed a two-month intermittent fasting program. Participants lost an average of 7.6 kg and their metabolic markers improved. But fMRI brain scans also revealed that brain activity in regions tied to appetite decreased, while beneficial gut bacteria also increased while harmful strains declined.
The Takeaway: Weight loss may involve more than calorie math. The gut and brain may actually be influencing each other in ways that shape how we eat and whether we stick with it.
Keep in Mind: The study was small and correlational, so it can’t confirm which came first or whether one is driving the other. Larger studies are needed before drawing firm conclusions.
