Advertisement

Can a Fasting Diet Help Treat Alzheimer's Symptoms?

There's some evidence in support of fasting as a treatment, but the case isn't very strong yet.

ByAlex Orlando
(Credit: TanyaJoy/Shutterstock)

Newsletter

Sign up for our email newsletter for the latest science news

Sign Up

For many of the 5.8 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease, getting enough food can be an uphill battle. The disease, which , can cause people to lose interest in food and become unable to feed themselves. So, , which tends to be tethered to weight loss, might not seem like a natural choice for Alzheimer’s patients.

“The thing we tend to worry about with Alzheimer’s is keeping [patients] from losing weight,” said John Hsiao, a program director at the National Institute on Aging. “So fasting isn’t something that we recommend, generally.

But a growing body of evidence suggests that fasting may actually help alleviate Alzheimer’s symptoms and slow cognitive decline. Earlier this year, animal studies in mice demonstrated that intermittent food deprivation, or fasting, can counteract the progression of Alzheimer’s. Other researchers have examined the connection between fasting and aging, noting increased longevity and slower cognitive decline in mice.

As it stands, the research on fasting and Alzheimer’s is still in its infancy. And with a host of other factors, from sleep and stress to genetics, linked to the disease, we still have a long way to go in unraveling its mysteries.

Read more:

  • Alex Orlando

    Alex is a senior associate editor at Discover. Before he joined the Discover team in 2019, he worked as a reporter for the Half Moon Bay Review and as a staff writer for Houston’s Texas Medical Center. His work has also appeared in The Verge and San Francisco Magazine. Alex holds a master's degree in journalism from UC Berkeley.

Stay Curious

JoinOur List

Sign up for our weekly science updates

View our Privacy Policy

SubscribeTo The Magazine

Save up to 40% off the cover price when you subscribe to Discover magazine.

Subscribe
Advertisement

0 Free Articles