For many years, one of the most well-liked lifestyle options has been intermittent fasting (IF). For many people all over the world, it has shown to be an extremely effective weight-loss method.
Adding to its fame, a recent study suggested that this time-restricted eating schedule might also strengthen memory and reduce the buildup of amyloid proteins in the brain, which is a major risk factor for Alzheimer's disease.
Alzheimer's disease is a brain disorder that slowly and gradually destroys memory and thinking skills and, eventually, the ability to carry out the simplest tasks. The first symptoms of this disease begin to appear in people during their mid-60s. Major Alzheimer's patients have problems falling asleep or experience nighttime cognitive decline. There are also medications for this illness that focus on this particular component. However, time-restricted feeding, or IF, has been proven to be effective in correcting the circadian rhythm linked to Alzheimer's disease confirmed in mice by researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine.
The study found that when a group of mice were fed on a time-restricted schedule it showed improvements in memory and reduced accumulation of amyloid proteins in their brains. "For many years, we assumed that the circadian disruptions seen in people with Alzheimer’s are a result of neuro degeneration, but we’re now learning it may be the other way around. Circadian disruption may be one of the main drivers of Alzheimer’s pathology,” said senior study author Paula Desplats, professor in the Department of Neurosciences.
