Intermittent Fasting can cause alteration of brain activity says study

Fasting is not limited to religious sentiments only, nowadays a large number of people also fast so that they can remain fit or maintain better health. Many people also adopt methods like fasting for weight loss. Among these, intermittent fasting is also quite popular for weight loss. But a new study says that fasting in this way can affect the functioning of the brain. Our brain sends signals to the body according to hunger or any other habit. Intermittent fasting can cause changes in this brain activity.

According to the New York Post, researchers at the Health Management Institute in Beijing found that intermittent fasting can alter the bacteria found in the gut, as well as brain activity. Its positive effects can be seen as well as negative. The study has been published in Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology. It states that the people participating in the research lost an average of 7.5 kg weight within 2 months. But in these people, changes were seen in the processing of the part of the brain that was related to hunger and addiction.

Researchers found that the intermittent energy restriction (IER) diet also increased the number of bacteria found in the stomach. For this, researchers studied stool samples of 25 men and women from China. First the participants were put through a high controlled fasting phase for 32 days. Here he was given the diet prescribed by the dietician. After that, they were made to go through a less controlled fasting phase for the next 30 days. Here the participants were given more freedom to eat as per their wish.

Men eating the designed diet got 600 calories a day, while women got 500 calories. In the end his body weight reduced by 7.5 kg. So that their body fat reduced, and the fat accumulated around the waist reduced. Here his blood pressure also reduced and cholesterol also reduced. But there were also changes in brain activity and gut bacteria.