Effects of intermittent fasting on metabolism, cognitive function, and aging: a review of human and animal studies

Obesity has a significant impact on society; however, there are few efficient long-term treatment strategies available.The popularity of intermittent fasting (IF) over calorie restriction has increased due to its less severe strategy of modifying only the eating pattern and not restricting the total calories ingested.Clinical studies on IF have had limitations and tended to focus only on body weight loss, thus controlled animal studies are required to establish the physiological basis of IF.The present review focuses on the effects of IF as a potential new approach to lose weight, including its effects on metabolism, cognitive function, and aging.IF has been proved to efficiently reduce body weight and insulin resistance through an improvement in lipid metabolism, inflammation, cognitive function, and neurodegeneration.Future research should include studies with experimental animals to elucidate the mechanisms involved.Long-term human studies will also be required to determine which form of IF is the most beneficial as well as its long-term effects.