ANOTHER benefit of intermittent fasting?

It’s true that for many things TIMING IS EVERYTHING.

And that’s especially true when it comes to your diet.

Because healthy eating isn’t just about WHAT you eat… it’s also WHEN you eat.

Which is exactly why I’ve never shied away from the benefits of intermittent fasting – the eating plan that focuses on eating only during specific “windows” during the day.

It’s good for your waistline… helps reduce the risk of diabetes… and can even help the aging process.

But a new study is upping the ante on intermittent fasting… and points to another added health benefit.

Researchers from University of Southern California Leonard Davis School of Gerontology say “time-restricted” eating (like intermittent fasting) in mice lowered levels of two key hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease — amyloid beta and hyperphosphorylated tau protein.

It’s been known that these two substances can build up and tangle in the brain, causing cognitive function disruptions that lead to Alzheimer’s and dementia.

So, finding ways to STOP this buildup is our best weapon when it comes to preventing Alzheimer’s.

Researchers actually tweaked the genes of mice in this study so that they would develop Alzheimer’s under normal conditions.

However, they broke the mice into two groups – a fasting group, and a non-fasting group – to determine if eating timing helped contribute to lower levels of the Alzheimer’s-related proteins.

The results of the FASTING group were mind-blowing:

• Noticeable drops in amyloid beta and tau proteins.
• Lower levels of brain inflammation.
• And, a decrease in oxidative stress, which can also play a role in the onset of Alzheimer’s.

While this study was done on mice, clinical trials on humans are underway and something we will keep a close eye on.

In the meantime, if you are thinking about trying intermittent fasting, it’s easier than you think – and you don’t have to cut out flavorful foods.

For example, you could eat your first meal of the day at 11 a.m. and your ‘final’ meal at 6 p.m.

Both meals could easy have a quality source of protein (like salmon), a nutrient-rich vegetable (like spinach or kale), and a satisfying starch (like brown rice or a sweet potato).

This will ensure you’re getting plenty of vitamins and minerals WITHOUT sacrificing taste… or overdoing it on the calories late in the day.

Intermittent fasting can take some getting used to, so it’s a program you may want to ease your way into if you haven’t tried it before. As always, consult with your doctor.

To a balanced diet and a healthy mind,
Sarah Reagan

Sources:

Melore, Chris. “Could intermittent fasting be secret to preventing Alzheimer’s disease?” https://studyfinds.org/intermittent-fasting-alzheimers/