Dr. David Moreau has good news for dieters: “Short-term fasting is unlikely to have a major impact on mental sharpness”

Do you sometimes skip breakfast – the “most important meal of the day,” some would have you believe – or stretch out other gaps between sitting down for some nourishment? Well, assuming you’re a relatively healthy adult, you can remove any worry that it could be negatively impacting on your focus.

That’s right, a comprehensive review from the boffins at Psychological Bulletin pooled 222 results from 63 studies (3,484 people; typical fast c.12 hours) and found no meaningful difference in thinking skills between fasted and fed participants.

“Our results show that, for most adults, short-term fasting is unlikely to have a major impact on mental sharpness,” said co-author Dr. David Moreau. “Individuals who fasted performed remarkably similarly to those who had recently eaten.”

How long, when and age factors

The review flags a couple of small but practical nuances: the longer the fast (within the short-term window), the more likely performance dipped a touch, and tests taken later in the day favored those who had eaten. Translation: a skipped breakfast at 8 a.m. is different from powering through a 3 p.m. slump.

It’s worth noting, however, that the “no big change” finding applies to adults. In younger participants, fasting was more likely to hurt performance, echoing longstanding evidence that breakfast helps school-age cognition. If the audience includes teens or children, a regular morning meal is still the safer bet.

The power of food imagery

Curiously, the study found that on tasks that used food-related images or choices, hungry participants tended to slow down slightly. You may be unsurprised by this given that attention is pulled directly toward food cues. On neutral tasks, though, differences largely vanished.

While the analysis goes into great depth, if you practice time-restricted eating or occasionally skip a meal, it suggests your mental sharpness should stay on course. Be mindful of longer daytime gaps and high-temptation environments (like meetings built around snacks). Oh, and remember that people with medical conditions, those who are pregnant or breastfeeding, or anyone with a history of disordered eating, have their own specialist guidance to follow.

Thanks guys, certainly something for us to chew on.

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