Review of 71 Studies Finds Short-Term Fasting Does Not Impair Adult Cognition

1 articles · Updated · One Green Planet · May 27

A new Psychological Bulletin review of 63 articles covering 71 studies and more than 3,400 participants found no meaningful cognitive decline in healthy adults during short-term fasting.
Christoph Bamberg and David Moreau used a Bayesian analysis and reported memory, decision-making and response speed stayed broadly steady versus regularly fed adults.
Fasting beyond 12 hours showed modest performance dips, and children and teenagers appeared more vulnerable to extended periods without food.
Food-related cognitive tasks were more sensitive to fasting than neutral tasks, suggesting hunger may redirect attention rather than broadly reduce mental performance.
The findings challenge a common belief that skipping meals reliably hurts adult mental sharpness, while leaving room for caution around longer fasts and younger people.

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