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How long should I fast to increase mental clarity?

My dad has been doing 3 day fasts at least once a month since his PhD days as a way of getting “centered” and improving focus.

I just got started on day 3 of my fast (water and pickle juice) and I haven’t really experienced a burst of energy or focus. This is in sharp contrast to the literature which says that time restricted fasting (16hrs) in animal models is sufficient to boost cognitive function in young rats/delay impairment in older ones. My dad has always claimed that he feels improved focus after the first day/by the second morning.

I don’t have issues controlling weight and definitely want to stop this before losing muscle mass. How many more days should I push this until I see a marked cognitive benefit? What’s it like for y’all?

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Answer

For me, the mental clarity is usually obvious at 24-36 hours, like your dad. The first time this happened, I realised I had worked continuously on my laptop in a cafe for over 4 hours. I would usually have cut out before 3 hours were up

But don’t be discouraged. The best mental effects come from Day 4 onwards, and you may have to do two or three fasts to really see the benefits

Answer

Yeah, never happens for me. I’ve done numerous EFs over the last few years, most 2-4 days, the longest of which was 6. I’ve never experienced a burst of energy or any noticeable mental clarity. I commented about this a few weeks ago, and a number of people added to it, saying they hadn’t either. So it might not be a thing for everyone.

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