Neurobehavioural outcomes and brain inflammatory-oxidative responses to distinct intermittent fasting regimens: A...

Intermittent fasting (IF) has gained increasing attention as a dietary strategy with established metabolic benefits; however, its neurobehavioural consequences remain heterogeneous and mechanistically unresolved. This review synthesises current evidence on the effects of distinct IF regimens on anxiety- and depression-related outcomes, with particular emphasis on brain inflammatory and oxidative responses, as well as on gut-brain axis signalling, neuroimmune modulation, redox processes, and stress-axis regulation. A comprehensive search was conducted in Medline, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science databases. Evidence from animal studies and human observational research suggests that specific IF paradigms may exert anxiolytic and antidepressant-like effects, although outcomes appear strongly protocol-dependent. The limited number of available randomised controlled trials indicates that IF may produce comparable effects to caloric restriction on mood-related outcomes, yet methodological heterogeneity constrains firm conclusions. The anxiolytic and antidepressant benefits of IF may be plausibly related, at least in part, to gut microbiota-brain interactions that converge on central neuroinflammatory and oxidative pathways. Nevertheless, the current evidence remains largely derived from animal models, and studies simultaneously assessing behavioural and neuroimmune outcomes, particularly in humans, are scarce. Well-designed clinical trials with integrated behavioural and mechanistic endpoints are required to clarify causal relationships and to determine the translational relevance of these findings.