Intermittent Fasting Study Shows Brain Myelin Protection in Stressed Mice

Researchers from Chiba University’s Center for Forensic Mental Health and the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University examined the effects of intermittent fasting (IF) on adult male mice subjected to chronic psychological stress. The mice were divided into two groups: one with unrestricted food access and another limited to specific feeding windows. Those with free access displayed depression‑like behaviors and marked myelin damage in brain regions that regulate emotion, decision‑making, and memory. In contrast, the IF group exhibited fewer depressive behaviors, preserved myelin structure, and a gut‑microbiome shift toward bacterial species associated with healthier myelin.

The findings, published in Translational Psychiatry, suggest that IF may mitigate stress‑induced brain damage by modulating the gut‑brain axis, offering a potential lifestyle approach to protect neural health under long‑term stress conditions.