Food Deprivation Is Good For Your Brain, But How Can You Survive Hunger Pangs?

Fasting may not be fun, but a new study suggests there's another reason to clear your plate for a set period of time and endure hunger pangs: the research suggests that the behavior may not only be good for your waistline, it could improve brain function as well, and give the nervous system a break.

Using fruit flies, scientists at the Buck Institute have revealed how nutrient deprivation, or fasting, lowers synapse activity at the junctions between neurons and muscle cells. This reduces neurotransmitter releases and allows our brain to have a moment to recharge itself.