Fasting to Treat Depression
A natural treatment for depression. Caloric restriction can boost levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), considered to play a critical role in mood disorders.
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Stay tuned for the follow-up video How to Boost Brain BDNF Levels for Depression Treatment (https://nutritionfacts.org/video/how-to-boost-brain-bdnf-levels-for-depression-treatment).
I did a webinar series on fasting last year, and you can find the whole bundle here in a digital download (https://drgreger.org/collections/videos/products/fasting-bundle-digital).
Many of the videos are already online, including:
• The 3,500-Calorie-per-Pound Rule Is Wrong (http://nutritionfacts.org/video/the-3500-calorie-per-pound-rule-is-wrong)
• The Reason Weight Loss Plateaus When You Diet (http://nutritionfacts.org/video/the-reason-weight-loss-plateaus-when-you-diet)
• The New Calories per Pound of Weight Loss Rule? (http://nutritionfacts.org/video/the-new-calories-per-pound-of-weight-rule)
• The Benefits of Calorie Restriction for Longevity (http://nutritionfacts.org/video/The-Benefits-of-Calorie-Restriction-for-Longevity)
• Potential Pitfalls of Calorie Restriction (http://nutritionfacts.org/video/potential-pitfalls-of-calorie-restriction)
• Benefits of Fasting for Weight Loss Put to the Test (http://nutritionfacts.org/video/benefits-of-fasting-for-weight-loss-put-to-the-test)
• Is Fasting Beneficial for Weight Loss? (http://nutritionfacts.org/video/is-fasting-beneficial-for-weight-loss)
• Is Fasting for Weight Loss Safe? (http://nutritionfacts.org/video/Is-Fasting-for-Weight-Loss-Safe)
• Alternate-Day Intermittent Fasting Put to the Test (http://nutritionfacts.org/video/Alternate-Day-Intermittent-Fasting-Put-to-the-Test)
• Is Alternate-Day Intermittent Fasting Safe? (http://nutritionfacts.org/video/is-alternate-day-intermittent-fasting-safe)
• Does Intermittent Fasting Increase Human Life Expectancy? (http://nutritionfacts.org/video/does-intermittent-fasting-increase-human-life-expectancy)
• The 5:2 Diet and the Fasting-Mimicking Diet Put to the Test (http://nutritionfacts.org/video/the-5-2-diet-and-the-fasting-mimicking-diet-put-to-the-test)
• Time-Restricted Eating Put to the Test (https://nutritionfacts.org/video/time-restricted-eating-put-to-the-test)
• The Benefits of Early Time-Restricted Eating (http://nutritionfacts.org/video/the-benefits-of-early-time-restricted-eating)
Have a question about this video? Leave it in the comment section at http://nutritionfacts.org/video/fasting-to-treat-depression and someone on the NutritionFacts.org team will try to answer it.
Want to get a list of links to all the scientific sources used in this video? Click on Sources Cited at https://nutritionfacts.org/video/fasting-to-treat-depression. You’ll also find a transcript and acknowledgements for the video, my blog and speaking tour schedule, and an easy way to search (by translated language even) through our videos spanning more than 2,000 health topics.
Thanks for watching. I hope you’ll join in the evidence-based nutrition revolution!
-Michael Greger, MD FACLM
Captions for this video are available in several languages; you can find yours in the video settings. View important information about our translated resources: https://nutritionfacts.org/translations-info/
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45 Comments
Fasting is sustainable long term.. Just a 24-36hours weekly fast is enough to reap the benefits.. I’ve been doing it for years every Monday perfectly sustainable.. Right now am at 24hours of dry fasting after a 15km run in the morning
Not on subject, but, But Dr. G, what do you think about the lab leak theory gaining traction? Also is someone messing around with H5N1 in some lab somewhere??
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Is this the start of a fasting series, or a depression BDNF series?
How to successfully implement the fasting therapy?? …. Like a to-do list while fasting…. So that it does not cause any long term eating diseases?? And also please mention the ideal time and time interval.
If you’re struggling with body issues including weight, you should read The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk. It’s about how trauma is almost always manifested in our bodies. From my understanding, healing from your trauma (through spirituality in my case), is essential to reclaiming your body and losing weight. We have agency over our own lives, people!
well, I do not have depression normally or during fasting but I have never had an improved mood or the faster's high that people often talk about.
I feel like garbage the whole time but if that what it takes to have some nice autophagy now and then it is worth it.
anecdotal but fasting for ramadan this year (first time ever) helped my mood tremendously
Can’t wait to hear what a certain Aussie cyclist has to say about this one
I'll wager exercise raises bdnf 🙂
The best !
Wonderful info!
i don't know about this i tend to not eat much when my anxiety is really bad and iv always seen this as a bad thing.
BD
NF
I bet the answer is plant based eating. I felt awesome after going vegan
My favorite Dr. Gregor! The Legend!
Oh you lost a loved one? Got divorce raped by a manipulative wife? Just fast…
Far better than taking SSRIs and chemicals
Green tea, hibiscus tea, lemon, peppermint extract, and matcha tea have helped my BPD like symptoms. Not making this up.
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if you say we need to eat a certain amount of foods every day and to take supplements every other day and we have to hit all our rdi/rdas then why is it that going 3 days or more without any food at all is beneficial.. completly contradicting yourself.. are you admitting that the rdi's for one day are actually for one week? when you talk about these things you need to adress your contradictions.
you cant have us all worrying about not eating enough veggies and iodine and selenium etc everyday and taking a handful of supplements and making it all seem so complicated and then tell us eating nothing for a week is beneficial, adress your contradictions dont do this to people you are sending people insane
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when I am in control of my eating- life is a better place-
I've fasted for years, you make the scientific aspect so clear.
Does the screen move or does Dr Gregor have amazing calf muscles
Very interesting finding. Thanks for sharing these studies… even if it's from the USSR lol. I'll remember to fast next time my mood goes looooow. Maybe depression is "supported" by the foods we eat too, when we craving comfort foods it gets us to a comfortable low. Just a thought! Has anybody's depression got worse when they indulge in comfort foods?
Whoever wrote this script should really rethink cheerfully glossing over the inhumane torture these women were subjected to for what were probably legitimate health issues because this isn't just a thing of the past. Women are still treated this badly today by Western medicine. I know Dr. Greger isn't actually that callous, but it's a very serious issue. Maybe less whimsy and more "omg wtf" next time?
Thanks!
sorry- I do not fast more than 12-16 hours max- It works for me
You are awesome ! Thank you for all you do. Keep up the fantastic work !!
Eat meat and you’ll never be depressed
Anyone recommend a similar YouTube channel without cliffhangers? These channel has gone from my favorite to just plain annoying 🙁
Appreciate your efforts so much. Thank you from Austria 🇦🇹
I remember in high school at peak stress levels, I had an urge to go without food. After about 36 hours my mood would improve. Something not having the glucose to worry about artificial stressors makes you feel great, very peaceful. When the only thing you can think about is what/how awesome your next meal will be is incredibly effective against depression/anxiety, at least temporarily until glucose is restored.
Isn't this the same what happens with keto?
I bet it's blueberries
Considering that loss of appetite is often a symptom of clinical depression, I'd question the long term efficacy of fasting alone.
Omg this is true!!!… I have been fasting for about 2 months and I feel so good… I tend to be depressive because I suffer of a strong form of PMS, but u right, this last 2 months I have been feeling better, less moody days. Thanks doc… and thanks for ur books… My parents and me follow ur diet.
Great video
This is great
Your reactions in this video were used to treat depression
This is a first: this is 5 minutes and 31 seconds that I will never get back. I am not going to fast for a week plus at a time to treat my depression. Even if I were celebrity rich.
Water fasted for 3 days and I definitely experienced a lot of benefits. I went into it addicted to fast food, came out of it no longer craving any of it. I've also kept the weight off that I lost. Will definitely do it again soon!
Why?Because depression starts from gut.