Psychological and Psychiatric Consequences of Prolonged Fasting: A Narrative Synthesis of Neurobiological and Clinical Evidence

This narrative synthesis systematically examines peer-reviewed research on how prolonged and intermittent fasting affect mood, cognition, stress physiology, and psychiatric symptoms, covering both secular and religious fasting practices from 2010-2025. The review evaluates clinical trials and observational studies while critically assessing study quality and vulnerability factors, acknowledging that psychoneurobiological psychiatric consequences of fasting remain incompletely characterized despite documented metabolic benefits.