The Influence of the Brain on the Immune System During Fasting
Why the thought of hunger is enough to reduce inflammation
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For thousands of years, fasting has been used as a means of purification, self-healing and spiritual clarification. In recent years, modern research has shown that regular fasting periods can dampen inflammatory processes, stimulate cell repair and promote metabolic health. But a new study now focuses on a surprising aspect: Fasting also works when we just believe that we are fasting.
The head as a control center
Scientists from the University of Manchester discovered that certain brain cells — so-called agouti-related peptide neurons (AgRP neurons) in the hypothalamus — can restructure the immune system simply by activating them. These neurons normally send hunger signals when we don't eat for a long period of time. In experiments with mice, however, artificial activation of these neurons was enough to reduce pro-inflammatory immune cells in the spleen, bone marrow and blood — without actual food deprivation.
The results were published in the renowned scientific journal Science Immunology published and shed new light on the close connection between the brain and the immune system.
What does that mean for humans?
Although the tests have only been carried out on mice so far, the underlying mechanisms could also play a role in humans. The central nervous system therefore appears to be not only a passive observer, but an active regulator of immune processes — depending on emotional, cognitive or sensory input.
In concrete terms, this could mean:
- The subjective experience fasting or abstinence from food plays a bigger role than previously assumed.
- The brain could be used therapeutically to modulate inflammatory diseases via neuronal pathways — potentially even without real diets or medications.
- In the future, fasting could also play a role as a neuro-immunological approach for cancers, autoimmune processes or chronic inflammation.
In the context of longevity medicine
The finding fits perfectly into the puzzle of Longevity research: It shows how tight cognitive processes, metabolismand immune responses are interwoven. The study thus joins a growing number of scientific papers that explore the systems biology of aging — i.e. the complex interplay of brain, intestines, immune cells, hormones and the environment.
Previous studies have already shown that fasting:
- stimulates autophagy (cell cleansing),
- reduces oxidative stress,
- increases mitochondrial efficiency
- may affect epigenetic markers.
This new study adds a fascinating dimension to the picture: the role of the brain as “Fasting Center”, which triggers physiological processes even before a calorie has been saved.
Conclusion:
Fasting is more than a physical discipline — it is a neurobiological condition. Anyone who learns how the brain “thinks” about hunger could have a targeted influence on inflammation, the immune system and possibly even biological age in the future.
For everyone involved in healthy aging, this opens up an exciting new field of potential applications — and perhaps even a new generation of mind-based interventions for health and longevity.
Studies & references:
- Science Immunology (2024): “Hypothalamic AgRP neurons regulate peripheral myeloid cell homeostasis in response to hunger signaling”
- Mind-body Medicine and which Psychoneuroimmunology — a growing field that systematically investigates the bridge between mental state and immune function.
- book recommendation: The Inflamed Mind by Edward Bullmore — how depression, stress and inflammation are linked.
References
“Brain Sensing of Metabolic State Regulates Circulating Monocytes” by Joao Paulo Cavalcanti de Albuquerque, Jenna Hunter, Rita G. Domingues, Erika Harno, Amy A. Worth, Fabrizio Maria Liguori, Aurora D'Alessio, Gabriella Aviello, David Bechtold, Anne White, Simon M. Luckman, Matthew R. Hepworth and Giuseppe D'Agostino, April 4, 2025, Science Immunology.
Publiziert
11.8.2025
Kategorie
Health
Experte
For thousands of years, fasting has been used as a means of purification, self-healing and spiritual clarification. In recent years, modern research has shown that regular fasting periods can dampen inflammatory processes, stimulate cell repair and promote metabolic health. But a new study now focuses on a surprising aspect: Fasting also works when we just believe that we are fasting.
The head as a control center
Scientists from the University of Manchester discovered that certain brain cells — so-called agouti-related peptide neurons (AgRP neurons) in the hypothalamus — can restructure the immune system simply by activating them. These neurons normally send hunger signals when we don't eat for a long period of time. In experiments with mice, however, artificial activation of these neurons was enough to reduce pro-inflammatory immune cells in the spleen, bone marrow and blood — without actual food deprivation.
The results were published in the renowned scientific journal Science Immunology published and shed new light on the close connection between the brain and the immune system.
What does that mean for humans?
Although the tests have only been carried out on mice so far, the underlying mechanisms could also play a role in humans. The central nervous system therefore appears to be not only a passive observer, but an active regulator of immune processes — depending on emotional, cognitive or sensory input.
In concrete terms, this could mean:
- The subjective experience fasting or abstinence from food plays a bigger role than previously assumed.
- The brain could be used therapeutically to modulate inflammatory diseases via neuronal pathways — potentially even without real diets or medications.
- In the future, fasting could also play a role as a neuro-immunological approach for cancers, autoimmune processes or chronic inflammation.
In the context of longevity medicine
The finding fits perfectly into the puzzle of Longevity research: It shows how tight cognitive processes, metabolismand immune responses are interwoven. The study thus joins a growing number of scientific papers that explore the systems biology of aging — i.e. the complex interplay of brain, intestines, immune cells, hormones and the environment.
Previous studies have already shown that fasting:
- stimulates autophagy (cell cleansing),
- reduces oxidative stress,
- increases mitochondrial efficiency
- may affect epigenetic markers.
This new study adds a fascinating dimension to the picture: the role of the brain as “Fasting Center”, which triggers physiological processes even before a calorie has been saved.
Conclusion:
Fasting is more than a physical discipline — it is a neurobiological condition. Anyone who learns how the brain “thinks” about hunger could have a targeted influence on inflammation, the immune system and possibly even biological age in the future.
For everyone involved in healthy aging, this opens up an exciting new field of potential applications — and perhaps even a new generation of mind-based interventions for health and longevity.
Studies & references:
- Science Immunology (2024): “Hypothalamic AgRP neurons regulate peripheral myeloid cell homeostasis in response to hunger signaling”
- Mind-body Medicine and which Psychoneuroimmunology — a growing field that systematically investigates the bridge between mental state and immune function.
- book recommendation: The Inflamed Mind by Edward Bullmore — how depression, stress and inflammation are linked.
Experte
Referenzen
“Brain Sensing of Metabolic State Regulates Circulating Monocytes” by Joao Paulo Cavalcanti de Albuquerque, Jenna Hunter, Rita G. Domingues, Erika Harno, Amy A. Worth, Fabrizio Maria Liguori, Aurora D'Alessio, Gabriella Aviello, David Bechtold, Anne White, Simon M. Luckman, Matthew R. Hepworth and Giuseppe D'Agostino, April 4, 2025, Science Immunology.
Publiziert
11.8.2025
Kategorie
Health
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