A study from the University of Arizona examines how intermittent fasting might help in treating addiction, particularly related to opioids. The research was reported by Sarah Regan, the Spirituality and Relationships Editor at mindbodygreen, on April 19, 2026.
The inquiry began when David Duron, now a Ph.D. graduate, wondered about intermittent fasting’s effects on opioid treatment and addiction. Researchers moved forward with a study using mice.
In the experiment, mice were put on a six-hour fasting regimen. They could eat only during a six-hour window each day while receiving opioid injections for one week.
After the week, the fasting group had better pain relief that lasted longer, including in a post-surgical pain model, compared to control mice that ate freely.
John Streicher, Ph.D., the study’s corresponding author, told mindbodygreen this was the first look at intermittent fasting’s impact on opioids. He explained that opioids activate the brain’s reward circuit, which underlies addiction.
Control mice showed the usual reward response to morphine. However, the fasting mice displayed no evidence of reward. They did not seem to have the drug’s euphoric effect or learn to link it with feeling good.
These findings suggest intermittent fasting could make opioid treatment more effective while limiting negative side effects, especially addiction, if results hold for people.
Other side effects improved, too. Tolerance to opioids rose by as much as 100 percent in the control group. The fasting group saw only about a 40 percent increase, meaning they required smaller dosage adjustments.
Constipation, another common issue with opioids, was less severe in the fasting mice, and they recovered faster. Streicher noted this fits with what is known about intermittent fasting and gut health.
Streicher added that together, these outcomes point to fewer side effects and better treatment results, which is the goal.
Next, the team wants to do more studies and clinical trials. They aim to understand what happens in the brain to affect opioid receptors and side effects.
Streicher said that unlike a new drug, which takes years and FDA approval, a dietary change can be tested quickly. The team is already trying to set up a clinical trial. It will have patients try intermittent fasting during opioid pain therapy to see the effects.
Intermittent fasting is an approach many individuals can test for themselves. More details on how to practice it are available in guides on the topic.
