A study from the University of Arizona suggests intermittent fasting could benefit opioid addiction treatment.
Testing IF during opioid treatment
The study’s corresponding author, John Streicher, Ph.D., explained this was the first time the impact of intermittent fasting on opioids had been studied.
To do this research, the team put mice on a six-hour fasting regimen while undergoing opioid injection treatment for one week. When the week was up, they discovered pain relief had improved and lasted longer in the fasting group.
But despite the increased efficacy, the side effects did not increase. Opioids, he explains, activate the reward circuit, which is the basis of addiction. Control mice showed the expected reward response to morphine. The fasting mice, however, showed no evidence of reward or learning to associate a euphoric effect with the drug.
Improving treatment and limiting side effects
While this research is still in its early stages, the findings suggest people undergoing opioid treatment could try intermittent fasting to both improve treatment and help reduce or eliminate the chance of addiction, should similar results translate to humans.
Other side effects improved as well. Tolerance for the opioids increased by as much as 100% in the control group that wasn’t intermittent fasting. The fasting group only saw about a 40% increase in tolerance, meaning they didn’t have to up their dosage as much.
The team also found the fasting mice had less constipation and recovered faster from the drugs.
All of these results together suggests side effects of opioids are reduced and efficacy is improved, which is exactly what you want, Streicher said.
What’s next moving forward?
To continue the research, the team wants to do more studies and clinical trials to understand what exactly is happening within the brain that’s affecting opioid receptors and side effects.
One of the good things is, unlike a new drug which requires 10 years, millions of dollars, and approval by the FDA, something like a dietary change can be tested almost immediately, Streicher says. The team is now trying to set up a clinical trial based on these findings to have patients on an intermittent fasting diet and see what it does to their experience with opioid pain therapy.
The initial research on this topic was led by a student, David Duron, who was curious about the effects intermittent fasting could have on opioid treatment and addiction. The study was conducted using mice as subjects. The findings were published on April 19, 2026.
The broader context of this study adds to growing interest in intermittent fasting for various health applications. Previous research has linked fasting regimens to reductions in inflammation and potential longevity benefits. The mechanism is thought to involve metabolic changes that influence how the body processes substances and manages cellular repair. Researchers in other fields are also examining how dietary patterns can affect neurological pathways and behavior, which may have implications for treating a range of conditions beyond addiction.
