Short-term fasting did not significantly affect cognitive performance in healthy adults, according to a meta-analysis of 63 studies involving 3,484 participants published in Psychological Bulletin. The pooled data showed a negligible performance difference (standardized mean difference = 0.02) between fasted and non-fasted groups. Fasting durations ranged from 3 to 336 hours, with a median of 12 hours. Minor variations appeared in studies with fasting under 48 hours, where each additional hour slightly reduced the performance gap. Tasks involving food-related stimuli showed small decrements, while attention, working memory, and executive function remained stable. The findings support fasting practices without measurable cognitive detriment.