Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research have discovered that the brain plays a crucial role in initiating autophagy, the body’s waste disposal system, during fasting. Contrary to previous assumptions that liver cells themselves activate autophagy, the study found that the brain triggers the release of the hormone corticosterone, which stimulates autophagy in the liver. The findings, published in the journal Cell Metabolism on March 2023, shed light on the brain’s involvement in this process and its potential contribution to the health benefits of fasting.