Ghoncheh Ghavami, a 25-year-old law graduate of London university SOAS was taken to Tehran's Evin jail after attempting to watch a volleyball match between Iran and Italy on June 20.
She has since been being kept in solitary detention for over 100 days.
Miss Ghavami's mother, Sousan Moshtaghian confirmed the hunger strike in a message on her Facebook page.
"Finally yesterday I got to see my Ghoncheh. She said she could no longer tolerate her condition and as such has decided to go on hunger strike," wrote Mrs Moshtaghian.
"I too am not going to eat until such a time that my Ghoncheh breaks her hunger strike. My God, you are a witness to how I kept my silence for 82 days so my innocent girl comes back home safely. But now that her health and life are in danger I am not going to sit in silence. Please God, end this nightmare for me".
British prime minister David Cameron recently asked Iranian president Hassan Rouhani to personally intervene and release Ghoncheh Ghavami.
In what was a historic meeting between the two leaders - the first between a British prime minister and an Iranian president since the 1979 revolution, Cameron raised the case of Ghoncheh Ghavami, "underlining the impact that such cases had on Iran's image in the UK".
Miss Ghavami was in Iran visiting family and volunteering. She was arrested immediately after the volleyball match in Tehran and released, only to be detained again when she went to collect her belongings at a police station.
Amnesty International has said that Ghoncheh's lawyer has not been allowed to meet her in prison or even access her case file.
Her brother - 28-year-old Iman Ghavami, a genetics researcher who lives in London has started a release petition that has already been signed by over 70,000 people.
Imam said "Since June 2014 my younger sister is in solitary confinement in Tehran. She was arrested for going to a men's volleyball match. We know that the UK Government has the power to do more to help Ghoncheh. Past cases have shown us that when pressure is applied government will take more action".
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