(Getty images)
From early grade school years, maintaining a healthy body is emphasized in science classes, with common tips including consuming healthful foods and engaging in regular exercise.
Fasting, defined as abstinence from food or drink for health, religious, or ethical reasons, is practiced in Islam, particularly during Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. Ramadan is a sacred time for Muslims to reflect, pray, and fast, reinforcing spiritual discipline as the fourth pillar of Islam.
However, fasting offers significant health benefits regardless of religious affiliation, improving physical and mental well-being for both Muslims and non-Muslims alike.
While fasting holds spiritual significance, particularly for Muslims, it can also yield health benefits when incorporated into one’s lifestyle.
Fasting is an inclusive and holistic health approach that people of all backgrounds and beliefs can adopt.
Acknowledging that fasting is not a cure-all solution, it does offer significant health benefits such as the following:
Weight loss
It is not new to note that limited food and drink intake for several days results in weight loss, as most people know.
Indeed, more and more individuals start getting motivated to lose weight, mainly for their well-being.
Further research states that within five days, a person may lose about four to six percent of his weight; two to ten percent for a week; and seven to ten percent for fasting that takes place for 15 to 20 days.
This is caused by the limited calorie intake, which boosts metabolism, leading to the desired body result.
Metabolism is the chemical reaction in the cells that transforms food into energy, breaking down the nutrients that subsequently build and repair our bodies.
But it should be noted that results from fasting do not happen overnight. Most health experts recommend prior consultations before abstinence, for fasting processes differ from one person to another.
Some cannot even fast, even if they want to, due to health risks that imperil themselves. Our bodies may probably be shocked if we suddenly stop eating or drinking one day.
Among the unfortunate results of improper fasting are dehydration, increased stress levels, disrupted periods of sleep, reduction in stomach acids, headaches, and hunger, which negatively affect your everyday performance.
Hence, aside from learning the timeline for a person’s fasting duration, it is also indispensable to seek a doctor’s advice before doing so.
Improves brain health and functions
It may seem ironic how a brain works if one fasts; however, doing so actually increases mental alertness, boosts learning and memory, and generally, activates cognitive functions.
According to research, fasting makes the brain produce brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which aids in the longevity of existing neurons and the growth of new ones.
In 2023, a study showed that about 25 percent of people in the regular fasting group had no cognitive impairment, which means that their memory processes are generally well-functioning.
Aside from this, fasting prevents neurodegenerative disorders (NDs) that are common in the elderly.
These are types of diseases that make the cells in the central nervous system halt working proficiently, which later worsens and becomes incurable.
One of the most popular NDs is Alzheimer’s disease, a kind of dementia characterized by obvious memory loss, disabling a person to respond soundly and remember things.
Based on the World Health Organization (WHO), it is estimated that dementia is the 11th leading cause of years lived with disability, considering it as a public health priority.
In the Philippines, the prevalence of dementia is anticipated to increase by about 1,159,000 in 26 years.
With all these effects, it can be concluded that fasting positively helps brain health massively.
Longevity
Apart from the traditional belief associated with serving pansit, a type of noodles in Filipino cuisine, on significant occasions to ensure longevity, have you considered that fasting may also contribute to extending one’s lifespan?
This item is neither a miracle, magic, nor sorcery. Many results show that fasting helps with longevity.
In 2019, a study showed that about 2,001 heart patients were found to be more likely to live longer, especially those who regularly fast.
Valter Longo, an American biologist called “The Fasting Evangelist,” was featured in the 2018 issue of Time Magazine, listing the top 50 most influential people in health care.
Time Magazine is a 101-year-old American news magazine that is a source of interesting and informative facts about politics, health, science, business, and entertainment.
“Longo, director of the Longevity Institute at the University of Southern California, believes that the secret to staving off the ills of old age is a diet designed to trick your body into thinking it’s fasting,” the Magazine mentioned.
“Some small studies have found that a fasting-mimicking diet—the kind Longo advocates—helps people lose weight and body fat, lowers blood pressure, and decreases levels of a hormone linked to aging and disease,” it further stated.
In the book by the Biologist named “The Longevity Diet,” he focused on promoting regular periods of fasting for a longer life.
Therefore, fasting ideally gives promising results of an extended lifespan for individuals who exercise it.
Healthier heart
A human heart is widely known to be the size of a fist. Small enough to be thought of, but once it stops its “lub dub,” the common sound of its beating, life ends thereafter.
Normally, a heart beats about 50 to 100 times per minute. During this time, it pumps blood to all body parts, giving them nutrients and oxygen for their functioning.
On a global scale, heart attacks are one of the most common causes of death.
The Philippines recorded a total of 114,557 cases, or 18.4 percent of all fatalities of ischemic heart diseases in 2022.
An ischemic heart disease is a heart problem brought about by narrowed heart arteries, which is a cause of heart attacks.
Now, some studies show that fasting helps improve blood pressure control, which is a manifestation of worry-less heart healthcare.
On March 4, 2024, Henry Ford Health, a leading health care and medical services provider in the Southwest Detroit region of Michigan, United States of America (USA), released an article about the benefits of fasting for the heart.
Dr. Mohammad Alqarqaz, a cardiologist at the healthcare platform, stressed, “Research and expert consensus suggests that fasting can be safe for many people with heart disease.”
“Your doctor can assess whether fasting is safe for you based on the type and severity of your cardiac disease and recommend a fasting plan to maintain your heart health,” he added.
Controls blood sugar
Blood sugar levels need to be controlled to prevent long-lasting health complications, including kidney and heart diseases, vision loss, and diabetes.
If a person has 70 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) and 100 mg/dL expected values for fasting blood glucose concentration, he is deemed fine—the blood sugar level is normal.
Moreover, if the blood sugar level ranges from 100 to 125 mg/dL, this is in the prediabetes phase. Once it goes beyond this number on two different tests, a person already has diabetes.
Diabetes is a disease that is caused by high blood glucose, famously known as blood sugar, amounting to at least 126 mg/dL.
Once this becomes uncontrollable, it can gradually evolve into something fatal.
“As blood glucose levels fall during fasting, the pancreas secretes increased amounts of glucagon. This action also reduces insulin secretion, which in turn decreases glucose storage in the form of glycogen,” said the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) of the USA.
The NCBI is a national resource for molecular biology information, developing new information technologies to aid in the understanding of fundamental molecular and genetic processes that control health and disease.
Fasting may pose challenges requiring patience and self-control. It might not be a panacea for ills or diseases but it has benefits, making it a worthwhile practice for achieving health goals affordably and effectively. (Johamin Inok/BIO)
