NAIROBI—Fasting is commonly associated with the month of Ramadan. As you read this, billions of Muslims around the world are engaged in this declaration of faith that involves abstaining from food and drink from dawn until dusk.
Despite the fact that fasting for Ramadan is down to spiritual beliefs, many of us choose to fast with the hope that it would benefit our health somehow.
While some people were eagerly waiting for the month of Ramadan, others were rather hesitant to fast in the scorching heat due to fear of dehydration and drastic change in routine.
On the same note, while the Holy month is unique due to the spiritual virtues attached to it, there is no gain in saying everyone certainly needs something to pull them through the long fasting hours especially with temperatures tilting.
A number of studies have suggested that intermittent fasting has numerous health benefit.
The following are some of the benefits of fasting—there have been a lot of studies supporting fasting as an excellent tool for weight loss and also promotes the secretion of Human Growth Hormone.
Fasting can prove to be beneficial for athletes as it has been found to have good effects on body mass and can normalise insulin sensitivity when the human body gets too much carbs and sugar.
it is also known for lowering triglyceride levels when one consumes too much cholesterol.
intermittent fasting would also slow down the aging process as it is also part of the human growth hormone, reduces the risk of diabetes and protects the body against immune system damages.
What happens to the body
The changes that happen in the body during a fast depend on the length of the continuous fast.
The body enters into a fasting state eight hours or so after the last meal, when the gut finishes absorbing nutrients from the food.
In the normal state, body glucose, which is stored in the liver and muscles, is the body’s main source of energy.
During a fast, this store of glucose is used up first to provide energy. Later in the fast, once the glucose runs out, fat becomes the next source of energy for the body.
With a prolonged fast of many days or weeks, the body starts using protein and breaking down protein for energy. This is the technical description of what’s commonly known as “starvation”.
“You are unlikely to reach the starvation stage during Ramadan, because the fast is broken daily,” says Dr Razeen Mahroof, a consultant from Oxford.
Gentle transition from glucose to fat
As the Ramadan fast only lasts from dawn till dusk, the body’s energy can be replaced in the pre-dawn and dusk meals.
This provides a gentle transition from using glucose as the main source of energy to using fat, and prevents the breakdown of muscle for protein.
The use of fat for energy helps weight loss. It preserves the muscles and eventually reduces your cholesterol level. In addition, weight loss results in better control of diabetes and reduces blood pressure.
After a few days of the fast, higher levels of endorphins appear in the blood, making you more alert and giving an overall feeling of general mental wellbeing.
A balanced food and fluid intake is important between fasts. The kidneys are very efficient at maintaining the body’s water and salts, but these can be lost through sweating.
To prevent muscle breakdown, meals must contain enough energy food, such as carbohydrates and some fat.
