For many
people, the key question regarding fasting is whether it is good or bad for
your health. The answer to this requires a quick overview of what happens
inside the body during fasting: the physiology of fasting.
The
changes that occur in the body in response to fasting depend on the length of
the continuous fast. Technically the body enters into a fasting state eight
hours or so after the last meal, when the gut finishes absorption of 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 stores
of glucose run out, fat becomes the next store source of energy for the body.
Small quantities of glucose are also ‘manufactured’ through other mechanisms in
the liver.
Only with
a prolonged fast of many days to weeks does the body eventually turn to protein
for energy. This is the technical description of what is commonly known as
‘starvation’, and it is clearly unhealthy. It involves protein being released
from the breakdown of muscle, which is why people who starve look emaciated and
become very weak.
As the
Ramadan fast only extends from dawn till dusk, there is ample opportunity to
replenish energy stores at pre-dawn and dusk meals. This provides a
progressive, gentle transition from using glucose to fat as the main source of
energy, and prevents the breakdown of muscle for protein. The use of fat for
energy aids weight loss, preserving the muscles, and in the long run reduces
your cholesterol levels. In addition, weight loss results in better control of
diabetes and reduces blood pressure.
A
detoxification process also seems to occur, as any toxins stored in the body’s
fat are dissolved and removed from the body. After a few days of the fast,
higher levels of certain hormones appear in the blood (endorphins), resulting
in a better level of alertness and an overall feeling of general mental well-being.
Balanced
food and fluid intake is important between fasts. The kidney is very efficient
at maintaining the body’s water and salts, such as sodium and potassium.
However, these can be lost through sweating. To prevent muscle breakdown, meals
must contain adequate levels of ‘energy food’, such as carbohydrates and some
fat. Hence, a balanced diet with adequate quantities of nutrients, salts and
water is vital.
This
information has been put together by medical experts, Islamic scholars and
researchers, who have stayed within the spirit of Islam, while ensuring the
medical advice and suggestions are scientific and culturally sensitive.
- Ramadantimetable.co.uk
