Abstract
Fasting has been a practice among followers of different religions for many years. Christian Orthodox Church (COC) fasting is a periodic vegetarian-type diet in which seafood and snails are allowed on most fasting days. The present scoping review aimed to present available data regarding the benefits of COC fasting on metabolic syndrome (MetS) risk factors. Databases were searched for available studies. Twenty publications, with a total of 1226 fasting participants, provided data on the effects on different variables of MetS, including blood pressure, blood lipids and anthropometric measurements. Fasters' diet is characterised by low saturated and trans fat intake, high complex carbohydrate and fibre consumption, due to permissible foods. COC fasting has no deficiency in essential amino acid intake since seafood and snails are allowed on fasting days. Fasters have healthier blood lipid profiles during and after COC fasting periods, and total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, systolic blood pressure, body weight and BMI are reduced after a fasting period. Due to restricted or forbidden intake of specific foods during the COC fasting periods, one might expect that fasters have reduced intake of macro- and micronutrients, but as shown in the available literature, there are no deficiencies. Future research on COC fasting is needed in areas not investigated at all, like MetS, before reaching definite conclusions.
Highlights
Fasting is defined as voluntary abstention from food for varying duration(1), and it has been positively associated with longevity and boosting of human health(2)
Fifty-one full publications were reviewed for eligibility, with twenty publications included in our scoping review
It was shown that people who fasted according to Christian Orthodox Church (COC) recommendations(35–37,42) had increased consumption of fruits, legumes and vegetables that had been associated with a protective effect against cardiovascular diseases (CVD), diabetes(50) and blood pressure(51)
Summary
Fasting is defined as voluntary abstention from food for varying duration(1), and it has been positively associated with longevity and boosting of human health(2). Religious fasting (RF) is a nutritional model that has various levels of food restrictions as a dietary regimen of most popular religions(3). The possible impact of RF on human health has been the subject of public debate for thousands of years. Over the last two decades, an increasing number of studies have been carried out on RF and its impact on human health. The Christian Orthodox Church (COC) suggests that individuals who follow the long-term structured fasting type of diet abstain from meat, dairy products and eggs for 180–200 d annually, while their diet is characterised by increased consumption of cereals, legumes, fruits, vegetables, fish and seafood.
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