Abstract
The past two decades have seen a rise in the number of investigations examining the health-related effects of religiously motivated fasts. Islamic Ramadan is a 28 - 30 day fast in which food and drink are prohibited during the daylight hours. The majority of health-specific findings related to Ramadan fasting are mixed. The likely causes for these heterogeneous findings are the differences between studies in the following: 1) the amount of daily fasting time; 2) the percentage of subjects who smoke, take oral medications, and/or receive intravenous fluids; and 3) the subjects' typical food choices and eating habits. Greek Orthodox Christians fast for a total of 180 - 200 days each year, and their main fasting periods are the Nativity Fast (40 days prior to Christmas), Lent (48 days prior to Easter), and the Assumption (15 days in August). The fasting periods are more similar than dissimilar, and they can each be described as a variant of vegetarianism. Some of the more favorable effects of these fasts include the lowering of body mass, total cholesterol, LDL-C, and the LDL-C/HDL-C ratio. The Biblical-based Daniel Fast prohibits the consumption of animal products, refined carbohydrates, food additives, preservatives, sweeteners, flavorings, caffeine, and alcohol. It is most commonly partaken for 21 days, although fasts of 10 and 40 days have been observed. Our initial investigation of the Daniel Fast noted favorable effects on several health-related outcomes, including: blood pressure, blood lipids, insulin sensitivity, and biomarkers of oxidative stress. This review summarizes the health-specific effects of these fasts and provides suggestions for future research.
Highlights
Fasting is defined as a partial or total abstention from all foods, or a select abstention from prohibited foods
caloric restriction (CR) appears to delay the onset of the following diseases: autoimmune diseases, atherosclerosis, cardiomyopathies, cancer, diabetes, renal diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, and respiratory diseases [2,3]
Fasting time is highly dependent upon the time of the seasonal year that Ramadan occurs as well as the location’s latitudinal distance from the equator
Summary
Fasting is defined as a partial or total abstention from all foods, or a select abstention from prohibited foods. During the Greek Orthodox Christian fasting periods, the daily intakes of protein, fat, saturated fat, trans-fatty acids, riboflavin, and calcium are reduced These fasts are associated with lower levels of the following: body mass, total cholesterol, LDL-C, and the LDL-C/ HDL-C ratio. The religious fasts featured in this review emphasize the importance of quality dietary intake in eliciting favorable effects on health Both the Daniel Fast and the Greek Orthodox Christian fasts are associated with many favorable health outcomes despite the fact that fasters can eat as much as they desire. Whether or not Ramadan fasting elicits favorable health outcomes appears to greatly depend on the food choices of the fasters This is not to suggest that the quantity of food intake has no bearing on health; hundreds of studies have demonstrated the virtue of restricting kcal consumption [1]. It is our hope that the information provided within this review will initiate the design and performance of future investigations focused on the health benefits of religious fasting
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