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Fasting is one of the pillars of Islam, which was imposed by God Almighty on Muslims during the month of Ramadan. However, many people are unaware of the amazing health benefits of fasting. Fasting is an effective health practice, if applied properly. Fasting helps eliminate toxins out of the body, reduces blood sugars, and reduces fat storage. Fasting promotes healthy eating habits and strengthens the immune system.
Health Benefits of Fasting:
- Fasting promotes detoxification:
Pre-processed foods contain many preservatives and additives. These additives turn into toxins inside the body. Many of these toxins are stored inside body fat, and during fasting, those fats are burned, especially when fasting for longer. This helps to eliminate toxins through the liver, kidneys and other organs responsible for detoxification.
- Fasting works on the rest of the digestive system:
During fasting, the digestive system has a period of rest. Natural physiological functions, especially gastrointestinal secretion, continue, but with a lower rate. These practices help maintain the balance of body fluids. Food digestion also occurs at constant rates, which produces energy at progressive rates. However, fasting does not prevent the secretion of infectious acids, so patients with stomach ulcers are advised to be cautious when fasting.
- Fasting helps to treat infections:
Some studies have confirmed that fasting helps to cure some diseases of inflammation and allergies such as arthritis, psoriasis.
- Fasting helps lower blood sugar levels:
Where fasting works to increase the breakdown of glucose and energy production of the body, which reduces the production of insulin. This helps to relax the pancreas, and helps increase the production of glycogen to facilitate the process of breaking the glucose. This helps fasting to lower blood sugar levels.
- Fasting helps increase fat burning:
Where the first response to the body during fasting is breaking the glucose. Which facilitates the breakdown of fat to produce the energy necessary for the body, especially the fats stored in the kidneys and muscles.
- Fasting is useful for patients with high blood pressure:
Fasting is one of the natural treatments to lower blood pressure levels, which helps reduce the risk of atherosclerosis. During fasting fat is burned and glucose is broken to produce the energy needed for the body. As metabolic rates drop, hormone levels such as adrenaline decrease, helping to lower blood pressure levels.
- Fasting stimulates weight loss:
Fasting stimulates fast weight loss. Where fasting works to prevent the storage of fat in the body.
- Fasting promotes healthy eating habits:
It has been observed that fasting helps reduce appetite for eating ready-made foods. Instead, fasting stimulates the desire to eat healthy foods, especially water and fruits.
- Fasting strengthens the immune system:
When you have a balanced fasting diet, you can boost your immune system, remove body toxins and reduce fat storage. When eating fruits for breakfast, this helps to promote the body's nutritional content of vitamins and minerals. Vitamin A and E are also excellent antioxidants, and they help strengthen the immune system as well.
- Fasting helps overcome addiction problems:
Some researchers have confirmed that fasting helps overcome nicotine, caffeine and other problems. Although there are some treatment regimens that help treat addiction, fasting has an active role in such situations.
- Burn fat and get rid of excess of them, thus losing weight while maintaining muscle.
- Lower the level of cholesterol, triglycerides in the body.
- Control diabetes and blood sugar levels.
- Lower blood pressure in the body and control it.
- Detoxification of the body, especially stored in fat cells, strengthens immunity.
- After a few days of fasting, higher levels of endorphins appear in the blood, making you more alert and gives a general sense of psychological comfort.
improved brain function and alertness due to greater brain cell production;
No doubt you’ll be aware of the positive effects fasting can have on your mental wellbeing and spiritual focus, but the brain-boosting powers of Ramadan are even more significant than you might think.A study carried out by scientists in the USA found that the mental focus achieved during Ramadan increases the level of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, which causes the body to produce more brain cells, thus improving brain function.Likewise, a distinct reduction in the amount of the hormone cortisol, produced by the adrenal gland means that stress levels are greatly reduced both during and after Ramadan.
Controls diabetes,blood pressure and blood suger
As a health-behavior analogue, clinical investigation has suggested health benefits of fasting during Ramadan, showing
We all know that weight loss is one of the possible physical outcomes of fasting during Ramadan, but there’s also a whole host of healthy changes going on behind the scenes.
A team of cardiologists in the UAE found that people observing Ramadan enjoy a positive effect on their lipid profile, which means there is a reduction of cholesterol in the blood.
Low cholesterol increases cardiovascular health, greatly reducing the risk of suffering from heart disease, a heart attack, or a stroke. What’s more, if you follow a healthy diet after Ramadan, this newly lowered cholesterol level should be easy to maintain.
Weight loss is so easy in Ramadhan
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. “A detoxification process also occurs, because any toxins stored in the body’s fat are dissolved and removed from the body”, says Dr Mahroof. 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.
As well as being great for spiritually cleansing yourself, Ramadan acts as a fantastic detox for your body. By not eating or drinking throughout the day your body will be offered the rare chance to detoxify your digestive system throughout the month.So this leads to a
When your body starts eating into fat reserves to create energy, it will also burn away any harmful toxins that might be present in fat deposits. This body cleanse will leave a healthy blank slate behind, and is the perfect stepping stone to a consistently healthy lifestyle.
Better nutrient absorption and better overall functioning of body
By not eating throughout the day during Ramadan you’ll find that your metabolism becomes more efficient, meaning the amount of nutrients you absorb from food improves.
This is because of an increase in a hormone called adiponectin, which is produced by a combination of fasting and eating late at night, and allows your muscles to absorb more nutrients.
This will lead to health benefits all around the body, as various areas are able to better absorb and make use of the nutrients they need to function.
The month of Ramadan is a period of fasting, sacrifice, giving, piousness and self-training with the hope that these qualities will extend beyond this month and stay with us throughout the year. Indeed, the essence of fasting in Ramadan is spiritual. Nevertheless, this holy month also offers a number of benefits for both the mind and body.
In a narration of Abu Nuaim, Prophet Mohammad said, “soomo wa tsahhoo”, which can be translated to mean, “Fast and be healthy.” Even science has proven that Ramadan is a month full of blessings. The International Congress on “Health and Ramadan” which was held in Casablanca in 1994, covered 50 studies on the medical ethics of Ramadan and noted various improvements in the health conditions of those who fast.
If any negative effects were seen at all, it was in those who over-indulge in food at iftar or do not sleep well at night. You should also keep in mind that if fasting will be dangerous to your health, such as in Type 1 Diabetics, you are not recommended to fast as your medical condition may worsen.
For those of you who can fast, read on to learn about some of the incredible health benefits of fasting on our overall well-being.
There is intense spiritual meaning to Ramadan for those who fast. Muslims practice generosity by being charitable, family-bonding by gathering around the iftar table, spirituality by praying, and self-control by practicing good manners. All these habits build a feeling of peace, tranquility and self-satisfaction.
A study conducted in 1997 in the Annals of Nutrition Metabolism demonstrated that fasting lowered bad “LDL” cholesterol levels by 8 percent, triglyceride by 30 percent, and increased good “HDL” levels by 14.3 percent thereby protecting your heart from cardiovascular disease.
The benefits of fasting are good metabolic balance, stomach rest and well being
It helps in relieving the human body digestive system.
