7 Surprising Health Benefits Of Ramadan

Worried that fasting during Ramadan will have a detrimental impact on health?
Find out why the month long fast can have some surprising health benefits.
Although millions around the world have successfully observed the spiritual
cleansing of Ramadan for more than a thousand years, some people fear that
fasting over such a long period time will have detrimental effects on their health. If
you’re one of those worriers, then check out these seven health benefits you’ll
enjoy during and after Ramadan.
1. Dates

Although three dates are eaten at the start of Iftar every day during Ramadan for
spiritual reasons, they also come with the added bonus of multiple health benefits.
One of the most important aspects of fasting is getting the right amount of energy,
and considering an average serving of dates contains 31 grams (just over 1 oz) of
carbohydrates, this is one of the perfect foods to give you a boost.

Dates are also a great way of getting some much-needed fibre, which will aid and
improve digestion throughout Ramadan. Add to that their high levels of potassium,
magnesium and B vitamins, and it quickly becomes apparent that dates are one of
the healthiest fruits out there.

2. Boost Your Brain

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.

3. Ditch Bad Habits

Because you will be fasting during the day, Ramadan is the perfect time to ditch
your bad habits for good. Vices such as smoking and sugary foods should not be
indulged during Ramadan, and as you abstain from them your body will gradually
acclimatise to their absence, until your addiction is kicked for good.

It’s also much easier to quit habits when you do so in a group, which should be
easy to find during Ramadan. Fasting’s ability to help you cut out bad habits is so
significant that the UK’s National Health Service recommends it as the ideal time
to ditch smoking

4. Lower Cholesterol

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.

5. Lasting Appetite Reduction

One of the main problems with extreme fad diets is that any weight lost is often
quickly put back on, sometimes even with a little added extra. This isn’t the case
with Ramadan. The reduction in food consumed throughout fasting causes your
stomach to gradually shrink, meaning you’ll need to eat less food to feel full.

If you want to get into the habit of healthy eating then Ramadan is a great time to
start. When it’s finished your appetite will be lower than it was before, and you’ll
be far less likely to overindulge with your eating

6. Detoxify

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.
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.

7. Absorb More Nutrients

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.

Medical benefits of Ramadan

Muslims do not fast because of medical benefits which are of a secondary nature. Fasting has
been used by patients for weight management, to rest the digestive tract and for lowering
lipids. There are many adverse effects of total fasting as well as of crash diets. Islamic fasting
is different from such diet plans because in Ramadan fasting, there is no malnutrition or
inadequate calorie intake. The calorie intake of Muslims during Ramadan is at or slightly
below the nutritional requirement guidelines. In addition, the fasting in Ramadan is
voluntarily taken and is not a prescribed imposition from the physician.

Ramadan is a month of self-regulation and self training, with the hope that this training will
last beyond the end of Ramadan. If the lessons learned during Ramadan, whether in terms of
dietary intake or righteousness, are carried on after Ramadan, there effects will be long
lasting. Moreover, the type of food taken during Ramadan does not have any selective criteria
of crash diets such as those which are protein only or fruit only type diets. Everything that is
permissible is taken in moderate quantities.

The difference between Ramadan and total fasting is the timing of the food; during Ramadan,
we basically miss lunch and take an early breakfast and do not eat until dusk. Abstinence
from water for 8 to 10 hours is not necessarily bad for health and in fact, it causes
concentration of all fluids within the body, producing slight dehydration. The body has its
own water conservation mechanism; in fact, it has been shown that slight dehydration and
water conservation, at least in plant life, improve their longevity.

The physiological effect of fasting includes lowering of blood sugar, lowering of cholesterol
and lowering of the systolic blood pressure. In fact, Ramadan fasting would be an ideal
recommendation for the treatment of mild to moderate, stable, non-insulin diabetes, obesity,
and essential hypertension. In 1994 the first International Congress on "Health and
Ramadan", held in Casablanca, entered 50 extensive studies on the medical ethics of fasting.
While improvement in many medical conditions was noted; however, in no way did fasting
worsen any patients' health or their baseline medical condition. On the other hand, patients
who are suffering from sever diseases, whether type I diabetes or coronary artery disease,
kidney stones, etc., are exempt from fasting and should not be allowed to fast.

There are psychological effects of fasting as well. There is a peace and tranquility for those
who fast during the month of Ramadan. Personal hostility is at a minimum, and the crime rate
decreases. Muslims take advice from the Prophet who said, "If one slanders you or aggresses
against you, say I am fasting."

This psychological improvement could be related to better stabilization of blood glucose

during fasting as hypoglycemia after eating, aggravates behavior changes. There is a
beneficial effect of extra prayer at night. This not only helps with better utilization of food
but also helps in energy output. There are 10 extra calories output for each unit of the prayer.
Again, we do not do prayers for exercise, but a mild movement of the joints with extra calorie
utilization is a better form of exercise. Similarly, recitation of the Quran not only produces a
tranquility of heart and mind, but improves the memory.

One of the odd nights in the last 10 days of Ramadan is called the night of power when
angels descend down, and take the prayer of worship to God for acceptance.

Fasting is a special act of worship which is only between humans and God since no one else
knows for sure if this person is actually fasting. Thus God says in a hadith qudsi that "Fasting
is for Me and I only will reward it". In another hadith, the Prophet Mohammad (peace be
upon him) has said "If one does not give up falsehoods in words and actions, God has no
need of him giving up food and drink".

RAMADAN 2017: WHAT ARE THE HEALTH ISSUES AND

BENEFITS LINKED WITH THE MUSLIM HOLY MONTH
As the world’s one billion-plus Muslims gear up to fast over the next month
during Ramadan - one of the five pillars of Islam - there are
perennial concerns over followers being required to go without any food and
water for some 18 hours a day.

However, if done right - and if Muslims have been preparing their minds and
bodies in the run up to the holy month kicking off this week - Ramadan can,
surprisingly, have many health benefits.

Despite potentially feeling some heartburn, irritablity, dehydration, and a

decline in concentration levels - which are expected - Dr Razeen Mahroof, an
anaesthetist from Oxford, has helped the NHS to map out a guide to
successful fasting during Ramadan.
Dr Mahroof says the time of year isn’t always thought of as a way to lose
weight because the spiritual aspect is emphasised more than the health
aspect, However, he adds: “It’s a great chance to get the physical benefits as
well.
One of the common misconceptions about Ramadan is that all
Muslims must take part. However, this is not the case for the ill or vulnerable
and there are exceptions, including for pregnant women, the elderly, and the
particularly young.

So, for those who are taking part this year, there are some health benefits that
can be reaped from fasting if done right and mainting a good diet outside of
sun-up and sun-down times.

With the fasting day lasting from sunrise to sunset, the body’s energy can be
replaced in the two meals a day Muslims can have. It’s important to get in
food from all the five major food groups, and this will provide an easier
transition from using fat to burn energy as opposed to glucose.

This means weight can be lost, muscles can be preserved, cholesterol levels
can fall, with more control being had over diabetes and blood pressure.
As well as this, a few days into Ramadan, the body begins to adjust to its new
eating and drinking pattern as higher levels of endorphins appear in the
blood, making fasters more alert, happier, and giving an overall feeling of
better mental health.

On the whole, Muslims who do choose to fast should avoid overly-greasy

and deep-fried foods, instead opting for baking, grilling, and shallow frying
their two meals a day.

Breaking the fast at iftar with dates and sweet, milky drinks is common in
many households which provides a much-needed energy boost after the
fasting day. Drinking plenty of water for rehydration will ensure the body is
kept revitalised, reducing overindulgence.

Overall, Dr Mahroof says in his guide that the way Muslims approach diet
during fasting is similar to the way they should be eating outside of Ramadan
anyway, adding: “You should have a balanced diet, with the right proportion
of carbs, fat, and protein.”

Ramadan Mubarak to all taking part this year.

The Benefits of Fasting

Aside from the religious obligations upon Muslims during the Holy month of
Ramadan, fasting has countless health benefits, too. From improved weight
management and healthier blood cell regeneration through to better heart function
and vascular wellbeing, fasting has become quite the go-to method of keeping
young, fit and healthy.

However, if you are unaware of the numerous benefits that fasting can bring, take a
look at some of them below:

Detoxifying

Abstaining from all matter of solids and surviving on liquids for a few days is a
great way to cleanse the human body and detoxify; improving the function of
organs whilst promoting a cleansed digestive system - improving blood circulation
and getting rid of any harmful toxins in the body.

Appetite Suppressant

Do you ever get that feeling of not being able to tell when you’re full? Or eating
out of pure boredom? Fasting can help solve those problems. By structuring your
day around everything apart from eating, your body eventually gets accustomed to
not feeling hungry all the time. During the Holy month of Ramadan,
many Muslims who are partaking in the obligatory fasts will experience many
cravings during the fasting day, only to find that they are not able to consume
much upon opening their fast. This is due to the fact that the less you put into your
stomach over a length of time, the more the stomach shrinks - leading you to feel
full after just a small amount of food.

As our bodies get accustomed to how often we eat, a few days of intermittent
fasting can drastically decrease our appetite in the long run. Upon breaking the
fast, the human body cannot consume a large amount comfortably as the stomach
shrinks – leading you to feel satisfied after a smaller meal than usual. This process
also increases the production of the thyroid hormone in the body, boosting your
metabolism in the process.

Metabolism
One of the more obvious results of fasting is alleviating obesity; fasting prompts
the liver’s enzymes to break down cholesterol and fats to convert them into bile
acid, which, in turn, converts to heat – ultimately stimulating faster metabolism.
Naturally, fasting also decreases the appetite which reduces the hunger hormone
levels in the body. You may just find your portion sizes being significantly smaller
following a period of fasting.

Weight Loss

The term fasting means to refrain from food or drink or even both at the same time.
When the human body is undergoing the starvation process, the body turns to fat in
order to utilise and burn any stored energy first.

If done correctly, fasting can do wonders for weight loss - particularly for loss of
fatty tissues in the body, leading to better physical structure overall. Incorporating
intermittent fasting into a regular resistance training regime will promote greater
fat loss with quicker results.

Immune System

Partaking in fasting promotes healing in the human body as it applies core focus to
its immune system and metabolism as opposed to focusing on digestion, further
enhancing muscle growth in the process.

The immune system is largely comprised of white blood cells and fasting
encourages your body to recycle any old white blood cells which results in a
healthier, more robust immune system. Your body regenerates stem cells that
consist of red and white blood cells along with your platelets once your body
consumes food again.

Blood Pressure

A decrease in the body’s salt intake and loss of salt through urine lowers the
body’s blood pressure.

Training

HGH, also known as Human Growth Hormone, is organically produced by the

human body and is known to build muscle mass which effectively burns fat.
Although it remains active in your bloodstream for merely a few minutes, it can go
a long way towards increasing lean muscle strength which could be incredibly
beneficial for training.

Many athletic professionals tend to utilise the fasting method in the lead up to big
games as it is key for burning fat whilst targeting and optimising muscle growth.
Improved Cardiovascular Function

Fasting can lead to a healthier heart, lowering cholesterol and promoting improved
muscle performance along with enhanced blood vessel growth.

Mental Health

Fasting also goes a significantly long way towards balancing the mind and
reducing mental stress. Fasting is also known to strengthen the mind, sharpen focus
and provide mental clarity – this is primarily due to a reduction in calorie, sugar
and salt intake.

Blood Sugar

During the fasting process, glucose levels are stabilised which can lead to the
prevention of type 2 diabetes as a result.

Radiant Complexion /Anti-ageing

It is said that fasting could potentially slow down the aging process, keeping you
younger and fitter for longer and it could also potentially increase lifespan. Fasting
leads to the production of restored tissues and cells within the human body,
degrading unnecessary cells in the process. This enables you to produce collagen,
leading to healthier and more radiant skin.

Healthier Brain and Cognitive Function

During the fasting process, blood in the human body is filled with more
endorphins, which in turn, gives you a feeling of well-being and great mental
health. The overall effects of fasting has a similar impact on the brain as physical
exercise would.

As fasting forms one of the five key pillars of Islam, fasting during the month of
Ramadan is obligatory upon all able Muslims.

However, should you wish to incorporate any other types of fasting at any other
time of the year, it is important to remember to plan your fasting structure well. Be
realistic about what you wish to achieve and always ensure that you are in the right
mental and physical mind set to be able to reap the full benefits of fasting. Always
ensure you get adequate sleep and ensure your stress levels are low.

Remember, it is forbidden to fast on the day of Eid-ul-Fitr which is one of the two
vital celebrations in Islam and follows the Holy month of Ramadan.