The Science of Fasting
The glorious month of Ramadan is here at last to enlighten our hearts and souls with its countless blessings. In this month, fasting is an invaluable opportunity to purify oneself from wrongdoings and develop a stronger bond with God by enhancing all forms of worship. Through staying hungry and thirsty all day, we develop patience as well as empathy for the less fortunate. As sunset approaches, our ego is tamed as this is when we are weakest, and reminded of how powerless we are as His servants. Besides refraining from eating, drinking, and sexual activities during daylight hours, fasting has a much wider spiritual meaning which entails protecting the mind and heart from all thoughts and feelings of bad nature which might distance one from God. Fasting gives our body a much needed rest from vigorous metabolism during the day, allowing us to use our organs for what they have been created. In this way, the ears hear the message of the Qur'an better, the tongue is more inclined to speak of God, and the eyes admire His creation with greater appreciation.
On a normal day we indulge in food all of the time, snacking continuously and having multiple teas and coffees as a small source of pleasure, an excuse for a short break in a busy day. When fasting, we self-restrain; we smell coffee but cannot drink it; we see our colleagues eating but cannot eat until sunset. Temptations that we give into without thought on a day-to-day basis are controlled during fasting, and this undoubtedly makes us more God-conscious. But what about the medical benefits of fasting on the body? He ordains us to fast in Surah Al-Baqara: 'O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous' (2:183). The rest of the chapter goes onto describe the conditions of fasting, and how we do not have to fast when ill or on a long journey. The fact that He 'intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship' (2:185) demonstrates that Ramadan is not a challenging test to make us struggle, but rather, a month of ease for our own benefit.
The Ramadan fast can be a natural way for the body to detox and rejuvenate itself, provided that one does not overindulge at iftar time and follows a healthy eating plan. In the first couple of days, the body starts the cleansing process. These are usually the hardest for the body as both blood sugar levels and blood pressure drop. They are often accompanied with headaches, intense hunger and sometimes nausea. After this initial stage, the body becomes accustomed to the schedule of fasting, and the digestive system begins to rest, focusing its energy on cleansing the body and healing damaged cells. The overall effect is the repair of important organs, namely the stomach and intestines. At the same time, the immune system becomes stronger as anti-inflammatory mechanisms are stimulated and white blood cells become more active.
After the first week of fasting, there is an overall feeling of wellbeing as energy levels increase and the mind's ability to concentrate is improved. The organs of elimination, including the colon, liver, kidney, lungs, and skin undergo a process of detoxification by eliminating toxins. In the last 10 days of Ramadan, the body has become accustomed to fasting. The organs are coming to the end of their healing, and once all toxins are removed, the body functions at maximum capacity.
Besides the cleansing effect on the digestive system, the Ramadan fast has been shown to also have positive physiological effects on the cardiovascular system. At the end of Ramadan, the body has higher levels of high density lipoprotein (HDL), also known as 'good cholesterol' for transporting cholesterol to the liver where it is metabolised or passed out of the body as a waste product. In contrast, light density lipoprotein (LDL) levels decrease at the end of the month compared to the beginning. This is remarkable, as LDL is the 'bad' cholesterol which gets taken up by various cells in the body and its accumulation in the walls of arteries lead to plaque formation, eventually leading to cardiovascular diseases such as coronary artery disease. The increased levels of HDL which continue up to a whole month after Ramadan ensure that the correct level of total cholesterol is maintained in the body which contributes to the anti-inflammatory mechanisms preventing the pathology of inflammatory disease. Thus, Ramadan fasting would be the ideal treatment recommendation for type II diabetes, obesity, and hypertension.
Fasting comes not without its psychological benefits. Alongside the tranquillity it assuredly brings, studies on animal models have demonstrated a positive impact of fasting on the brain. The long-term changes and adaptations organs undergo is known as plasticity. The plasticity of the brain affects cognition, memory and processing, and intermittent fasting in rodents highlighted a positive impact on brain plasticity. Neuron degeneration was suppressed, which significantly improved learning and memory performance. Moreover, levels of serotonin-also known as happiness hormone- increases in those who fast regularly, which may explain the observation that anxiety, depression, and anger decreases as a result of fasting.
Although we do not fast for these physiological benefits on the body, it is nevertheless remarkable that God asks the performance of only favourable acts from us. Contrary to common misconception that refraining from food and drink for 19 hours a day is unhealthy, there is no hardship in fasting, only a more God-conscious mind, and complimentary health benefits. Ramadan is a time of self-regulation, a chance for us to become the best version of ourselves. Let us hope that this training and regulation will last beyond the end of Ramadan...
