Many benefits of fasting..

Fasting is an age-old
practice, which has been performed for several
millenniums by most ancient cultures and
religions to cleanse the body; purify the spirit;
and teach patience, strength of character, and
abstinence as well as keep control over food,
overconsumption, and sensual desires.
In Islamic teachings, fasting protects against
temptation, sins, offending others, misbehavior,
anger, altercations, lies, gossip, evil doings, crime,
and other types of transgressions. Allah Almighty,
prompts Muslims to do good deeds and attracts
them with His blessings and rewards for the
virtuous and pious acts such as supplementary
prayers, Zakat, (tax imposed on the rich for the
benefit of the underprivileged), charity, kindness
to others and the underprivileged, abstinence from
evildoing, feeding the hungry and the fasting,
cladding the unclothed, caring for the orphans,
treating or financing the sick, telling the truth,
hosting a guest or traveler, smiling to others, or
even saying a kind word. By observing Ramadan,
we end up collecting physiological, mental, and
spiritual benefits.
Now, I will resume my analysis of certain
scientifically proven health benefits that come
from proper fasting. When I say proper, I mean to
fast the way fasting was ordained and that it
should not be followed by overconsumption,
especially with the wrong types of food like sugar,
syrupy desserts, chocolates, doughnuts, creamy
pastries, soda and soft drinks, fries, and fast fatty
foods. Moderation is key in all our lifestyles in
order to be healthy and well.
Studies in the last couple of years came up with
interesting and astounding results about fasting.
They have shown that a sudden drop in food and
calorie intake, such as consuming between 500 to
800 calories a day only, can “trigger protective
processes in the brain…” and prevent the risk of
degenerative disorders like Parkinson’s and
Alzheimer’s diseases. Fasting two days a week
can also prevent the brain from shrinking.
Research indicated that excess weight gain and
obesity are causes for the brain to shrink. This
phenomenon is an indicator of future brain
disorders (dementia, Alzheimer’s…). It was shown
that fasting and calorie restriction protect the
brain from decline because of the subsequent
weight loss, which promotes the regeneration of
neurons.
Calorie restriction can help the brain cells to
become more resistant to stress as well. It has
an important role in restoring the functions of the
appetite hormones, leptin and ghrelin. It regulates
them by fueling the metabolic rate in order to
control weight gain, obesity, and other metabolic
syndromes. Leptin and ghrelin have another
important function than regulating appetite; they
also regenerate brain cells in the hippocampus,
where memory is located, making it protective to
the memory cells.
According to Dr. Mark Mattson, professor of
neuroscience at John Hopkins University of
Baltimore and senior investigator at the US
National Institute of Aging, obesity disrupts the
internal balance of the two hormones, especially
at around forty and fifty. He says “Obesity at that
age is a marker of cognitive problems later.” The
good news is that regular two-day fasting has
been shown to reverse brain cell damage in rats,
improving the memory and making it significantly
more active.
Fasting also triggers hormonal and metabolic
changes that help reduce the growth factor
hormone, which promotes insulin resistance,
diabetes, obesity, and cancer. Less body fat
results in less inflammation and stress on the
body and improves insulin sensitivity, lowering the
risk of diabetes. By reducing the harmful effects of
free radicals and inflammation biomarkers,
immunity, energy, and general health start to
improve.
One of the main benefits of fasting is the breaking
down of excess fat. The process is called
autolysis, which is a form of detoxification from
fat and inflammation caused by fat. The liver
converts fat into ketone, the chemical that passes
through the bloodstream. With fasting and food
abstinence, the body breaks down stored fats to
make ketone. Too much of the chemical, like
during starvation and harsh diets, can become
harmful, because the body starts breaking down
the muscles for survival.
Body fat is accumulated in the body around belly,
hips, and a little everywhere with the
overconsumption of dietary fats, carbohydrates,
and simple sugars. Synthetic chemicals, toxins,
heavy metals, and other toxic materials that
cannot be metabolized or detoxified by the body
get deposited in fat tissue. When fasts and diets
become too harsh and fat is broken down too
fast, toxins and heavy metals flood the
bloodstream, creating a dangerous toxic
condition.
When toxins enter the system, the body tries to
neutralize them or get rid them of them through
the intestines, liver, lungs, kidneys, lymph glands,
and the skin. If these systems fail to cleanse the
toxins, they simply get stored in body fat. Lab
analysis of the feces, sweat, or urine can be a
good indicator of the body’s toxic content. Gentle
fasts get rid of body fat, cleansing your systems
from toxins and chemical residue (synthetic
chemicals, heavy metals, pesticides, DDT,
detergents…) without harming your health.
After the fat loss and toxin elimination, the body
promotes internal healing by cutting down on
many symptoms such as migraines, asthma,
allergies, abnormal growths, tumors, and other
puzzling maladies. Fasts give the digestive
system a break, which allows the immune system
to regenerate and boost its defense mechanism,
because the digestion takes a major share of the
immunity’s action. Thus, fasting allows the
immunity to address other problems in the body.
With fasting, older and flawed cells get recycled
and newer and healthier cells are generated.
Protein production also becomes more efficient
and fewer errors occur by the genetic controls of
DNA/RNA, resulting in more robust cells, tissues,
and organs functions. Both humans and animals
lose appetite and stop eating when sick or
wounded. This gives a chance for the immune
system to focus on repairing cells, tissue, organs,
system, wounds, infections, and others. Fasting
speeds the healing of gastritis, colds, diarrhea,
and other illnesses. This is a way of diverting
energy from the digestive tract to the immune
system.
The first couple of days of fasting in Ramadan
can be strenuous on the person who is not used
to it or is overweight. When the body goes into
autolysis, the broken-down fat starts releasing the
toxins hidden within, which cause tiredness,
fatigue, headaches, or other undesirable
symptoms. Heavy smokers or coffee drinkers with
nicotine and caffeine addictions will feel
miserable, experiencing excruciating headaches
and will be in a bad mood, refuse to talk, and
have bursts of anger, until they break their fast
with a cigarette or a cup of dark coffee. After the
first puff or sip, they begin to relax and feel
better. Nicotine and caffeine addictions cause
disagreeable withdrawal symptoms with fasting
and cleansing fasts.
Next week, I will continue exploring the benefits of
fasting and healthy ways to fast and cleanse the
body and clear the brain from clutter in order to
help increase spirituality during Ramadan and
help heal from disorders and diseases.
References:
• Fasting for three days renews entire immune
system, protects cancer patients, ‘remarkable’
new study finds, by Sarah Knapton, The Daily
Telegraph, National Post Wires Services
• Science Discover that Fasting Triggers Stem Cell
Regeneration & Fights Cancer by Arjun Walia
• Fasting at least Twice a week Seen as
Alzheimer’s Hedge, by Makiko Kitamura, Oct 29,
2013
N.B.:
Individuals with medical conditions or on
medication should consult their physicians when
they decide to introduce anything new in their diet
even if it is natural.