assalmualaikum
ramadan is only 3 weeks away.pl put this brief article to answer some medical questions.
thank you. dr.shahid athar
Most Muslims do not fast because of medical benefits but because
it has been ordained to them in the Quran. The medical benefits of fasting are as a result
of fasting. Fasting in general has been used in medicine for medical reasons including
weight management, for rest of the digestive tract and for lowering lipids. There are many
adverse effects of total fasting as well as so-called crash diets. Islamic fasting is
different from such diet plans because in Ramadan fasting, there is no malnutrition or
inadequate calorie intake. The caloric intake of Muslims during Ramadan is at or slightly
below the national 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, it is beneficial
for one's entire life. 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 only 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 during this period is not bad at all 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 lower of blood sugar, lowering of cholesterol
and lowering of the systolic blood pressure. In fact, Ramadan fasting would be an ideal
recommendation for 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 research papers from all over the world,
from Muslim and non-Muslim researchers who have done 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 baseline medical condition. On the other
hand, patients who are suffering from severe diseases, whether diabetes or coronary artery
disease, kidney stones, etc., are exempt from fasting and should not try 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 ______________ output. There are 10 extra calories
output for each rikat 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. Therefore, I encourage my Muslim patients to fast in the month of
Ramadan, but they must do it under medical supervision. Healthy adult Muslims should not
fear becoming weak by fasting, but instead it should improve their health and stamina.
