Ramadan is in its third week now, and the required dawn-to-dusk fasting often feels like a daily mini–marathon. By late afternoon, hunger and thirst have sucked me dry, leaving me sleepy, slow-minded, and sometimes short-tempered.
I know that the purpose of fasting is spiritual—God will reward us in the next life—but in this lifetime, fasting sometimes makes me an ineffective, irritable person. So I was excited to learn that Harvard psychiatrist John Ratey, MD, had spoken at a recent Renaissance Weekend event about how caloric restriction can improve brain function.
I emailed Dr. Ratey to find out if those benefits might extend to religious fasting, and he sent me a 2006 paper on the brain functioning of men during the Ramadan fast. The researchers studied a small group of healthy men during and after the holy month, looking at their brain activity via functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). They concluded that “all individual results showed consistent and significant increase of activity in the motor cortex during fasting.”
Other research shows similar results
That research builds on the work of other scientists, including Mark Mattson, PhD, who heads a neuroscience lab at the NIH’s National Institute on Aging. Mattson has done important research on how dietary restrictions can significantly protect the brain from degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s.
In a 2003 article, Mattson and others reported that rats who were deprived of food every other day, or restricted to a diet at 30% to 50% of normal calorie levels, showed not only decreased heart rates and blood pressure, but also “younger” brains, with “numerous age-related changes in gene expression.”
Mattson and his colleagues also shared data from research on humans, which shows that populations with higher caloric intakes—such as the United States and Europe—have a greater prevalence of Alzheimer’s than do populations that eat less—such as China and Japan. The authors speculate that humans may have adapted to conditions of feast and famine; the stress of having little food, they write, “may induce changes in gene expression that result in adaptive changes in cellular metabolism and the increased ability of the organism to reduce stress.”
Although this research is relatively new, with many questions left unanswered, the authors conclude that “it seems a safe bet that if people would incorporate a spartan approach to food intake into their lifestyles, this would greatly reduce the incidence of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and stroke.” (Of course, how this recommendation translates for individual people remains almost a complete unknown; consult with your own doctor before restricting your diet in dramatic ways.)
Next page: Finding motivation from on high
Comments (11)
i am fat and i need your advice
thanks
really great article.
i am having a body odour and i need to loose some weight will fasting help?
Yes, calorie restriction (fasting) if good for your body since it gives a break from producing more glucose to your body, but how is RELIGIOUS fasting good for you? It it also by means, benefit the mind that you’re fasting for God (or whoever you may believe in).
The link to paper is broken in the paragraph:
“I emailed Dr. Ratey to find out if those benefits might extend to religious fasting, and he sent me a 2006 paper on the brain functioning of men during the Ramadan fast.”
Could you share the name and citation of the paper please?
These type of articles make Muslims look stupid. In essence is says Islam is true because science shows it to be true. Fasting is of benefit because it is ordained upon Muslims-you do it because you believe, and God rewards you. The calorie restriction studies don’t model Ramadan style-fasting but comprise long term calorie restriction. This type of calorie restriction does extend lifespan, reduces oxidative stress, and have other benefits; but this is not Ramadan style fasting. The one study citing higher activity in the motor cortex responsive to Ramadan style fasting does not show benefit-merely higher motor cortex activity; what does that translate into? better motor responses, better thinking? etc.? What is the benefit?
Great Article
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.
Break Your Fasting On Dates
By Health & Science Staff
http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_C&cid=1157365892233&pagename=Zone-English-HealthScience%2FHSELayout
There is definitely evidence to back up the hypothesis that fasting is beneficial for the brain. Sheesh, I don’t understand why everyone is so touchy whenever anyone suggests that a religious practice may have practical roots in real life.
I mean, it’s been long accepted that adhering to a Kosher diet has beneficial health implications. When many people get diseases from pork (trichonosis and so on) it feels reasonable to suggest that people abstain.
The same goes for fasting in Islam. I just don’t think it’s blasphemy to suggest that God looks out for the well-being of people who worship Him.
Any ritual in Islam it has social, psychological and health benefit beside spiritual
For example :
Daily five time prayer is a best physical exercise as well emotional bonding with the community even he praying for the spiritual aspect.
Fasting has various health benefit as well social and personal development beside it’s spiritual face
Zakath (compulsory paying of wealth) beside other charity, meet the requirement of needy and social empowerment beside it’s spiritual aspect.
So if other’s ritual doesn’t meet these all then it is not the problem of Islam. Instead of mocking God’s ruling who ready to practice those good things even he is not a believer he and the society will be the beneficiary. I know lot of non-Muslims practice such rituals for their good beings.
Not a bad article at all.However fasting is not a ‘calorie restriction’ something.Islam encourages us to use everything in moderation .Incidently, T’ve noticed a prevelant practise that is not good for your health at all. People restrict and starve themselves from food in the day but what happens in the night?..they intake excess calories and just sleep it off.They are just harming themselves more and again this is not practising moderation which we are advised to do.So instead of being healthy people gain weight and and risks themselves to certain diseases.
Yes, fasting is not a ‘calorie restriction’ something, but it is an exercise to be a good human in all mean (charity, patience, character making and good behavior, learning to patient in hard situations and restoring the ability to lead a poise and ideal life in the rest months. These all do because Allah ordered and He will reward in life after death but the society and public as well individual will get benefited. BR