The specific physiology and psychology of the Ramadan fast.
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226 to 250 of 889Health impact of fasting in Saudi Arabia during Ramadan: association with disturbed circadian rhythm and metabolic and sleeping patterns.
Background: Muslims go through strict Ramadan fasting from dawn till sunset for one month yearly. These practices are associated with disturbed feeding and sleep patterns. We recently demonstrated that, during Ramadan, circadian cortisol rhythm of Saudis is abolished, exposing these subjects to continuously increased cortisol levels.
Hypothesis: Secretory patterns of other hormones and metabolic parameters associated with cortisol, and insulin resistance, might be affected during Ramadan.
Protocol: Ramadan practitioners (18 males, 5 females; mean age ±SEM = 23.16±1.2 years) were evaluated before and two weeks into Ramadan. Blood was collected for measurements of endocrine and metabolic parameters at 9 am (±1 hour) and again twelve hours later.
Results: In Ramadan, glucose concentration was kept within normal range, with a significant increase in the morning. Mean morning concentration of…
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Yousefi B, Faghfoori Z, Samadi N, Karami H, Ahmadi Y, Badalzadeh R, Shafiei-Irannejad V, Majidinia M, Ghavimi H, Jabbarpour M (2014)MEDLINE-indexed journal, not yet read by usEuropean journal of clinical nutrition27 citations The effects of Ramadan fasting on endothelial function in patients with cardiovascular diseases.
Background/objectives: Endothelial dysfunction, which can be manifested by loss of nitric oxide bioavailability, is an increasingly recognized cause of cardiovascular diseases. Previous studies showed that diets affect endothelial function and modify cardiovascular risks. This study aimed to assess the effects of Ramadan fasting, as a diet intervention, on endothelial function.
Subjects/methods: The study population consisted of 21 male patients (mean age: 52±9 years) with cardiovascular risks (coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular or peripheral arterial diseases). The biochemical variables in serum of patients were measured 2 days before and after Ramadan fasting. The levels of asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were evaluated using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Nitric oxide (NO) and Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were measured by …
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Al-Shafei AI (2014)MEDLINE-indexed journal, not yet read by usEuropean journal of nutrition25 citations Ramadan fasting ameliorates oxidative stress and improves glycemic control and lipid profile in diabetic patients.
Purpose: The effects of Ramadan fasting on public health are important. The present study characterized the metabolic effects of Ramadan fasting and evaluated its influence on oxidative stress in diabetic patients.
Methods: The current study was carried out in the city of Benha, Egypt, during the period from July 12, 2012 to October 4, 2012. This corresponds to 22 Shaban 1433 to 18 Dhul Al-Qi'dah 1433 in the Islamic Calendar. Two equal, sex- and age-matched groups (n = 40 each; age 55 ± 5 years) of non-diabetic subjects (ND group) and diabetic patients (D group) were recruited for this study. Parameters of glycemic control, lipid profile, and oxidative stress were measured pre-, during and post-fasting.
Results: Ramadan fasting reduced fasting blood glucose (FBG) insignificantly by 5.8% and significantly by 23.0% in the (ND) and (D) groups, respectively. Serum triglycerides (TG) and malo…
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Ramadan fasting ameliorates arterial pulse pressure and lipid profile, and alleviates oxidative stress in hypertensive patients.
Background and aim: Effects of Ramadan fasting on health are important. Its effects on arterial pulse pressure (PP), lipid profile and oxidative stress were characterized in hypertensives.
Methods: PP, indices of lipid profile and oxidative stress were measured pre-, during and post-fasting in equal (40 each), sex- and age-matched groups (age 55 ± 5 years) of hypertensives (HT) and controls (C).
Results: Fasting reduced PP significantly by 17.2% and insignificantly by 9.3% in the HT and C groups, respectively. Total cholesterol (TC) was lowered insignificantly by 11.7% and 4.7% in the HT and C patients, respectively. Triglycerides (TG) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were significantly lowered by: TG: 24.5% and 22.8%; MDA: 45.6% and 54.3%; while glutathione (GSH) elevated by 56.8% and 52.6% in the HT and C groups, respectively. High-density lipoproteins (HDL) were raised significantly by 33.3%…
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Concomitant effects of Ramadan fasting and time-of-day on apolipoprotein AI, B, Lp-a and homocysteine responses during aerobic exercise in Tunisian soccer players.
Objective: To examine the time-of-day and Ramadan fasting (RF) effects on serum apolipoprotein-AI (Apo-AI) and B (Apo-B), lipoprotein particles-a (Lp-a), high-sensitive C-reactive-protein (hs-CRP), and homocysteine (Hcy) during the Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test (YYIRT).
Design: Performance and biochemical measures were completed at two times-of-day (07:00 and 17:00 h), 1-week before RF (BR), the second week of RF (SWR), and the fourth week of RF (ER).
Setting: For each session, subjects performed the YYIRT, and blood samples were taken before and 3-min after the test for biochemical measures.
Participants: Fifteen soccer players.
Main outcome measures: Total distance during the YYIRT, core temperature, body composition, dietary intakes, lipid (HDL-C, LDL-C, Apo-AI, B and Lp-a) and inflammatory (hs-CRP and Hcy) profiles.
Results: Performances during the YYIRT were higher in the evening…
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The Muslim football player and Ramadan: current challenges.
Islam is a monotheistic Abrahamic faith characterised by devotional orthopraxy. The actions expected of followers of Islam are closely prescribed in the Qur'an. Muslims understand Ramadan as a mandatory requirement, excused only in the event of illness, infirmity or extremes of age. Due to the increasing popularity of football among Muslims, more and more Muslim football players of all levels make the decision to follow the Ramadan fast while they need to practise and compete. Sports medicine clinicians and scientists have the responsibility to provide them with the knowledge and evidence on how exactly Ramadan fasting impacts on their performance and how to optimise their eating, drinking and sleeping in order to minimise negative effects of their religious practice, should any have been demonstrated. The first International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA) Medical Assessment …
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Ramadan fasting and diabetes: an observational study among Turkish migrants in Belgium.
Aims: To investigate (i) Ramadan participation, (ii) provision of Ramadan-related advice by healthcare providers, (iii) medication use during Ramadan fasting among Turkish migrants with diabetes in Belgium.
Methods: This pilot observational study was conducted among a convenience sample of 52 Turkish migrants with diabetes in Belgium. Two questionnaires collected information on socio-demographic characteristics, diabetes-related characteristics, current hypoglycaemic medication with dosing regimen, participation in the past Ramadan, reasons for (non-)participation, use of hypoglycaemic medication during the past Ramadan, advice from their healthcare providers about fasting during Ramadan and follow-up of this advice.
Results: Sixteen patients (31%) had fasted during the past Ramadan. Main reason for Ramadan participation was reinforcement of faith (12/15), while the main reason for non-p…
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van Ewijk R (2011)MEDLINE-indexed journal, not yet read by usJournal of health economics53 citations Long-term health effects on the next generation of Ramadan fasting during pregnancy.
Each year, many pregnant Muslim women fast during Ramadan. Using Indonesian cross-sectional data and building upon work of Almond and Mazumder (2011), I show that people who were prenatally exposed to Ramadan fasting have a poorer general health than others. As predicted by medical theory, this effect is especially pronounced among older people, who also more often report symptoms indicative of coronary heart problems and type 2 diabetes. Among exposed Muslims the share of males is lower, which is most likely caused by death before birth. I show that these effects are unlikely the result of common health shocks correlated to the occurrence of Ramadan, or of fasting mainly occurring among women who would have had unhealthier children anyway.
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The puzzle of self-reported weight gain in a month of fasting (Ramadan) among a cohort of Saudi families in Jeddah, Western Saudi Arabia.
Background: During Ramadan fast, approximately one billion Muslims abstain from food and fluid between the hours of sunrise to sunset, and usually eat a large meal after sunset and another meal before sunrise. Many studies reported good health-related outcomes of fasting including weight loss. The objective of this study is to identify the local pattern of expenditure on food consumption, dietary habits during Ramadan and correlate that to self-reported weight gain after Ramadan in a group of families in Jeddah, Western Saudi Arabia.
Methods: A Cross-section study using a pre-designed questionnaire to identify the local pattern of expenditure on food consumption, dietary habits during Ramadan and correlate that to self-reported weight gain after Ramadan in a representative cohort of Saudis living in Jeddah. It was piloted on 173 nutrition students and administered by them to their famili…
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Health is a spiritual thing: perspectives of health care professionals and female Somali and Bangladeshi women on the health impacts of fasting during Ramadan.
Objective: To explore perspectives of health care professionals and female Somali and Bangladeshi Muslim women on practices related to fasting during Ramadan, the impact of fasting on health and the role of health professionals during Ramadan.
Design: A cross-sectional qualitative study was conducted. Two culturally specific focus groups were conducted with six Somali and seven Bangladeshi Muslim women who observed Ramadan and lived in an inner-city neighbourhood of Toronto, Canada. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 health care professionals practicing in this inner-city area (three of whom were Muslim). Data were analysed using thematic qualitative analysis.
Results: Both Muslim women and health care professionals recognised the spiritual significance of the Ramadan fast. Muslim participants considered the fast to be beneficial to health overall, whereas healt…
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Influence of Ramadan fasting on physiological and performance variables in football players: summary of the F-MARC 2006 Ramadan fasting study.
The timing of food and liquid intake depends on the times of sunset and sunrise during the month of Ramadan. The current body of knowledge presents contradicting results as to the effect of Ramadan fasting on body mass, body composition and metabolic changes. The main objective of the present investigation was to gain additional information and scientific data in conformity with the philosophical background of Islam to allow optimisation of the daily training and dietary regimen in relation to the mental and physical performance of football players. The four teams, along with their coaches and trainers, attended a residential training camp at training centre 3 weeks before the start of Ramadan and throughout the study. Energy intake was relatively stable in the fasting group, but there was a small, albeit significant, decrease of approximately 0.7 kg in body mass. Water intake increased …
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Influence of Ramadan-type fasting on enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism and brush border membrane in small intestine and liver of rat used as a model.
During Ramadan, Muslims the world over abstain from food and water from dawn to sunset for a month. We hypothesised that this unique model of prolonged intermittent fasting would result in specific intestinal and liver metabolic adaptations and hence alter metabolic activities. The effect of Ramadan-type fasting was studied on enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism and the brush border membrane of intestine and liver from rat used as a model. Rats were fasted (12 h) and then refed (12 h) daily for 30 d, as practised by Muslims during Ramadan. Ramadan-type fasting caused a significant decline in serum glucose, cholesterol and lactate dehydrogenase activity, whereas inorganic phosphate increased but blood urea N was not changed. Fasting resulted in increased activities of intestinal lactate (+34%), isocitrate (+63%), succinate (+83%) and malate (+106%) dehydrogenases, fructose 1,6-bisphosphata…
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Rabiei S (2025)reviewMEDLINE-indexed journal, not yet read by usInternational journal of preventive medicine2 citations The Association of Different Types of Intermittent Fasting with Mental Health: A Protocol for Systematic Review.
The high prevalence of depression, stress, and anxiety imposes a high cost on society. Recently, intermittent fasting (IF) has attracted a great deal of attention regarding the improvement in physical and psychological health. Due to insufficient information in this field, our study will review systematically the effect of different types of IF including religious and nonreligious fasting on mental health. We will search MEDLINE/PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science for papers published from the inception until the end of September 2024. All clinical trial studies that report the effect of intervention through intermittent fasting on mood disorders, stress, depression, and anxiety, in all countries, with their full text available in the English and Persian languages, will be included. Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool for Randomized Controlled Trials will be used to evaluate the quality of evidenc…
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Implications of Ramadan Fasting in the Setting of Gastrointestinal Disorders.
Intermittent fasting is an increasingly popular dieting technique with many well-studied benefits, such as permitting weight loss in obese patients, lowering low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels and triglyceride levels, and optimizing circadian rhythms. A special type of intermittent fasting occurs during Ramadan, when Muslims worldwide fast daily from dawn to sunset for a month. Ramadan fasting has demonstrated several health benefits, including improving the gut microbiome, modifying gut hormone levels, and lowering proinflammatory markers such as cytokines and blood lipids. Although fasting has many health benefits, fasting during Ramadan may aggravate chronic medical conditions. We aim to review the literature devoted to Ramadan fasting and its effects on Muslim patients with gastrointestinal (GI) disorders, such as Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), peptic ulcer disease…
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Impact of COVID-19 on Children and Young Adults With Type 2 Diabetes: A Narrative Review With Emphasis on the Potential of Intermittent Fasting as a Preventive Strategy.
Background: The world is still struggling to control the COVID-19 pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The level of uncertainty regarding the virus is still significantly high. The virus behaves differently in children and young adults. Most children and adolescents are either asymptomatic or have mild symptoms. They generally have a very good prognosis. However, it is not well-known whether children and young adults with type 2 diabetes are at risk of getting a severe infection of COVID-19. Many Muslim children with type 2 diabetes have been performing dawn to dusk fasting during the month of Ramadan, before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the impact of this on their health has not been well investigated. Previous studies in adults have suggested that intermittent fasting may be beneficial in different ways including reversal of type…
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Gut microbiota modulation as a possible mediating mechanism for fasting-induced alleviation of metabolic complications: a systematic review.
Background: Intermittent fasting has been reported to have positive effects on obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, and several neurodegenerative diseases through different mechanisms such as alteration in the gut microbiota. This systematic review was conducted with the aim of providing an overview of the existing animal and human literature regarding the gut microbiota alterations in various fasting regimens.
Method: A systematic literature search was conducted on PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science databases up to May 2021 to find all relevant studies examining the gut microbiota alteration during the fasting. Original researches on animal models or human patients were included in this study.
Results: The search fulfilled 3072 documents from which 31 studies (20 animal and 11 human studies) were included. Upon fasting, abundance of several beneficial bacteria includ…
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Mattson MP (2025)reviewMEDLINE-indexed journal, not yet read by usNature metabolism22 citations The cyclic metabolic switching theory of intermittent fasting.
Intermittent fasting (IF) and ketogenic diets (KDs) have recently attracted much attention in the scientific literature and in popular culture and follow a longer history of exercise and caloric restriction (CR) research. Whereas IF involves cyclic metabolic switching (CMS) between ketogenic and non-ketogenic states, KDs and CR may not. In this Perspective, I postulate that the beneficial effects of IF result from alternating between activation of adaptive cellular stress response pathways during the fasting period, followed by cell growth and plasticity pathways during the feeding period. Thereby, I establish the cyclic metabolic switching (CMS) theory of IF. The health benefits of IF may go beyond those seen with continuous CR or KDs without CMS owing to the unique interplay between the signalling functions of the ketone β-hydroxybutyrate, mitochondrial adaptations, reciprocal activati…
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Intermittent fasting influences immunity and metabolism.
Intermittent fasting (IF) modifies cell- and tissue-specific immunometabolic responses that dictate metabolic flexibility and inflammation during obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D). Fasting forces periods of metabolic flexibility and necessitates increased use of different substrates. IF can lower metabolic inflammation and improve glucose metabolism without lowering obesity and can influence time-dependent, compartmentalized changes in immunity. Liver, adipose tissue, skeletal muscle, and immune cells communicate to relay metabolic and immune signals during fasting. Here we review the connections between metabolic and immune cells to explain the divergent effects of IF compared with classic caloric restriction (CR) strategies. We also explore how the immunometabolism of metabolic diseases dictates certain IF outcomes, where the gut microbiota triggers changes in immunity and metabolism d…
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Dietary Intervention Impacts Immune Cell Functions and Dynamics by Inducing Metabolic Rewiring.
Accumulating evidence has shown that nutrient metabolism is closely associated with the differentiation and functions of various immune cells. Cellular metabolism, including aerobic glycolysis, fatty acid oxidation, and oxidative phosphorylation, plays a key role in germinal center (GC) reaction, B-cell trafficking, and T-cell-fate decision. Furthermore, a quiescent metabolic status consolidates T-cell-dependent immunological memory. Therefore, dietary interventions such as calorie restriction, time-restricted feeding, and fasting potentially manipulate immune cell functions. For instance, intermittent fasting prevents the development of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. Meanwhile, the fasting response diminishes the lymphocyte pool in gut-associated lymphoid tissue to minimize energy expenditure, leading to the attenuation of Immunoglobulin A (IgA) response. The nutritional sta…
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Considering intermittent fasting among Saudis: insights into practices.
Background: There is a dearth of studies on intermittent fasting in Saudi Arabia outside of Ramadan. The aim of this research was to study and describe the practice of intermittent fasting outside of Ramadan among Saudi people.
Methods: A web-based survey that focused on intermittent fasting practices-specifically the use of intermittent fasting applications, goal setting, and the effects of fasting on an individual's state of health-was administered, collected, and analyzed.
Results: The study revealed that 58% (298/514) of the respondents practiced intermittent fasting for a duration of less than 3 months. The most-practiced pattern of intermittent fasting was a 16/8 fasting pattern (43.8%, 225/514). About 88.3% (454/514) of those who followed intermittent fasting drank fluids while fasting. Additionally, the amount of weight loss after intermittent fasting was less than 2.2 kg for 35%…
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Impact of Ramadan fasting on medical and psychiatric health.
Ramadan is a religious month dedicated to prayer, fasting and feasting. Recently, there has been an increased interest among healthcare providers regarding possible health-related complications as a consequence of religious fasting such as that seen during Ramadan. In , a 34-year-old female patient with a diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder, depressive type, was admitted for inpatient hospitalization to an inpatient psychiatric hospital in Buffalo, New York. The earliest date of initial diagnosis is unclear; however, the patient reports an increase in symptoms during her early twenties. Upon admission, the patient was continued on haloperidol, lithium and fluphenazine decanoate which had been initiated prior to this admission. Medication administration and meal times were adjusted to accommodate her observance of Ramadan. Despite efforts to mitigate the potential impact, the patient co…
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Levy E, Chu T (2019)reviewMEDLINE-indexed journal, not yet read by usCurrent sports medicine reports17 citations Intermittent Fasting and Its Effects on Athletic Performance: A Review.
Intermittent fasting (IFast) has been around for most of human history, and its proposed health benefits have been mentioned in ancient civilizations. However, recently, there has been a renewed public interest in IFast. Given the importance of nutrition in optimizing athletic performance, there is a concern about the effects of IFast on athletics. Most of the studies looking at performance and fasting are regarding athletes who observe Ramadan. Looking at high-intensity, endurance, and resistance exercises, studies have been varied but are uniform in showing that there is no benefit to athletic performance while fasting. More long-term studies need to be done to evaluate specific fasting protocols during sport.
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The Comparison of Death Anxiety, Obsession, and Depression Between Muslim Population with Positive and Negative Religious Coping.
Death anxiety, obsession, and depression constitute three dimensions of death distress which can be influenced by religious coping in religious individuals. The aim of this study was to compare death anxiety, depression, and obsession between Muslims with positive and negative religious coping. In a cross-sectional study, a sample of 339 participants were selected via stratified random sampling method. The participants were screened using the Brief Religious Coping Scale, in which 60 individuals were identified to have positive religious coping and 62 individuals were recognized as individuals with negative religious coping. They responded to Death Anxiety Scale, Death Obsession Scale, and Death Depression Scale. The data were analyzed using factor analysis and multiple analysis of variance. The results of principal component analysis showed that death anxiety, death obsession, and death…
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The Development and Validation of a Modesty Measure for Diverse Muslim Populations.
This paper reports on the multi-phase development of an English-language modesty measure for use among Muslim populations. The process yielded a 10-item measure that has high levels of internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's α of 0.83), and has acceptable discriminant and predictive validity. Specifically although our modesty measure for Muslim women was found to be significantly correlated with measures of positive and negative religious (Islamic) coping, it was not significantly correlated with religious practice-based religiosity (discriminant validity). Further logistic modeling revealed higher modesty levels positively associated with forgoing mammography because of concerns about lack of same-sex providers (predictive validity).
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On the links between positive religious coping, satisfaction with life and depressive symptoms among a multinational sample of Muslims.
This study tested the levels and consequences of positive religious coping among a multinational sample of Muslims. The sample consisted of 706 university students recruited in three Muslim countries: Israel/Palestine, Turkey and Malaysia. Participants' average age was 22.61, and 65% of them were females. This investigation applied a cross-sectional comparative methodology. Measures used: demographics, positive religious coping, satisfaction with life and depressive symptoms. The findings indicated that (a) participants reported high levels of positive religious coping usage, and Malaysians scored significantly higher in this regard than both Palestinians and Turks; (b) positive religious coping correlated positively with satisfaction with life but was not linked to depressive symptoms and (c) the magnitude of correlation between positive and satisfaction with life was significantly high…
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