475. Fasting is good.

We are aware fasting is an obligatory duty of every Muslim. Verse (2:184) of the Quran says “Fasting is better for you” 

Fasting is not only an obligatory duty spiritually, but also a better exercise, says the world of medicine. The world of medicine confirms the phrase ‘you can realize it is good for you’.

To eat only when hungry is considered to be a good practice, that keeps one healthy. Most people consider staying hungry weakens the body. 

Though this belief is common and considered normal, it does not fit the rules when fasting is considered. This has been discovered by the scientists. 

Let’s get down to the details;

 When we eat food, the body takes the required energy from what we consume. The body stores the glucose thus consumed in the liver and the tissues of the body. The nutrients thus stored are utilized by the body when energy is required by the body till the next meal is taken in. A single meal taken by a person lasts for eight hours at a stretch to keep him healthy and strong. 

And if a person continues to remain without taking in any food even after the eight-hour period, the food stored in the form of fats breaks down into carbohydrates that are much simpler nutrients to be absorbed by the body. This is more beneficial to the body. 

And if the person continues not to take food even after the stored fats in the body is utilized, the proteins stored by the body is utilized, this leads to a dangerous situation where the person becomes tired and starts losing weight and becomes lean.The fasting stipulated for Muslims does not lead people to such a situation.

The fasting in Muslims is confined only to the second stage mentioned above (where utilization of stored glucose takes place), within a period of a whole day but lasting more than eight hours.

When bad cholesterol is broken down and reduced to carbohydrates and utilized by the body it results in the reduction of body weight, as well the tissues of the body being protected, with blood pressure and sugar level in blood being controlled, and when the fats are broken down the harmful wastes in the body are got rid of in the process. It has been discovered by scientists from the Oxford University in the US,

Within a few days after the start of the Ramadan fasting, the level of Endorphin in the blood level is seen to increase. Endorphin is a feel-good chemical from the nervous system to cope up with pain or stress.

(A study carried out by scientists in the USA found that the mental focus achieved during Ramadan increases the level of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, which causes the body to produce more brain cells, thus improving brain function.) 

  

(Likewise, a distinct reduction in the amount of the hormone cortisol, produced by the adrenal gland means that stress levels are greatly reduced both during and after Ramadan ) 

  

(A team of cardiologists in the UAE found that people observing Ramadan enjoy a positive effect on their lipid profile, which means there is a reduction of cholesterol in the blood) 

Not only does the bad cholesterol level decreases during fasting, there is an increase in the level of good cholesterol due to spiritual thinking, and the working of the heart is regularized and smooth due to which heart diseases are reduced, the blood flow becomes normal regular, reducing the occurrence of strokes, heart diseases, and paralytic attacks. If the diet plan is followed even after Ramadan the chances of maintaining normal cholesterol level is more is what the scientists declared.

The research team at The National Institute on Ageing, has found out fasting for one or two days in a week can lead to longer life days, and can prevent old-age ailments like Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson’s disease etc.

And it is also declared by this team, that by reduction of calories in-take, the chemical messengers in the brain are rejuvenated and activated.

The Daily Telegraph says:

Maintaining a lifestyle with strict control over calories in-take can increase the lifetime of humans has been declared after lab trials on rats. Though this remained a speculation in the scientific world in humans, it has now been confirmed after having conducted trials in humans.

A neurosciences research team head Professor Mark Matson.

 Mark P. Mattson is a Professor of Neuroscience atJohns Hopkins University. He is the former Chief of the Laboratory of Neurosciences at the National Institute on Aging Intramural Research Program of theNational Institute on Aging.

Mattson has done research onintermittent fasting.The National Institute of Health considers him "one of the world’s top experts on the potential cognitive and physical health benefits of intermittent fasting".He is author of the book "The Intermittent Fasting Revolution: The Science of Optimizing Health and Enhancing Performance".

says: One can help his brain by reduction in his in-take of calories and can prevent many diseases to the brain. But continuous fasting leaves a person bereft of these benefits.

And by intermittent fasting one can derive all these benefits he says.

These research findings confirm the fasting undertaken by the Muslims alone.

The aspects brought to light by this research cannot be found in fasting undertaken by people of other faiths. Fasting by people of other faiths is not for a longer duration of the day and the people keep away only from solid food. Only solid food is kept away, and liquid food is consumed during their fast, fufilling their required calories. There are certain types of fasts carried on by people of some faiths where only cooked food is restricted while they are allowed to take uncooked fruits and vegetables. Due to these restrictions the benefits found in this research of Mark Matson cannot be derived in the case of the above cited type of fasts undertaken by people of other faiths. There are other types of fasts where only non-vegetarian foods are restricted thus denying themselves the benefits that are to be derived from the findings of this research.

In fasts undertaken by Muslims no kind of food is taken in by people whether it be vegetarian or non –vegetarian or liquid or solid, and moreover it lasts for a period of not less than 14 hours a day is the reason the benefits mentioned in this research are derived.

Making the act of fasting a religious duty, and the saying in the Quran ‘it is good for you, you will realize’ point out the Quran is the word of God.