Another study proves the health benefits of fasting

The health benefits of intermittent fasting are slowly being clarified as more evidence continues to emerge, according to a review of 21 studies by the US researchers.

The authors found "moderate to high-quality" evidence that intermittent fasting did help overweight and obese adults lose weight and also seemed to improve some measures of risk for cardiovascular disease, such as lowering blood pressure, blood cholesterol, and blood sugar.

“The main myth is people are going to feel weak and not be able to concentrate during fasting. We’ve shown it is the opposite: They actually have a better ability to concentrate,” Varady said, adding the increased energy may be an evolutionary response to give strength to seek food.

Additionally, current research shows intermittent fasting does not harm metabolism.

“With any diet, as you lose weight, your metabolism, like your calorie needs, will go down because they’re correlated tightly with your muscle mass. As you lose weight, people tend to lose a little bit of muscle. But fasting doesn’t tank your metabolism at all. We’ve shown that it is the same that would happen with like traditional dieting,” Varady said.

The physical, mental and spiritual benefits of fasting have been emphasized in Islam over 14 centuries ago and proven by modern science.

Fasting has been prescribed to all Muslims as a form of religious obligation for not only achieving spiritual and physical health, but also for overcoming lust and desires.

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