Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2020 Oct 31;18(4):e107641.
doi: 10.5812/ijem.107641. eCollection 2020 Oct.

Effect of Ramadan Fasting on Body Composition, Biochemical Profile, and Antioxidant Status in a Sample of Healthy Individuals

Asna Urooj  1 , Namratha Pai Kotebagilu  1 , Lohith Mysuru Shivanna  1 , Satish Anandan  1 , Akshatha Nagaraja Thantry  1 , Syeda Farha Siraj  1
Affiliations

Effect of Ramadan Fasting on Body Composition, Biochemical Profile, and Antioxidant Status in a Sample of Healthy Individuals

Asna Urooj et al. Int J Endocrinol Metab. .

Abstract

Background: Muslims fast during the month of Ramadan by abstinence from food and drink every day from dawn to sunset. Studies have reported contradictory results with respect to the changes in body weight and biochemical parameters. No study has been conducted on the association between fasting and body weight and biochemical parameters in the Indian setting on healthy Muslim subjects.

Objectives: To assess the effect of fasting during Ramadan on biochemical parameters such as lipid profile, liver function test, renal function test, antioxidant status, random blood sugar, hemoglobin, body composition, and blood pressure in a sample of healthy individuals.

Methods: In this study, 52 healthy free-living participants (25 males, 27 females, 21-64 years) who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria and completed both follow-ups (before and after Ramadan) were studied. Participants were fasting 12 hours a day for at least 21 days, including menstruating women. It was a free-living study with no dietary restrictions. Anthropometry, lipid profile, liver and renal function tests were measured by standard methods. Body composition was analyzed by bioelectrical impedance.

Results: Significant beneficial changes in albumin, alanine aminotransferase, creatinine, and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) were observed, while total cholesterol, random blood sugar, aspartate aminotransferase, and alkaline phosphatase enzymes remained unchanged after Ramadan. Fasting did bring in some changes in body composition; among both men and women, mean weight loss ranged from 0.81 - 1.4 kg in majority of the subjects, which was due to loss in muscle mass. Moderate changes in intra- and extracellular water content was observed after fasting.

Conclusions: Significant improvements were observed in HDL levels and liver function tests, which can be attributed to the loss of body weight. Improvement in liver function tests may be related to the changes in cytokines and alteration in sleep patterns. Ramadan-like fasting, along with the nutritional education prior to fasting, may be beneficial and effective in the spiritual and overall well-being.

Keywords: Body Composition; Healthy Subjects; India.; Lipid Profile; Liver; Ramadhan; Renal Function.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

References

    1. Ongsara S, Boonpol S, Prompalad N, Jeenduang N. The Effect of Ramadan Fasting on Biochemical Parameters in Healthy Thai Subjects. J Clin Diagn Res. 2017;11(9):BC14–8. doi: 10.7860/JCDR/2017/27294.10634. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Suzuki K, Ohsumi Y. Molecular machinery of autophagosome formation in yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. FEBS Lett. 2007;581(11):2156–61. doi: 10.1016/j.febslet.2007.01.096. - DOI - PubMed
    1. de Cabo R, Mattson MP. Effects of Intermittent Fasting on Health, Aging, and Disease. N Engl J Med. 2019;381(26):2541–51. doi: 10.1056/NEJMra1905136. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Mattison JA, Colman RJ, Beasley TM, Allison DB, Kemnitz JW, Roth GS, et al. Caloric restriction improves health and survival of rhesus monkeys. Nat Commun. 2017;8:14063. doi: 10.1038/ncomms14063. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Swindell WR. Dietary restriction in rats and mice: a meta-analysis and review of the evidence for genotype-dependent effects on lifespan. Ageing Res Rev. 2012;11(2):254–70. doi: 10.1016/j.arr.2011.12.006. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources