Experts prove the ability of Ramadan fasting to reduce the negative effects of several health problems

During an international conference held by the College of Health Sciences at the University of Sharjah, a number of international experts praised the health benefits of fasting, saying that it helps mitigate the negative impact of a group of health problems.

The team presented research containing “promising evidence that fasting can reduce the risk of diabetes, help lose weight, prolong life, and prevent the exacerbation of metabolic diseases.”

The conference, called the “International Conference on Fasting,” which was held a few days before the month of Ramadan, was attended by a large number of scholars from the United States, France, Lebanon, Oman, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, China, the United Kingdom, Malaysia, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan, Turkey, Pakistan, and the United Arab Emirates.

Scientists revealed the results of many studies and research on intermittent fasting, which includes Ramadan. The keynote speaker at the conference, Professor Osama Hamdi from Harvard Medical School, said that fasting offers various scientifically proven health benefits, such as adding years to life expectancy and promoting healthy aging. Adding, “Dietary restriction in general has been shown for years and years to improve many problems such as metabolic syndrome, diabetes, cancer, etc.”

Professor Hamdi described the different types of intermittent fasting, in particular time-restricted eating, alternate day fasting, 5:2 fasting, and Ramadan.

During the conference, he revealed the results of the Diabetes Reduction Outcomes Program (DROP), saying that fasting “heralds the beginning of an entire era of treating diabetes at a very early stage through nutrition and exercise alone.”

The results of this program found that diabetic participants lost about 8% of their body weight while adhering to intermittent fasting, and their blood sugar level (A1C) decreased from 6.4 to 6.1 without medication. Which means remission (the state of absence of disease activity in a patient known to have a chronic disease that cannot be cured).

Even after a year, participants remained in remission, with improved quality of life.

However, scientists have shown that fasting during Ramadan may have a negative effect if fasting people overeat when breaking the fast.

Ahmed Bahamam, professor of pulmonary and sleep medicine at King Saud University, warned those fasting during Ramadan against gluttony, noting that for many, iftar is like a lavish banquet dominated by sugary meals, which can cause harm to health.