Fasting has health benefits

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Studies on both healthy and sick people have revealed that, whenever

their number of meals in one day in Ramadan is increased, their

cholesterol level falls.

Cholesterol in the blood increases among fasting people, because

they depend on two main meals a day - iftar and sohour - during the

holy fasting month of Ramadan.

According to Assistant Professor of the Food Industries Section at

the National Research Centre Dr Hisham Amin Eissa, the sohour meal

is important for fasting people, because it contributes to the

lowering of the level of cholesterol in the blood.

Dr Eissa, who stressed that high cholesterol levels have a bad

effect on the heart and arteries, said that research into glucose

level in the blood at fasting times shows that the level goes

slightly up and down during fasting times, depending on how much

food has been eaten at iftar.

" Fasting is the best way to cut out bad habits like eating all the

time and drinking tea and coffee all day long. It also helps obese

people to lose weight. Most obese people cannot resist food, but

fasting solves this problem, " he said.

" Fasting helps people become less tense and angry, especially

diabetics who are not dependent on insulin. Tension and

psychological pressure lead to the glucose level in the blood

rising, leading to the discharge of the hormone catecholamine,

helping diabetics to calm down and reducing the blood sugar level. "

Dr Eissa pointed out that fasting whether during the holy month of

Ramadan or around the year is good for the digestive and nervous

systems.

Fasting also helps people avoid obesity and protects them from

complications and disorders relating to obesity, such as

arteriosclerosis, hypertension and cardiac and kidney ailments.