Doctors list health benefits of fasting
‘Fasting detoxifies body, decreases risk of diabetes, metabolic disorders’
Srinagar, Mar 31 : The month of fast along with blessings bring health benefits for people, experts said.
Doctors said that fasting helps in weight loss, improves blood sugar control and decreases inflammation.
Dr Fayaz Ahmad Bhat Assistant Professor Department of General Medicine at SKIMS Soura told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that fasting gives discipline and patience besides decreasing chances of developing diabetes and other metabolic syndrome disorders.
He said there remains less chances of metabolic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, fatty liver and other diseases in people who fast as compared to people who don’t.
Recent studies suggest that fasting lowers chances of neurological diseases and cancer, he said, adding that it has been also found that people who eat less have good memory besides good overall neurological status and their lifespan is more as compared to those who eat more.
“Fasting helps in regeneration of stem cells that helps in making of any tissue or organ in the body besides that mental stability and it can help you in getting rid of dementia,” he said.
“Stem cells play an important role in regeneration because they can develop into many different cell types in the body and renew themselves millions of times,” he said.
He said that fasting promotes blood sugar control by reducing insulin resistance, promotes better health by fighting inflammation, may enhance heart health by improving blood pressure, triglycerides and cholesterol levels, may boost brain function and prevent neurodegenerative disorders and aids weight loss by limiting calorie intake and boosting metabolism.
Dr Fayaz said that fasting helps in cancer prevention and increases the effectiveness of chemotherapy besides fasting helps in the detoxification process of the body and reboots the immune system of individuals.
Noted doctor S M Qadri told KNO that studies suggest that fasting helps in reduction of weight mainly among men besides that it helps in reduction of LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol, sometimes called “bad” cholesterol that increases your risk for heart disease and stroke.
Dr Owais from GMC Anantnag said that fasting has several health benefits as it helps in decreasing chronic inflammations that may be involved in the development of chronic conditions, such as heart disease, cancer, and rheumatoid arthritis.
It also helps in weight loss by limiting calorie intake and boosting metabolism and may also help in better brain functioning, he said.
He said that fasting increases growth hormone secretion, which is vital for growth, metabolism, weight loss, and muscle strength.