MEDICAL ASPECTS OF ISLAMIC FASTING pdf download

Medical Aspects Of Islamic Fasting by Dr. Shahid Athar

MEDICAL ASPECTS OF ISLAMIC FASTING

According to Islamic Laws, children below the age of 12, sick patients, travelers, and women who are menstruating or nursing a baby are exempt from fasting.

In addition to staying away from food or water for the whole day, they are asked to stay away from sex, smoking or misconduct during the period of fast.

In addition, they are encouraged to do more acts of piety i.e. prayer, charity, or reading Quran during this month. Food is needed by the body to provide energy for immediate use by burning up carbohydrates, that is, sugar.

 Excess of carbohydrates which cannot be used is stored up as fat tissue in muscles, and as glycogen in liver for future use.

Insulin, a hormone from the pancreas, lowers blood sugar and diverts it to other forms of energy storage, that is, glycogen.

 To be effective, insulin has to be bound to binding sites called receptor. Obese people lack receptor; therefore, they cannot utilize their insulin. This leads to Insulin Resistance and Glucose Intolerance..

When one fasts (or decreases carbohydrate intake drastically), it lowers his blood glucose and insulin level.

This causes breakdown of glycogen from liver to provide glucose for energy need and breakdown of fat from adipose tissue to provide for energy needs.