Fasting in the month of Ramadan is the religious obligation for Muslims. People all over the Muslim World observe fasting for religious reasons. Only a handful of us aware of the immense physical, psychological, and somatic benefits of fasting during Ramadan. Fasting affects all our organs and organ systems in a plethora of positive ways but the human liver can get exceptional and multiple benefits from it.
We must prostrate in gratitude to Almighty Lord for such a privileged Islamic ritual. Fasting is indeed a miracle for our liver. Science is still in a very early stage of understanding the positive impacts of fasting on the human liver. The preliminary research’ results are both astonishing and eye-openers at the same time. Liver and fasting, what a great combination, let’s have a look upon the benefits of fasting.
Liver and Fasting in Ramadan:
Fasting is known to be beneficial for the health and longevity of humans. It was thought that the positive effects may be due to caloric restriction but lo and behold the total caloric restriction is nothing to do with Ramadan Fasting. During Ramadan, the overall caloric intake remains the same and is comparable to pre and post-Ramadan. With even consistent calorie intake the benefits of Ramadan’s fasting still arise in unbelievable ways.
Ramadan’s Fasting likely triggers the same cellular maintenance mechanism. As play a role in the metabolic response to caloric restriction when practiced without fasting. During fasting, nearly everything in metabolic response affected. A fairly complex process, that’s why even after decades science still struggling to find answers to some pressing questions.
Although food intake does not differ much on fasting and non-fasting days. still, a very marked decrease in body mass, cholesterol, and triglycerides was seen in Fasting humans. Fasting increases insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance. A decrease in lipogenesis and an increase in Beta oxidation in Fasting Muslims results in a reduction of liver steatosis and inflammation.
In new experimentation researchers identified how fasting affected proteins in the liver. showing unexpected impact on fatty acid metabolism and the surprising role played by a master regulator protein. That controls many biological pathways in the liver and other organs. In particular, the researchers found that the HNF4α protein, which regulates a large number of liver genes. Plays a previously unknown role during intermittent fasting.
Here an excerpt from original research:
“For the first time, we showed that HNF4α inhibited during intermittent fasting. This downstream consequences, such as lowering the abundance of blood proteins in inflammation or affecting bile synthesis. This helps explain some of the previously known facts about intermittent fasting. The researchers also found that fasting where no food consumed all day. changed the metabolism of fatty acids in the liver. the knowledge that applied to improvements in glucose tolerance, and the regulation of diabetes. Link: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-03/uos-hif030420.php
Dr. Faisal Dar (Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute, Lahore)
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