Religious fasting and its impacts on individual, public, and planetary health: Fasting as a “religious health asset” for a healthier, more equitable, and sustainable society

Abstract

Religious fasting is practiced by people of all faiths, including Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Jainism, as well as Hinduism, Judaism, and Taoism. Individual/clinical, public, global, and planetary health has traditionally been studied as separate entities. Nevertheless, religious fasting, in conjunction with other religious health assets, can provide several opportunities, ranging from the individual to the population, environmental, and planetary levels, by facilitating and supporting societal transformations and changes, such as the adoption of healthier, more equitable, and sustainable lifestyles, therein preserving the Earth's systems and addressing major interconnected, cascading, and compound challenges. In this review, we will summarize the most recent evidence on the effects of religious fasting, particularly Orthodox and Ramadan Islamic fasting, on human and public health. Further, we will explore the potential effects of religious fasting on tackling current environmental issues, with a special focus on nutrition/food restriction and planetary health. Finally, specific recommendations, particularly around dietary intake during the fasting rituals, will be provided to ensure a sustainable healthy planet.

The effect of last meal “Suhoor” timing on diurnal variations in cognitive performance during Ramadan fasting among female athletes

“…Such variations also potentially alter the frequency, quantity, and timing of Suhoor across different demographic groups characterized by varying ages, and socio-cultural and ethnic backgrounds. A recent systematic review highlighted the significant cultural diversity in food habits among countries that observe Ramadan worldwide ( 82 ). However, making comparative conclusions is challenging due to the scarcity of data on Suhoor practices among athletes.…”

Association between Dietary Patterns and Metabolic Syndrome Risk Factors: A Cross-Sectional Study of Christian Orthodox Church Fasters and Non-Fasters in Greece

“…Overall, this study could represent the basis for further research in this field, evaluating the associations of dietary patterns with MetS components and the prevalence among fasters. There is an urgent need to support sustainable food systems; thus, research interest has focused on interventions for sustainable healthy diets during recent years, such as the Mediterranean Diet [ 58 , 59 , 60 , 61 ], while religious fasting, and more specifically COC fasting, is regarded as an important asset to be used in public health nutrition strategies [ 62 ].…”

Association of Christian Orthodox Fasting with Sociodemographic, Anthropometric and Lifestyle Factors and Serum Biochemical Indices: A Cross-Sectional Study on Patients with Metabolic Diseases

“…Christian Orthodox fasting practices also adhere to the World Cancer Research Fund’s Cancer Prevention Recommendations because of the high intake of fiber-rich foods, fruits, vegetables and legumes, low intake of refined carbohydrates and low consumption of meat products and dietary saturated fatty acids [ 9 , 10 ]. Notably, religious fasting, particularly Christian Orthodox and Ramadan Islamic fasting, are considered sustainable diets, as their recommendations may have a positive impact on planetary health [ 16 ]. Christian Orthodox fasting has also been shown to exert potential preventive effects against obesity, cardiometabolic risk factors and diabetes mellitus type 2 [ 10 , 17 ].…”