How the body is cleansed during the fast of Ramadan. Psychological Benefits of Fasting Ramadan Consider the key data from these studies

A recent study showed that fasting during Ramadan is good not only for spiritual health, but also for the heart.

Experts from the National Institute of Nutrition in Tunisia have proven that the level of good cholesterol in those who fast during Ramadan increases by 20%.

The Tunisian Journal of Medicine published the results of a study in which 30 healthy people took part, including 21 women. Analyzes were collected in three stages - 3 weeks before Ramadan, in its last week and 3 weeks after. The percentage of glucose, fats and cholesterol in the blood was checked. The results of the analyzes of fasting people in Ramadan were very good.

As you know, bad cholesterol settles on the walls of blood vessels, causing the risk of cardiovascular disease. Good cholesterol has the opposite effect. Consumption of saturated fat raises bad cholesterol levels.

We often hear from the lips of Muslims that fasting has a positive effect on human health. But more detailed and accurate confirmation of this fact can be heard from dietitians. Their words are medically confirmed. Here are some examples of the positive effects of fasting on various organs of the human body.

Brain

During fasting, the body consumes part of its fat reserve, which helps to reduce blood cholesterol and thus reduces the likelihood of a stroke.

Heart

10% of the amount of blood that the heart carries through the body goes to the digestive apparatus. During fasting, this percentage decreases, in turn, the heart works less intensively and wears out less. In the body of a fasting person, accumulated fats are burned, which has a beneficial effect on the content of cholesterol in the blood, which on ordinary days settles on the walls of blood vessels and can lead to arteriosclerosis and high blood pressure.

Blood

Fasting reduces the amount of water in the blood, which causes it to thicken. This, in turn, reduces the amount of blood in the vessels, which increases the release of prostaglandin, which activates the process of vascular activity, plays an important role in the functioning of the circulatory system, and alleviates stomach ulcers and childbirth.

Skin condition

During fasting, the percentage of water in the skin, as well as in the blood, decreases, and this fact contributes to the treatment of many skin diseases and leads to: an increase in immunity, a decrease in the likelihood of skin diseases that spread to large areas of the body, such as a decrease in allergic diseases, elimination some causes of acne and even cancer.

digestive apparatus

The secretion of gastric juice during fasting decreases, reducing the acidity of the stomach, from the excess of which many people suffer, and subsequently reduces the likelihood of peptic ulcers.

Pancreas

Fasting provides an excellent opportunity for the pancreas to rest. The pancreas secretes insulin, which converts sugar into dry or fatty substances that accumulate in the tissues. And if the amount of insulin secreted exceeds due to excess food, then it affects the pancreas and causes fatigue. In the end, it cannot perform its functions, accumulating sugar in the blood, which can later cause diabetes.

Liver

The liver activates its activity during fasting. Poisonous substances are excreted from the body through the bladder and large intestine. This process helps destroy stored fats in the body and activates the liver cells.

kidneys

Reducing the concentration of fluid in the body during fasting has a positive effect on the functioning of the kidneys, and in particular, leads to a decrease in blood pressure, which is useful for people with high blood pressure. Also, during fasting, the concentration of salts such as sodium, oxalates and phosphates decreases, which prevents precipitation that forms stones and tumors.

Cells

The human body is designed in such a way that more than 2.5 million cells die and are born in it every second, the body is constantly busy updating cells. During fasting, the body begins to work more actively and activates the process of cell regeneration.

Eyes

During fasting, the amount of excretions from the body is normalized, for example, the release of tears from the eyes, which is responsible for its physiological preservation. It also reduces the internal pressure of the eyeball, which positively affects the patient's condition in such dangerous diseases as glaucoma and reduces the occurrence of additional diseases in the retina.

joints

During fasting, the human body is cleansed of toxic substances that are the causes of joint pain. In medicine, no other treatment for such purification has yet been found other than fasting. It also reduces the likelihood of gout, which is caused by a large amount of uric acid deposits in the joints and from the consumption of low-quality meat and milk.

Some Helpful Tips for Ramadan

Dr. Farooq Khafiji, member of the Islamic Medical Association of South Africa, provides helpful tips to help avoid some of the health problems fasting people may experience during the holy month of Ramadan.

According to Dr. Khafiji, by following these tips, you can reduce the feeling of physical discomfort and fully focus on the spiritual essence of Ramadan.

During the holy month of Ramadan, your diet should be as simple as possible and as simple as possible, well balanced, and include foods from every group, such as vegetables, fruits, meat, poultry, fish, bread, grains, and dairy products.

Fried foods are unhealthy and should be limited. Such food causes indigestion, heartburn.

Do not use: fatty and fried foods; foods high in sugar.

Avoid: overeating during suhoor; drink too much during suhoor (because of this, mineral salts are removed from the body, which are necessary to maintain tone during the day).

Do not smoke! If you feel like you can't break the habit, then start cutting back on the number of cigarettes you smoke a few weeks before Ramadan. Smoking is dangerous to your health and you should quit smoking altogether, and the month of Ramadan is the best time to do so.

Eat during Suhoor:

• complex carbohydrates so that food is digested longer and you do not feel hungry during the day, and plant foods (cereals, cereals, vegetables, fruits, greens) can be sources of complex carbohydrates;
• dates are a great source of sugar, fiber, carbohydrates, potassium and magnesium;
• almonds - a source of proteins and fibrous matter with a low fat content;
• bananas are a source of potassium, magnesium and carbohydrates.

During fasting, your body does not receive food, which forces it to produce energy by burning stores of fat, carbohydrates and sugar. The liver plays a key role in this process, converting fats into chemicals called ketone bodies.

Over the past decades, evidence has accumulated indicating the importance of ketone bodies in maintaining energy balance. Ketone bodies are fuel for muscle tissue, kidneys, and probably act as part of a regulatory feedback mechanism to prevent excessive mobilization of fatty acids from fat depots. During fasting, ketone bodies are one of the main sources of energy for the brain.

At this time, there is a cleansing of toxins, accumulated toxins. And intoxication is the cause of weakness, headaches, nausea, fever. In a normal diet, chemicals and toxins are absorbed into the body from food and the environment and stored in fat stores. With any, even a minor cold, microbes begin to release a large amount of toxic substances into the body. During fasting, fats break down, which leads to the cleansing of toxins from the colon, liver, kidneys, lungs, lymph glands and skin. The body undergoes a process of self-purification, as a result of which the work of all its organs and systems improves.

Fasting heals the mind, body and soul. On a physical level, energy and resources are used not only to run the digestive system (which is overwhelmed by overnutrition), but also to keep the immune system functioning and kickstarting metabolic processes, allowing the body to heal, repair, and replenish itself. Memory sharpens like a razor blade. You can recall the names, places and circumstances of events that happened to you many years ago. You become more capable of self-education.

Medical research shows that during fasting, abnormal tissue growths such as tumors begin to lack nutrients and therefore become more susceptible to breakdown and excreted from the body.

Fasting allows the body to use its own resources to the fullest and focus on repairing the body on a microscopic level as DNA and RNA become more efficient in rewriting the proteins and tissues that the body needs. This renewed protein synthesis results in healthier cells, tissues and organs.

During a long fast, the following changes occur: a slight decrease in body temperature due to a decrease in metabolic rate (metabolic rate is reduced in order to save energy) and general body functions, a decrease in blood sugar levels, as the body uses the glycogen reservoir in the liver.

Somewhere on the seventh day of fasting, plus or minus two days, the so-called acidotic crisis occurs (the release of an increased amount of acetone from the blood), which manifests itself in a certain lack of oxygen, a feeling of physical weakness, the smell of acetone from the mouth, and an increase in temperature. The next day, these symptoms disappear, there is, as it were, a rebirth of the body, a complete lack of desire for food. Feeling of inner freedom and euphoria. The body begins to intensively devour everything that is sick and does not need it. These are sick cells, excess carbohydrates, fat deposits. There is a restructuring inside the body. He wisely distributes energy to all parts of the body, giving the most important organs - the brain and heart - the main priority. Ligaments become elastic, joints are mobile (flexibility increases greatly). All of the above contributes to a sharp improvement in the energy of the body.

American researchers indirectly confirmed the benefits of Muslim fasting.

They were able to uncover a cellular mechanism that explains the relationship between starvation and longevity in humans and other mammals. Islam prescribes abstaining from food and liquids in daylight hours during the month of Ramadan. Scientists David Sinclair and his colleagues found that during fasting, the SIRT3 and SIRT4 genes are activated, which prolong the life of cells. Perhaps this information can be used to create drugs for diseases associated with aging. Mitochondria are responsible for energy metabolism in cells. Scientists have previously assumed that the work of mitochondria is associated with the lifespan of the organism. When mitochondria are depleted, the cell becomes vulnerable to damage, it begins, that is, the program of self-destruction starts. The signal for the onset of apoptosis is a decrease in the amount of NAD+ in mitochondria, the cell nucleus, and the cytoplasm.

The experiment, during which laboratory animals were hungry for only 48 hours, made it possible to establish that the Nampt protein was activated in the body of rodents during this time, which triggered the synthesis of NAD + in the cytoplasm, which in turn leads to an increase in the synthesis of enzymes encoded by the SIRT3 and SIRT4 genes. . These enzymes favorably affect the work of mitochondria and energy metabolism in the cell, that is, they slow down cell aging and prevent apoptosis. “If it were possible to maintain a high concentration of NAD+ in the mitochondria, which would stimulate SIRT3 and SIRT4, for some period of time the cell would not need anything else,” the authors of the study explain. They called this phenomenon the mitochondrial oasis hypothesis. It can be assumed that there is a certain molecule that could affect the concentration of NAD + in mitochondria, as well as SIRT3 and SIRT4. By creating such a molecule, one can significantly increase life expectancy. There are suggestions that fasting helps to rejuvenate the body and prolong life. According to University of Florida scientists led by Dr. Christian Lewenburg, insufficient intake of nutrients in the body and subsequently limited delivery of them to cells, in turn, prolong their life by activating intracellular autophagy - the breakdown and processing of damaged mitochondria and other cellular structures, which can later be used as a new-forming cellular material for life support. But young cells, in turn, have the ability to quickly process damaged structures from old cells and use them to build new organelles or replenish energy reserves.

Unfortunately, as cells age, they lose this ability, which leads to the accumulation of damaged organelles and the aging of the whole organism. Experiments conducted by scientists on animals show that fasting by 120% increases the ability of the heart cells of old animals to self-purify and had virtually no effect on the condition of the cells of young animals. To assess the effect of calorie restriction on the ability of cells to get rid of toxic waste products, scientists assessed the change in the content of certain proteins in the body depending on age and diet. It turned out that the cells of old animals that were subject to starvation were characterized by a very high level of proteins, which is essential for starting the autophagy process. It is interesting that the activation of autophagy is especially important primarily for heart cells, which contain a large number of mitochondria. Partial processing of damaged mitochondrial organelles is the key to maintaining the performance of the heart muscle of an aging organism as a whole.

It has also been found that the deformed membranes of slowly dividing or non-dividing senescent cells under endogenous nutrition acquire shapes similar to those of cells of young animals. That is, with SH, the process of restoring cell barriers is underway. The process of dividing rapidly dividing cells slows down. At the same time, the restructuring of the enzymatic system provides an increase in the receptor apparatus of efferent cells (nerve endings) due to a qualitative improvement in the state of the enzymes of these receptors (chemoreceptors), which are embedded in the cell membrane and are able to enhance the barrier function through the activation of the intracellular cAMP nucleotide. Thus, with SH, a complex restoration of cell barrier functions is ensured by normalizing membranes and strengthening the cAMP system. Due to the renewal of the genetic apparatus of cells, cells are formed during starvation, and additional cells appear in some organs. As a result of the elimination of old, damaged cells and the appearance of new stem cells, the organs and tissues of the body become much younger.

I want to remind you that Islam prescribes to refrain from eating and drinking during daylight hours during the month of Ramadan, that is, it turns out to be short-term.

Experimental studies on the effects of Muslim fasting on healthy and sick people

Fasting and the immune system

The effect of continuous fasting on the functioning of the gonads

In a clinic in Massachusetts (USA), a group of six healthy people aged 26 to 45 was examined. The survey was carried out in three stages:

• The preparatory stage, which lasted three days, during which the subjects ate according to their usual daily schedule.
• The period of fasting, or complete abstinence from food, which lasted 10 days, during which the subjects did not eat around the clock, receiving only distilled water, which they could drink both day and night.
• Way out of hunger for five days. On the 2nd, 11th and 16th days, blood tests were taken for the study of sex hormones. On the 3rd, 12th and 17th days after stimulation of the pituitary gland with hormone (LRH), repeated blood tests were performed. The following hormones were studied: the male hormone (testosterone) and the follicle-stimulating (FSH) and luteinizing hormones belonging to the gonadotropic group. The results were as follows:

During fasting, testosterone levels dropped significantly and continued to decline for another three days when leaving hunger. On the fourth day out of hunger, the level of this hormone jumped sharply, exceeding its usual value, observed before hunger.

During fasting, the content of follicle-stimulating and luteinizing hormones and urine significantly increased, remaining at this level for another three days after the end of fasting. It is likely that this shows the limited effect of fasting on the decrease in sexual potency. From this it follows that the effect of fasting on sexual desire is expressed by two facts: firstly, sexual desire decreases during fasting and for several more days after it; secondly, after the end of fasting, the sexual and goes to a higher level than before fasting.

The month of Ramadan is the most awaited month and is of great importance for every Muslim.

In order to understand the impact of modern life, we must compare our lifestyle with the spiritual atmosphere of Ramadan. In this blessed month, millions of Muslims restrict themselves from the most basic human needs in order to remember all the blessings that Allah has given us. For 11 months we live behind a veil of carelessness, satisfying all our needs, not thinking about anything. Ramadan is a necessary and especially important worship, because it is he who provides a balance in the social and economic aspects of our lives.

By all means fasting in the holy month of Ramadan It has a lot of advantages, both spiritual, physical, economic and psychological. In this article, we will briefly talk about the psychological benefits of fasting during the Holy month of Ramadan.

1. Self-control and discipline.

One of the virtues of our absolutely ideal religion is that it teaches us to follow the right path, not stumbling over the temptations of the mortal world, not looking back at the worthless, cheap decorations of dunya (worldly). Fards (compulsory worships) are clearly defined in Islam, which warn us from all that is superfluous, and helps to put all this chaos in which we live within some limits.

The obligatory prescription of fasting for our brothers and sisters was not without reason. Because, within 720 hours, we show our nafs (ego) who is the main one in our body.

Allah Almighty said in the Hadith Al-Qudsi:

“…Verily fasting is done for My sake, and I will repay it. The fasting person refuses to eat, drink, satisfy his desires for the sake of Me. A fasting person has two joys: one when breaking the fast, the other when meeting with the Almighty.

Indeed, in observance of the post, the moments are specifically described that make the post invalid, such as the penetration of any substance, even in small quantities, into the human body through any open hole, sexual intercourse, etc.

When a person denies himself the lowest points on the Maslow table, physiological needs such as food and drink, sexual intercourse, he observes a very strict discipline.

It is very important to tune yourself properly; this kind of self-discipline only teaches us to pull ourselves together and think about more important things. Subject yourself to self-control, and ask yourself questions about what we spend the hours granted by Allah, how we treat relatives, whether we help in need, how many pages of the Holy Quran we have read, and this can be continued endlessly. Discipline not only brings the most beautiful things closer to the Creator, but also makes us more successful in this world. After all, discipline is the key to success. A real Muslim is in control and doesn't let his ego get the best of him.

After all, it is today's deeds that will determine our stay tomorrow.

2. Patience.

In the modern world, we are exposed to a huge flow of information - advertisements, signs, billboards, news from various media, such as social networks, newspapers, TV shows, and so on. All this information shaft rolls into our subconscious and fills us with the necessary, but in most cases completely useless information. As a result, this congestion makes us more vulnerable to stressful situations. We easily begin to splash out all our negative emotions on others, without noticing it ourselves. The post encourages us to be more patient, avoid aggressive discussions and try not to pay attention to the irritants of this dunya. Patience is the most important quality that every Muslim should have, because the word "sabr" (patience) was mentioned a hundred and four times in the Qur'an for various reasons and conditions.

“Therefore be patient, for your patience is only from Allah…”

(An-Nahl, 16:127)

“Be patient, as the envoys of strong spirit endured…”

(Al-Ahkaf, 46:35)

Allah Almighty ordered the believers to be patient. He said:

“O you who believe! Be patient, stock up on patience, serve in the outposts and fear Allah, so that you may succeed.

(Ali Imran, 3:200)

Allah Almighty said, praising the patient:

“But the pious one is ... who showed patience in need, in illness and during battle. These are the ones that are true. Such are the God-fearing"

(Al-Baqara, 2:177)

“Allah loves the patient” (Ali Imran, 3:146). “Be patient, for Allah is with those who are patient”

(Al-Anfal, 8:46)

In this long-awaited month, it is very important not to get angry because of the little things and do as many good deeds as possible.

Thirty days after fasting, you will see for yourself that you can be kinder and more calmly react to everything that happens around you. After all, one of the important features of a true Muslim is patience!

3. Opposition to waste.

It is also important to note that every year the abundance of food only increases. The industry never ceases to delight us with new and new things. In the history of mankind, there has never been a general starvation when people died due to lack of food. Now people suffer from a more terrible disease - human greed. We want more and more. We just feel the need to buy a third kilogram of strawberries, without hesitation we buy today's loaf from the bakery, because the bread that is already at home yesterday. Arriving home, we quickly pour out the soup that we cooked for dinner, because our refrigerator is full of food, you can cook something else and get rid of it again by pouring it into the trash.

When we fast, we are ready to eat yesterday's cake with appetite, but at least the day before yesterday. We begin to appreciate every piece of food that we have in our house.

We realize that there is no longer a need for a hearty breakfast, brunch, snacks between main meals, lunch, dinner, tea with buns, your favorite cake. Our mind is enlightened, and as a result, we recognize that one light snack is enough for active functioning during the day, that hunger is not in our stomach, but first of all, in our subconscious. With the advent of Ramadan, you start to wonder how much unnecessary we get every day, making a load not only on your stomach, but also on your budget! A fasting person learns to say a firm “NO!” wastefulness, not succumbing to your nafs, your ego!

Certainly, by the end of the month you will feel changes in your attitude to the environment. You will notice how you begin to think about others, be content with little, become more patient and grateful. Your body will get used to a strict discipline regimen, and perhaps this will help you bring some order to your life.

Dear sisters and brothers, we want to tell you that if you are now able to fast, then you are the happiest person, you are going through a completely free seminar to improve the quality of your life, without noticing it! Not a single seminar of the most prominent psychologist, not a single training from a series of life coaching can have such a strong impact on your life as a simple but very important post during the best month of the year - Ramadan!

It is narrated from the son of Abbas that he said:

“I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: “If my ummah knew what the month of Ramadan contains, then they would wish that the whole year was Ramadan.”

I sincerely wish you and your family the most productive spiritual enrichment,

Nurzat Aitpay kyzy, psychologist

Muslim fasting is a good protection against many diseases. This is evidenced by modern scientific research.

Consider the main data of these studies:

1. strengthening the immune system: the activity of the lymph nodes improves 10 times and the number of cells that perform specific immune functions increases;
2. prevention of obesity and its consequences. This comes from the spiritual and mental stability that is achieved during the period of fasting. Moreover, such stability is largely a consequence of the spiritual atmosphere that surrounds the fasting person, as well as a large number of actions of expressing faith (ibadat) during this period, such as performing additional prayers, reading the Koran and others. This is the whole complex of actions that are “spending on the path of Allah and for the sake of Allah”, removal from all kinds of worries, worries and tensions; directing spiritual and bodily energy in a positive direction, control over one's passions and desires;
3. protection from the danger of accumulation of poisons in tissues and cells. There is a prevention of the formation of kidney stones, since the amount of sodium in the blood increases, which prevents the crystallization of potassium. Increasing the amount of urea in the blood helps to avoid the deposition of urinary salts, which form stones in the urinary ducts;
4. regulation of sexual instincts, especially among young people. Thus, a person avoids excessive spiritual and bodily excitement and embarrassment, various moral deviations;
5. prevention of mental disorders, in particular, "split personality". It has also been established that the correct observance of fasting and diet make it possible to halt the development and gradually get rid of certain mental illnesses.

Experiments also confirm the following benefits of fasting:

1. fasting facilitates the work of the digestive organs, including by improving the mechanism of absorption in the digestive tract and performing the related functions in the best possible way. fasting allows the physiological rest of the entire digestive apparatus after eating food for a certain period. Such rest is received, in particular, by the salivary glands, stomach, liver, pancreas, intestines;
2. fasting helps the work of the endocrine glands associated with metabolic processes in the period after the absorption of nutrients. This allows them to most successfully fulfill their role in the release of active hormones and the activation of the mechanisms of inhibition-excitation of these processes on a daily basis. The result of this is the achievement of balance in the activity of the hormonal system of the body;
3. cellular metabolism is activated: fats and proteins, glucose, the necessary conditions are created for these substances to perform their role more efficiently;
4. reproductive functions are improved in both men and women;
5. a person benefits greatly from abstaining from drinking during fasting, because. it helps the body to better realize the accumulated energy, increases the ability to learn, improves memory;
6. as a result of fasting, weak and diseased cells in the body are destroyed, and the percentage of the structure of new cells increases.

The health benefits of fasting the month of Ramadan (video)

Indeed, the observance of a Muslim fast is obedience and obedience to Allah. This is the request and hope of waiting for what He has among the rewards - a huge benefit for the soul and body. Fasting instills peace and confidence in the soul. All this has a positive effect on the mechanism of metabolism and contributes to the fact that this process occurs in the best possible way. As-saum - both in ideological conviction and in practical behavior enhances many spiritual qualities in a person: patience, willpower, control over all instincts and desires, gives the soul calm, peace, confidence, contentment and joy.

The eating pattern during Ramadan is another factor that contributes to good health. It must be said that, although according to the rules of the Muslim fast, one cannot eat and drink, etc. from the beginning of dawn until sunset, fasting is not a reason for refusing to work and from performing other daily duties. Therefore, in order to ensure the working capacity of the body during the day, it is prescribed to take food on time, i.e. just after sunset (iftar) and just before dawn (suhoor).

In order not to oversleep the time of Suhoor and thus not start eating once a day, but in time to give the body the necessary reinforcement for the whole coming day, the Prophet specifically warned the Muslims, giving them the following advice:

"Take Suhoor, verily, in Suhoor is a Blessing."

In addition, this principle of maintaining a strong, healthy body and mind is seen in the following saying of the Prophet:

“People (stay) in goodness as long as they are in a hurry to break the fast (i.e. break the Fast and take food, Iftar, on time).”

It is clear that fasting is good for health, but there is no benefit but harm from prolonged fasting.

It is also interesting to note that eating on an empty stomach after a period of abstinence from food and drink requires a special method. The Prophet Muhammad said the following about this:

“Start your daily conversation with a date, and if there is no (date) then with water, it is truly pure”

On the basis of this Hadith and other Sayings of the Prophet, Muslims around the world have a tradition of accepting Iftar in the following way: immediately after sunset, the Azan, the call to prayer (Salat Magrib), sounds loudly, so that all Muslims know that the time of Iftar has come. In some Muslim countries, noisy fireworks, etc. are specially arranged for this purpose. After hearing the Azan, Muslims eat a few dates or other available fruits, such as apples, raisins, etc., or drink a glass of milk or just a glass of water. After that, they perform the Maghreb prayer, and after the prayer they take a heartier dinner.

In Ramadan, Muslims like to have such a meal together as a good tradition. This may be in the family circle, close or distant relatives or other people, or even in a large gathering, where there are, for example, 400 people. By the way, we have such a tradition in Ukraine in different cities, and such joint dinners take place every year.

They especially bring together both close relatives and all Muslims, strengthen the bonds of brotherhood, mutual assistance and love between them. And although, in general, during the period of Lent, a person’s need for food somewhat decreases, but the spiritual pleasure from a joint family or collective meal increases immeasurably.