Fasting and blood sugar
Dry fasting is a step up from the popular intermittent fasting method, which also involves abstaining from liquids. A study shows that the metabolism of a healthy person can cope well with this.
Fasting and blood sugar
Foto JOICE KELLY/UNSPLASH
A team of researchers led by Prof. Dr. Olga Ramich from the German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbrücke (DIfE) and Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin has investigated the effects of religious dry fasting and time-restricted eating on the course and level of blood glucose levels in an initial pilot study. The study is the first of its kind to use continuous glucose monitoring to evaluate these fasting methods in a small group of subjects without diabetes. The results were published in the journal Nutrients.
Fasting as a religious ritual
Intermittent fasting has become increasingly popular in recent years. Studies have shown various health benefits, including its effectiveness in weight loss. An extreme form of intermittent fasting is dry fasting, as it involves abstaining not only from solid food but also from liquids. One example of this is the religious Bahá'í fast. It is similar to the Ramadan fast, as it also starts before sunrise and ends after sunrise. Followers of the Bahá'í religion regard fasting as an important spiritual duty and fast for 19 consecutive days every year in March. The Bahá'í fast is performed when the days and nights are approximately the same length. This makes it a stable model for research into the effects of intermittent dry fasting.
Improved glucose metabolism
Time-restricted eating, also known as time-restricted eating, is another form of intermittent fasting that has become increasingly popular in recent years. It is characterized by a shortened time window of food intake, usually less than 10 hours per day, with the timing and duration varying. Many studies show improvements in glucose metabolism, such as a reduction in mean 24-hour glucose levels, and improved insulin sensitivity. However, it remains unclear whether intermittent religious dry fasting as a special form of intermittent fasting can trigger comparable effects on blood sugar or even have a negative effect. What is known so far is that people with diabetes who practice this form of fasting have an increased risk of hyperglycaemia and hypoglycaemia. The effects on people without diabetes have not yet been researched.
Three groups compared
Against this background, the team led by Prof. Dr. Olga Ramich investigated how religious fasting affects blood glucose control and variability in adults without diabetes and to what extent the effects differ from those of a time-restricted food intake. The pilot study involved 16 healthy men and women between the ages of 18 and 69. They were divided into three groups: Bahá'í fasting, intermittent fasting according to the 16:8 method or control group. The latter was allowed to follow their usual diet without any time restrictions. During the initial start-up phase and during the 19-day intervention period, the participants' blood glucose levels were continuously monitored using a glucose sensor placed on the upper arm. The participants also recorded their diet over the entire period.
No negative effects
When analyzing the data, the researchers found that although the Bahá'í fasting group consumed fewer calories per day and lost weight, there were no adverse effects on 24-hour blood glucose levels or glycemic variability. Also, in the 16:8 intermittent fasting group, average blood glucose levels and variability remained unchanged throughout the period. "Our results suggest that both religious dry fasting and intermittent eating can be safely integrated into the lifestyle of people without diabetes without compromising metabolic health," said Prof. Dr. Olga Ramich, head of the Department of Molecular Metabolism and Precision Nutrition at DIfE. If people with diabetes want to fast, they should first talk to their doctor, especially if they inject insulin. This can help to adjust the treatment plan to ensure that fasting can be carried out without hesitation.
Metabolic flexibility as the key to success
The study underlines the metabolic flexibility of people without diabetes and shows that they can keep blood sugar levels stable even with significant changes in dietary habits. This flexibility is a good prerequisite for effective weight management and improved eating habits. "Despite the promising results, further studies with larger cohorts are needed to confirm these findings and to investigate the long-term effects of fasting on metabolic health," says study coordinator and nutritionist Beeke Peters, who shares first authorship with Dr. Christina Pappe from Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin.
Note: This article has been translated using a computer system without human intervention. LUMITOS offers these automatic translations to present a wider range of current news. Since this article has been translated with automatic translation, it is possible that it contains errors in vocabulary, syntax or grammar. The original article in German can be found here.
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