With the arrival of Ramadan, many people who will fast are wondering about the effects of being hungry for a long time, that is, intermittent nutrition on the body. Mentioning that fasting has many positive effects from regulating blood sugar, blood pressure control, reducing abdominal fat and reducing the risk of cancer, Prof. Dr. S. Şebnem Kılıç Gültekin describes fasting as an annual body care.
Fasting is defined in simple scientific terms as “a method of using ketone bodies instead of glucose as an energy source by limiting the feeding time to 6-8 hours during the day by fasting for 16-18 hours”. In cases where sugar in the blood cannot be used after a long fast, fats begin to be burned and the resulting molecules, namely ketone bodies, play an important role in the active functioning of metabolism and in the cell repair process.
FASTING REPAIRS DAMAGED MOLECULES IN THE BODY
Emphasizing that the scientific researches have revealed the numerous benefits of fasting, Gültekin explains the process of the emergence of the benefits of fasting in the body as follows:
“After hours of fasting, ketone bodies begin to slowly increase in our cells. In fasting people, the ketone level rises to a very high level in the 24th hour and the repair process is activated in the body. The fasting period thus reduces the stress in nerve cells and increases the functions of mitochondria, which are our cell energy stoves. With the activation of these mechanisms in the body, the repair of DNA, which is the building block of the cell, begins, and the body cleans the damaged cells in order to obtain new and healthier cells.
Our immune system also starts to repair itself in order to fulfill its duties during this fasting period. It even starts to remove the damage of free radicals, which are produced after eating and invite diseases. Our body cannot perform this repair process with three meals and snacks in our normal routine. The presence of high sugar we get from food during the day slows down the movement of natural immune cells.”
Intermittent NUTS REDUCES THE RISK OF CANCER
Expressing that antioxidant defense mechanisms come into play when eating is interrupted for 14-16 hours, Prof. Dr. S. Şebnem Kılıç Gültekin listed the benefits of fasting as follows:
“Since intermittent feeding, that is, fasting period, enables the activation of antioxidant mechanisms, an improvement in brain functions, an increase in learning and memory capacity is observed, especially with the initiation of DNA repair. It causes partial improvement in the findings of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s patients. It also reduces the risk of obesity, rheumatological diseases and cancer. It has been observed many times that this type of nutrition responds better to treatment in patients receiving chemotherapy.”
Expressing that intermittent fasting has positive effects such as regulation of blood sugar, blood pressure control, and reduction of abdominal fat, Kılıç Gültekin said, “In animal experiments, it was observed that blood pressure, heart rate, cholesterol, triglyceride, blood sugar and insulin levels decreased, and insulin resistance improved in rats fed every other day. . It is predicted that with these mechanisms, atherosclerosis can also be prevented.”
ANNUAL CARE TIME FOR THE BODY
Stating that the intermittent diet brought by the month of Ramadan brings youth and health to the body with sufficient fluid intake during the hours when eating is free, Prof. Dr. S. Şebnem Kılıç Gültekin said, “Since it delays the aging of our brain and body and plays an important role in the active functioning of the metabolism, our immune system will perform the annual maintenance of our body during the fasting period.”