1. Ramadan fasting appeared to benefit waist circumference, body weight, blood pressure, and fasting blood glucose level.

2. Ramadan fasting was associated with lower low-density lipoprotein and higher high-density lipoprotein, suggesting an overall improved lipid profile.

Evidence Rating Level: 1 (Good)

For people around the world who practice the Islamic faith, Ramadan is a holy month of spiritual reflection, worship, and fasting from all food and drink from sunrise to sunset. How these practices may impact physical health, especially metabolic syndromes, has not been well studied. This study evaluated existing meta-analyses to determine the effect of Ramadan fasting on metabolic parameters.

This was an umbrella review of eleven meta-analysis studies that evaluated the impact of Ramadan fasting and metabolic syndrome. Studies that did not include a meta-analysis or had overlapping datasets from pre-analyses, or meta-analyses of data not found through systematic reviews were excluded. The primary outcomes extracted from each study included waist circumference, body weight, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), total cholesterol, triglycerides, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and fasting blood plasma glucose.

The results demonstrated that Ramadan fasting appeared to benefit waist circumference, body weight, blood pressure, and fasting blood glucose level. More specifically, Ramadan fasting was associated with lower low-density lipoprotein and higher high-density lipoprotein, suggesting an overall improved lipid profile. This study was limited by the nature of Umbrella Review studies such as the inability to analyze individual studies in detail as well exclusion of studies not in English. Nonetheless, this study provided a comprehensive review that suggests there are metabolic benefits associated with Ramadan fasting.

Click here to read this study in Nutrition Reviews.

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