Download what happens to your body durIng a fast

HEalth
July 19, 2012 / Thursday
15
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What happens to your body during a fast
Fasting can be defined using
a simple timeline showing
roughly four different stages
of the body after the
last meal.
As one begins fasting, the body enters the ‘fed’
state during which the body digests the food eaten
in the previous meal, producing energy from the
carbohydrates and fat, and storing the excess as
glycogen and fat.
1
The ‘fed’ state which
lasts for up to
three hours
2
The ‘postabsorptive’
or ‘early fasting’
state, which lasts
from three to
about 12-18 hours
3
The ‘fasting’
state which
lasts about
two days
Glycogen
glucose
4
The “longterm fasting”
or “starvation”
state, which goes
beyond two days
Source: Rimmy Bedi,
Dietician, Unicare Medical
Centre, Dubai
fat
epinephrine
After digestion and energy storage, the body
starts using stored glycogen, amino acids
(protein), and adipose tissue (fat). Glycogen,
a form of glucose and energy source, is
stored in both the liver and muscles. Muscle
glycogen can only be used by the muscle
in which it is stored. Liver glycogen, on the
other hand, is used by all body cells including
the brain, which consumes a whopping 60
per cent of the body’s blood sugar. To keep
the brain and other systems running after
digestion, the liver releases stored glycogen.
Once the glycogen runs out in the liver, it
then breaks down proteins known as amino
acids to create glucose. At this stage, the
liver is able to meet most of the body’s
glucose needs by recycling lactic acid and
amino acid.
Fasting triggers lipolysis – the process of
breaking down fat from the body’s adipose
stores into energy. In Ramadan fasting, which
lasts approximately 13-14 hours, the body’s
epinephrine level (one of the five hormones
that drive lipolysis) increases. At about the
14th hour, after the body has digested and
stored or burnt the previous meal, other
methods kick in to meet its energy needs. A
12-18 hour fast allows the body to use all of its
energy systems, tap into stored fat, but is just
in time to stop ketosis, when the body eats
into the muscles to generate energy.
The IDEAL IFTAR to end fast
The body’s immediate need at
iftar is an easily-available energy
source in the form of glucose for
every living cell, particularly
the brain and nerve cells,
said Safeek Ali, dietician at
Welcare Hospital. “Dates
and juices are
good sources
of sugars
and help to gain
quick energy,” he
the brain against degenerative
illnesses and diseases such as
Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
At least eight other researches
have studied the effects of fasting
to humans — in Algeria, Europe,
Kuwait, Singapore, Saudi Arabia
and Tunisia. None of them, however, showed its direct effect on
lipids. Interestingly, the body mass
index of Dr Hallak’s volunteers
increased from an average of 26.6
before Ramadan to 29.97 three
weeks into Ramadan. BMI is an
indicator (but not a direct measure) of a person’s total body fat. A
BMI between 25 and 29.9 is considered overweight. In the study,
changes in glucose and blood
pressure levels were insignificant.
PROOF OF CONCEPT
Dr Azzan Bin Braik, a consultant at Rashid Hospital and the
UAE’s leading cardiologist, said
said. “Intake of fluids in the form
of juice and soup helps maintain
water and mineral balance in the
body.” He warned that too
many servings of fried foods
and sweets with added sugar
are very unhealthy. A typical
iftar can be three
dates, one
cup of fruit
juice, and
one cup
“The study has
consistently shown an
average rise in good
cholesterol”
Dr Omar Kamel Hallak
American Hospital Dubai
that the study is a “proof-ofconcept … it tells you there’s
something there, that those who
fast during Ramadan may derive
some benefits from it”.
of vegetable/chicken soup, two
plain graham crackers or a small
portion of low-fat sandwich. “It is
always better to have a light Iftar
with plenty of fluids to rehydrate
your body and then have a moderate dinner. Including bread or
carbohydrate-rich food during iftar is not a bad option as the body
needs quick energy at that time.
Over-eating may lead to bloating
and indigestion.”
Asked, however, why the volunteers’ average BMI spiked by
12 per cent three weeks into the
fasting month, Dr Bin Braik said:
“This is difficult to explain… you
need to look closely into the diet
of the volunteers in any such
study.”
While it is unlikely for a person’s
lipid profile to change dramatically
within three weeks of daily 14-hour
fasting, he said the study may be a
significant first step because at 41
per cent, the incidence of hypertension in the UAE is higher than
the world average.
“Many people do change their
diet during Ramadan. Those who
fast during Ramadan either lose
weight or gain weight.”
Dr Bin Braik said a wider study
with hundreds of volunteers is
needed to establish a “robust” link
between Ramadan fasting, diet
and heart disease.
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