TY - JOUR
T1 - From Religion to Secularism
T2 - the Benefits of Fasting
AU - Venegas-Borsellino, Carla
AU - Sonikpreet,
AU - Martindale, Robert G.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2018, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.
PY - 2018/9/1
Y1 - 2018/9/1
N2 - Purpose of review: Since the early development of human societies, religious beliefs, and practices has been integral to their identity, culture, and social structure, traditions are influenced by the area, era, and culture wherein they developed. Some religions offer advice on behavioral and diet modifications as strategies to fortify the body, purify the spirit, and elevate consciousness. This review is an attempt to compare different practices, describe the health benefits and risks of fasting, and reconcile these age-old recommendations with practical modern life. Recent findings: Research to clarify and quantify the impact of these dietary modifications is challenging due to the variability in recommendations among various religions and in day-to-day practices. Summary: Most religions share common goals of well-being, body-mind integration, and spiritual attainment. Historically, the transformational power of fasting periods has been appreciated, but there is still much to discover about the underlying beneficial physiologic mechanisms of fasting in preventing and treating metabolic diseases.
AB - Purpose of review: Since the early development of human societies, religious beliefs, and practices has been integral to their identity, culture, and social structure, traditions are influenced by the area, era, and culture wherein they developed. Some religions offer advice on behavioral and diet modifications as strategies to fortify the body, purify the spirit, and elevate consciousness. This review is an attempt to compare different practices, describe the health benefits and risks of fasting, and reconcile these age-old recommendations with practical modern life. Recent findings: Research to clarify and quantify the impact of these dietary modifications is challenging due to the variability in recommendations among various religions and in day-to-day practices. Summary: Most religions share common goals of well-being, body-mind integration, and spiritual attainment. Historically, the transformational power of fasting periods has been appreciated, but there is still much to discover about the underlying beneficial physiologic mechanisms of fasting in preventing and treating metabolic diseases.
KW - Buddhism
KW - Caloric restriction
KW - Daniel Fast
KW - Hinduism
KW - Islam
KW - Judaism
KW - Orthodox fasting
KW - Religious fasting
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85057640779&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85057640779&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s13668-018-0233-2
DO - 10.1007/s13668-018-0233-2
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:85057640779
SN - 2161-3311
VL - 7
SP - 131
EP - 138
JO - Current Nutrition Reports
JF - Current Nutrition Reports
IS - 3
ER -