During the religious festival of Ramadan, the majority of adult, practicing fasting Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sexual relationships during the hours of daylight throughout the lunar month Since the Islamic calendar is lunar, the start of the Islamic year advances 11 days each year compared with the seasonal year; therefore, Ramadan occurs at different times of the seasonal year over a 33-year cycle. This can result in the Ramadan fast being undertaken in markedly different environmental conditions between years in the same country.
The annual Ramadan fast is not obligatory for all Muslims, for there are several categories of healthy people and patients who are exempt, or who can postpone the Ramadan fast (the acutely ill; women during menstruation, pregnancy, post-childbirth confinement and lactation; travelers) or who are unable to fast (the chronically ill; the frail elderly), but who are encouraged to feed a needy individual during the month of Ramadan.
The list of groups excused, although primarily expressing specific religious beliefs, may also include empirical knowledge on the adverse effects of fasting on health, from a period long before there was a clinical rationale. However, because of local tradition or a variety of personal reasons, many individuals who have the right to be excused decide to observe the fast.
Potential health concerns of Ramadan diet restrictions in healthy individuals.
Generally meal frequency is reduced during Ramadan fasting, which can lead to reduce in energy level. A number of studies have investigated the effect on mood and irritability of individuals during Ramadan fasting which is specified as Psychosomatic Alterations.
Fasting can also led to Occupational heat stress to the workers and laborers, because they work of hours with out having any meal or water.
In a research, 750 people having Ramadan fast led to a stop on their regular prescribed drugs which affected their health.
Potential health concerns of Ramadan diet restrictions in patients.
Patients of Diabetes, Urolithiasis and Acute coronary heart disease, face huge problem who undertake Ramadan fasting.
Studies have examined the effects of daytime fast on :
- Hypoglycemic control on non-insulin-dependent diabetics (NIDD),
- Prevalence of urolithiasis,
- Peptic ulcer complications,
- Increase in acute coronary.
These patients generally have complications while fasting and led to Accident and emergency cases.
Potential health concerns of intermittent dehydration and chronic hypohydration.
In normal life, total body water content is subject to minor fluctuations throughout the day, but the water content of adults normally remains relatively constant on a daily basis. Body water is unavoidably lost to the environment as urine, in faces and as respiratory and insensible transcutaneous water losses. Water may also be lost as sweat if body temperature is raised above that which can be maintained by non sweating mechanisms. Fluid intake occurs in the form of food and drinks, with the sensation of thirst underpinning drinking behavior. Individuals usually ingest more fluid than they require to match obligatory water losses and the excess water intake is excreted by the kidneys as dilute urine.
One can face different types of dehydration during fasting such as :
- Intermittent dehydration (during the daylight hours of Ramadan fasting).
- Chronic hypohydration (an acute decrease in total body water content is the most reliable measure of hypohydration).