Fasting
during Ramadan or Ramzan - Experts Views
People
who follow Sanatana Dharma, may think this is not for them. But among us there
are several bunches of people who either feel the practice to be good or even
think of converting themselves to Islam. Any enthusiast who goes through their
Holy Book Quran will know so many astounding facts. Though the following sloka
was told 5000 years back by Lord Krishna in a different context we can
corroborate it to the present day frame of reference.
श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुण: परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात् |
स्वधर्मे निधनं श्रेय: परधर्मो भयावह: ||
35||
శ్రేయాన్స్వధర్మో
విగుణః పరధర్మాత్స్వనుష్ఠితాత్ |
స్వధర్మే
నిధనం శ్రేయః పరధర్మో భయావహః ||.
śhreyān swa-dharmo viguṇaḥ para-dharmāt sv-anuṣhṭhitāt
swa-dharme
nidhanaṁ śhreyaḥ para-dharmo bhayāvahaḥ
The
essence of this Sloka is:
'It is
preferable to die in the discharge of one’s Dharma, than to follow the path of another, which is
fraught with danger.'
Hence the
article.
These are the ten advantages of fasting with reference to
Ramadan
or Ramzan stated in a certain site in google search.
1. Fasting Promotes detoxification
2. Fasting Rests Digestive System
3. Fasting Resolves Inflammatory Response
4. Fasting Reduces Blood Sugar
5. Fasting Increases Fat breakdown
6. Fasting Corrects high blood Pressure
7. Fasting Promotes Weight loss
8. Fasting Promotes Healthy diet
9. Fasting Boosts Immunity
10. Fasting May Help to Overcome Addictions.
The ambiguity here is that the fasting remains undefined.
However
considering the practices of the orthodox Muslims during
Ramadan
we will reach out to the factors contributing therefor.
countries.
In the Arabian Gulf countries, wealthy sheikhs hold “majlises”
where
they open their doors for people to pass by all hours of the night
for
food, tea, coffee and conversation. Increasingly common are
Ramadan tents in five-star hotels that offer lavish and pricey
meals
from sunset to sunrise. While Ramadan is a boon for retailers in
the
Middle East and South Asia, critics say the holy month is
increasingly becoming commercialized.
Coming to the point the salient features of Islamic fasting are:
For 30 days every lunar year (during the month of
Ramadan),waking
up before dawn and eating and drinking to prepare for the
fast
(binge eating is a common habit). Refraining from consuming
any
food or water from dawn to sunset. Breaking the fast at sunset
and
again eating and drinking to prepare for the day ahead.
Some Muslims claim eating a small amount of food is the
correct
Islamic way however we cannot function for the whole day by
eating
only a small amount of food at the time of dawn. This would
affect
our performance even more during the day. But you feel such a
compulsion that you can't resist the urges and continue binge
eating.
In a recent study done on the Arab world, diseases linked to
cholesterol and diabetes increased by 27.65% because of
overeating. Non-compliance with prescribed treatment regimens
is
common during Ramadan. One study finds that incidences of
dehydration increase during the month of Ramadan
Other health effects include:
Evidence of hemoconcentration and dehydration has been found
during Ramadan (El-Hazmi, Al-Faleh, & Al-Mofleh,
1987;Kayikcioglu
et al., 1999; Ramadan et al., 1999; Schmahl & Metzler,
1991;
Sweileh et al., 1992). Restricted fluid intake, leading to
disturbance
in the fluid balance, is likely to cause these conditions. In
the initial
stages of dehydration, the clinical signs are (an abnormally rapid
heart rate.), tiredness and malaise, headaches and nausea. Middle-
aged or more
elderly persons are usually more prone to the effect of
dehydration (Schmahl & Metzler).
Migraines are three times more common during Ramadan,
affecting
an estimated 90 million Muslims:
to suffer from migraine headaches during the dawn-to-dusk
fasts
during the month of Ramadan – which begins on Wednesday, at
the
height of summer heat. But Jewish researchers in the US and
Israel
have suggested how to help prevent the problem.
Dr. Ibrahim Abu-Salah, Israel’s only Beduin neurologist – who
works at Soroka University Medical Center in Beersheba – headed
a
team that found migraine attacks are three times more common
during the Muslim fast than in the rest of the year.
The following study takes a look at the significant fluctuations in
the
weight of individuals that occurs during the month of
Ramadan,
primarily as a result of the metabolic changes that occur in the
body.
Researchers have found decreased heart rate and oxygen
consumption during Ramadan (Husain et al., 1987; Ramadan et
al.,
1999; Sweileh et al., 1992). These findings suggest a
metabolic
adaptation to fasting. It seems that during the Ramadan
daylight
hours - when no food or water is taken in - to conserve
stored
energy, the metabolism slows down (Sweileh et al., 1992).
Changes of sleep habit in Ramadan affects autonomic activity
and
melatonin rhythmicity. The other negative effects may be
that,
during fasting patients with cardiovascular disease cannot consume
medications, such as anti-ischemic, anti-platelet,
anti-hypertensive
drugs, and drugs of heart failure on time. Some patients may
get
admitted to the hospital with cardiovascular symptoms owing
to
failure of therapy.
Effect on Circadian Patterns and Sleep Disorders
The results of the following study can lead us to conclude
that
fasting negatively effects an individual's circadian rhythm.
As a
result, unfavorable side-effects such as lethargy and a lack
of
motivation, may contribute to a society's lack of productivity:
In a certain study, the nutritional status of lactating women
was
affected by Ramadan fasting. All of the nutrient intakes
(except
vitamins A, E and C) decreased during Ramadan. The study said
that it would seem prudent to excuse lactating women from
fasting
during Ramadan.
The following study in Morocco found that irritability
increased
during Ramadan:
OBJECTIVES: We hypothesized that people in Morocco are more
irritable during the month of Ramadan than during the rest of
the
year. Our objectives were to measure irritability in fasting
Muslims
during the month of Ramadan, to describe its various modes of
expression, and to examine risk factors for this irritability.
METHODS AND SUBJECTS: We studied 100 healthy volunteers
during the month of Ramadan for two successive years (1994
and
1995). All subjects were male (mean age, 32+/-5.8 years), and
51%
of them were smokers. Irritability was assessed over a 6-week
period (before, four times during, and after the end of
Ramadan).
We assessed both subjective (visual analog scale) and
objective
irritability. We also recorded the consumption of psychostimulants,
duration of sleep, and anxiety level as measured by the
Hamilton
Anxiety Scale.
Director of Jakarta Police’s General Crime Unit, Sr. Comr.
Muhammad Iriawan called on Jakarta residents to be alert as
crimes
tended to increase during the fasting month of Ramadan.
Iriawan said crimes such as house break-ins and robberies tend
to
increase during Ramadan, when the need for extra money was
high
because of the festivities.
In August, 2010, Mustafa Mor, who was involved in a road
accident
in Turkey, was left waiting on a stretcher due to the X-ray
service
being closed for fast-breaking.
Low productivity during Ramadan affects Dubai employees
Performance in most companies, institutions and government
departments around the Arab world is usually at a low during
the
month of Ramadan, with poor productivity and constant
reported
absences.
These are a few points that are mentioned for the benefit of
those
innocent people who are not fully aware of the dictum of the
Holy
Book.
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