Must Read : Greatest Health Benefits of Ramadan

Each year on the ninth month of the Islam lunar calendar, Muslims all over the World partake in Ramadan, which is a month of fasting. During this month of fasting, Muslims refrain from dawn until sunset from eating, drinking, and sexual relations, as well as, generally sinful speech and behavior  Did the rest of the World know that, there are some unexpected health benefits of Ramadan?

Eating Dates

During the fast, dates provide much-needed fibre, which aids and improves digestion throughout Ramadan. Dates also have high levels of potassium, magnesium and B vitamins, making it one of the healthiest fruits to eat during a fast. Typically three dates are eaten at the start of Iftar every day during Ramadan for spiritual reasons. Did you know that doing this comes with multiple health benefits? During the fast, it’s important to get the right amount of energy, and considering an average serving of dates contains 31 grams of carbohydrates, this is one of the perfect foods to give you an energy boost.

Detoxification

The fast during Ramadan acts as an excellent detox for your body. It has also spiritual cleansing benefits. Fasting throughout the day gives your body a rare chance to detoxify your digestive system throughout the month. When your body starts eating into fat reserves to create energy, it will also burn away any harmful toxins that might be present in fat deposits. Now that’s a great health benefit from fasting for a month.

Breaking bad habits

Ramadan is seen as the perfect time to be rid of your bad habits for good. Bad habits such as smoking and eating high fat and sugary foods should not be eaten too much during Ramadan, therefore, as you abstain from these foods your body will gradually change until your addiction is kicked for good. It’s also much easier to quit habits when you do so in a group, which should be easy to find during Ramadan. The UK’s National Health Service even recommends this fasting period as the ideal time to quit smoking.

Boosting your brain

The brain-boosting powers of Ramadan are so significant that non-Muslims would be wise to consider the following information. A study carried out US scientists found that the mental focus achieved during Ramadan increases the level of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, which causes the body to produce more brain cells, thus improving brain function. Likewise, a distinct reduction in the amount of the hormone cortisol, produced by the adrenal gland, means that stress levels are greatly reduced both during and after Ramadan. There are positive effects fasting can have on your mental wellbeing and spiritual focus too.

Lasting appetite reduction

If you want to get into the habit of healthy eating and losing weight and keeping it off then Ramadan is a great fast to do. One of the main problems with many fad Western diets is that any weight lost is often quickly put back on and sometimes even more. This isn’t the case with Ramadan. The reduction in food consumed throughout fasting causes your stomach to gradually shrink, meaning you’ll need to eat less food to feel full. When it’s finished your appetite will be lower than it was before, and you’ll be far less likely to overindulge with your eating.

Absorb more nutrients

Doing the Ramadan fast means that your body’s metabolism becomes more efficient, meaning the amount of nutrients you absorb from food improves. This is because of an increase in a hormone called adiponectin, which is produced by a combination of fasting and eating late at night, and allows your muscles to absorb more nutrients. This will lead to health benefits all around the body, as various areas are able to better absorb and make use of the nutrients they need to function