Research Journal of Medical Sciences
ISSN: Online 1993-6095ISSN: Print 1815-9346
Abstract
The principle of Naturopathy emphasizes the inherent healing capacity of the body, with fasting being a vital modality that enables the body to heal and purify itself without external interference. Fasting has exhibited remarkable effects in various conditions such as autoimmune diseases, inflammatory disorders, psychiatric ailments, metabolic imbalances, hormonal irregularities and genetic disorders. High‐Protein Fasting (HPF) has been recognized as a means to maintain overall health and physical fitness. This study aimed to investigate the physiological changes occurring in healthy individuals during fasting. The objectives of this study were twofold: (1) To analyze the physiological effects of HPF and (2) To assess the presence of any adverse effects. A single‐arm interventional pilot study was conducted in an outpatient setting during December 2018, involving 9 healthy male and female volunteers aged between 20 and 35 years. Purposive sampling was employed based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, following ethical considerations. The intervention spanned a duration of 5 days, during which pre‐ and postassessments were conducted to measure vital signs, anthropometric parameters and blood parameters. The results revealed significant reductions in systolic blood pressure, anthropometric measurements (including arm, chest, waist, hip, thigh circumference and skin fold thickness at various sites), blood sugar levels and granulocyte percentage. Conversely, significant increases were observed in urea, creatinine, alkaline phosphate, total protein, cholesterol, high‐density lipoprotein (HDL), uric acid, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), mid‐range cell percentage (MID%) and platelet distribution width (PDW). Additionally, improvements in sleep quality were reported, although a negative change was observed in the psychological index following the intervention. In conclusion, HPF demonstrated significant changes in vital signs, anthropometric measurements and blood parameters. This approach proves highly beneficial and effective in maintaining physical fitness. It is recommended to incorporate HPF into one's routine occasionally to reap its advantages.
How to cite this article:
Shivangi Pandey, Satyalakshmi Komarraju, Yuvaraj Paul, D. Sathyanath and Shrikanth Muralidharan. Physiological Effects of Health Promotion Fasting: An Interventional Study.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.36478/10.59218/makrjms.2023.467.473
URL: https://www.makhillpublications.co/view-article/1815-9346/10.59218/makrjms.2023.467.473