Ramadan can be challenging time for students

Ramadan can be challenging time for students

By Faten Omar

KUWAIT: For Muslims, Ramadan is a holy month that symbolizes dedication, reflection and discipline to grow spiritually and get closer to God. But for students, Ramadan can be a challenging time, especially with exams during or immediately after the holy month. Kuwait Times spoke with counseling psychologist Barehan Hassan to learn more about the best ways to study in Ramadan. Hassan said many students think fasting may affect their study and energy, but studies have proved that fasting has a lot of benefits for the brain.

“Fasting causes a shift in the resources the body uses for energy. During metabolism, the body switches from using glucose to ketones to provide the body with energy. Ketones are a type of amino acid that the liver produces from fat,” she said. “The increased use of ketones during periods of fasting can make the brain more flexible, productive and able to focus,” Hassan explained, noting that fasting may also improve cognition and mood to enhance the functioning of the brain.

This boosts intelligence, which has been indicated by many surveys that revealed that individuals during fasting are more able to focus and solve complex problems and more easily make decisions. Hassan pointed out