Ramadan 2023: How does fasting during the holy month affect your mental health?

Ramadan 2023: How does fasting during the holy month affect your mental health?

During the holy month of Ramadan, millions of Muslims around the world fast from dawn until sunset as an act of devotion and spiritual reflection.

While the benefits of fasting for physical health are well documented, the effects of this practice can also be advantageous to Muslims’ mental health, experts in the United Arab Emirates have said.

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Fasting can help anxiety, depression

Dr Nada Omer Mohamed Elbashir, a consultant psychiatrist at Burjeel Hospital, Abu Dhabi, said there is growing confidence today about the positive effects of fasting on mental health.

“Individuals that fast have experienced improvements in their symptoms of depression, anxiety and even stress,” she told Al Arabiya English. “They also reported decreased fatigue within the second week of fasting. This could be attributed to inducing ketone metabolism and its anti-inflammatory effects that contribute to lower stress levels.’

“Neurotransmitters are essential chemical components of the brain. They send signals that not only affects how we function, speak, and think but also how we feel. Many studies have shown that fasting can increase the level of serotonin in the blood, a neurotransmitter that has been strongly linked to depression and anxiety