The Effect of Ramadan Fasting on the Immune System Function

Abstract

Fasting is one of the most important Islamic acts of worship ordered by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him), the great Imams, and Muslim philosophers. It has a tremendous effect on various aspects of human beings, including physical and mental health, cholesterol level control, and triglyceride level control. Moreover, it alleviates the dimensions of depression, psychosis, anxiety, obsession, interpersonal sensitivity, phobia, hostility, and paranoid thoughts. One of the most important effects of fasting on the human body is its influence on the immune system function. Significantly, it has been found that inflammatory biomarkers, such as IL-6 and C-reactive protein (CRP), are suppressed considerably by short- and long-term intermittent fasting. In overweight adults, calorie restriction (CR) improves clinical findings for patients with moderate asthma, reduces oxidative and inflammatory stress markers, and minimizes metabolic disease risk markers.