Incredible article. Too late for me, though, I already have diabetes and can't fast. :( I wish I could - I feel like I'm missing out on a lot!
Ron Abdul Latif Coleman wrote: > > > This Is Your Brain On > > Although the author of this article fails to mention the fact that the > eating of dates upon breaking the fast is a sunnah of the > Prophet.s.a.w.s, it is none the less some food for thought. > > > Posted by Megan Meyer <http://muslimvoices.org/author/mmeyer/> > on August 21st, 2009 > > So here's an interesting fact about the brain: During a period of > fasting, a hormone is released that upsets how your body changes food > into energy. When that happens, it increases the number of > mitochondria in neurons that tell you when you're hungry. > > Neurobiologists at Yale University School of Medicine found that this > caused mice to overeat. The study suggests > <http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=new-year-new-understandin> > there's a connection between "breaking fast" and eating more that you > need to replenish yourself. > > > Typically we have noticed a trend in increased obesity and many > incidence of diabetes during the Holy month because of irregular and > inappropriate eating after breaking the fast, " said Dr. Wedad Al > Maidor, family physician, and member of the Dubai Ministry of Health. > > (From WAM's article 'Ahlan Ramadan' encourages Healthy Ramadan > <http://arabeastern.com/opinion/contents.asp?PageID=25680>.) > > > An article published by the American Diabetes Association doctors > recommend distributing calories over 2-3 smaller meals > <http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/28/9/2305.full> during > non-fasting hours help prevent type 2 diabetes. > > > So be careful not to binge during this month of Ramadan! > > > *Why Are Dates So Common During Ramadan?* > > Your brain is like a spoiled little princess; she always wants the > crème de la crème. > > Borrowing a metaphor from a Medical News Today article > <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/124282.php>, the body gets > energy in two ways: high-octane glucose (sugar) or cheap, low-octane > fat. Most of our body can take energy from either glucose or fat, but > the brain is pickier -- it's glucose or nothing. > > So when there is no glucose to be burned, the liver takes protein from > the muscles, where it is transformed into glucose then shot up to the > brain. > > Just one date has about 15 g of sugar -- that's a lot. So it makes > sense that this would be a traditional way to break one's fast before > Iftar (the evening meal). What better way to raise everyone's spirits > than a small, quick shot of glucose to the brain? > > But you only need a handful of dates > <http://nutrition.about.com/od/fruitsandvegetables/p/dates.htm>. Don't > forget about those greedy little mice! > > > *Fasting And Alzheimer's* > > There seem to be some mysterious benefits for the brain in > Ramadan-style fasting. A study conducted at the National Institute on > Aging showed that intermittent deprivation of food can protect the > brain from diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. > > [Mark] Mattson and his colleagues also shared data from research on > humans, which shows that populations with higher caloric > intakes---such as the United States and Europe---have a greater > prevalence of Alzheimer's than do populations that eat less---such as > China and Japan. > > (From Andrea Useen's article Why Religious Fasting Could Be Good for > Your Brain > <http://pokedandprodded.health.com/2008/09/17/why-ramadan-might-be-good-for-your-brain/>.) > > So how can it stave off degenerative brain diseases? Mattson claims > fasting can actually creative new neurons. From his article > <http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/fulltext/118870809/HTMLSTART?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0> > > published by the National Institutes of Health, it reads: > > > [Dietary restriction] can stimulate the production of new neurons from > stem cells (neurogenesis) and can enhance synaptic plasticity, which > may increase the ability of the brain to resist aging and restore > function following injury. > > > Now there was one part that seemed to conflict with what doctors > recommend to prevent obesity and diabetes. Mattson suggest that we eat > more in one sitting. > > > ...increasing the time interval between meals is beneficial, even when > the size of the meals are increased to a level that results in no > overall decrease in caloric intake. > > > Perhaps both the neuroscientists and diabetes specialists would be > content if we slowly graze from sunset to bedtime. > > *Fasting May Even Affect Sleep* > > According to Dr. Ebrahim Kazim, a low blood-sugar level can lock the > brain into stages of deep sleep. He writes: > > > Fasting improves the quality and intensifies the depth of sleep, a > matter of particular importance to the aged who have much less stage > three and four sleep (deep sleep). The processes of repair of the body > and of the brain take place during sleep. Two hours of sleep during > the month of Ramadan are more satisfying and refreshing than more > hours of sleep otherwise! > > > While this may be true if one goes to sleep before eating, we must > wonder if this particular phenomenon belongs to Ramadan fasting. > Breaking fast at sundown would increase the blood-sugar level. The > question is if the evening meal would raise the blood-sugar level > enough to improve the depth of sleep. > > Ramadan Kareem! > > > > > -- Linda *http://freedetainees.org <http://freedetainees.org/> "If we shadows have offended, Think but this, and all is mended, That you have but slumber'd here While these visions did appear..." - William Shakespeare * --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "bangla-vision" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/bangla-vision?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
