Author(s): Yousif Y. Bilto
Article publication date: 1998-04-01
Vol. 16 No. 1 (yearly), pp. 1-13.
185
Keywords
Ramadan, Haematology, body weight, biochemical, blood
Abstract
The Effects of Ramadan fasting on body weight as well as on the different biochemical and haematological parameters of the blood were studied on 74 healthy male and female Jordanian adults ranging in age from 20 to 48 years. Venous blood samples were tested which were taken during the pre-Ramadan week, 1st, 2nd and 4th weeks of Ramadan, as well as during the post-Ramadan week. Of the studied parameters, body weight, glucose, uric acid, total cholesterol, HDL - cholesterol, LDL - cholesterol, total protein, albumin, iron, calcium, total bilirubin, free bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase and its intestinal isoenzyme, RBC count and PCV were found to decrease significantly (p < 0.05) during the fasting weeks of Ramadan. Whereas the MCH and MCHC of the haematological parameters were found to increase significantly (p < 0.05) due to the decreased RBC count and PCV. However, the following parameters; triglycerides, phosphate, urea, creatinine, conjugated bilirubin, alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, bone and liver isoenzymes of alkaline phosphatase, Hb, MCV, WBC count and ESR did not change significantly. It was concluded that Ramadan fasting could induce weight loss through restriction of energy intake with consequent relative hydration of the blood causing changes in biochemical and haematological parameters of the blood. Although these changes were within normal reference ranges and within the 95% confidence limits of pre-Ramadan values and appear to be reversible but they require attention by physicians practising in Muslim communities and countries, as they could be misleading in diagnosis and monitoring of the disease.