Ramazan — best time to abandon addictions

Islamabad: Fasting in the holy month of Ramazan is believed to be the best way of breaking addictions to harmful substances like tobacco, drugs, alcohol, tea, coffee, and other habit-forming beverages while it regulates all body functions and improves the physical and mental health of a person.

According to experts, fasting is the best way of maintaining self-discipline. It helps manage anger bringing peace of mind and heart and helps minimizing personal hostility. Fasting enables one to think seriously about taking steps to improve self-management.

Individuals who are chain smokers who nibble food constantly, or drink coffee or tea every hour can break their addictions through month-long fasting as it is a great exercise in self-discipline. Fasting improves the functioning of all body systems if observed in accordance with Islamic principles.

As a great means of self-purgation, the fasting improves humanistic approach and increases tolerance among those who are fasting. Fasting help improves the fabric of society. Statistics reveal that the crime rate in Muslim countries falls during the month of Ramazan.

Health experts believe that Islamic fasting has a great impact on health as it improves the functioning of the digestive system and regulates the working of almost all organs in the body. During fasting, the stomach, intestines, and colon may have significant rest. It is believed that piles, colitis, gastritis, etc., speedily recover under the fast.

Gastroenterologists say that under the fast, the alimentary tract becomes free of bacteria and the small intestine becomes sterile. The process of decomposing and eliminating waste toxic materials by means of Islamic fasting improves. Experts say that fasting can help cure cardiovascular and circulatory diseases, diseases of the digestive system, diseases of the locomotor system, including rheumatism, respiratory system diseases including asthma, and the early stages of malignant cancer. Under the fast, the body absorbs proteins, fats, carbohydrates, starches, sugars, minerals, vitamins, and all other essential nutrients well because of improved metabolism.

Month-long fasting has great physiological effects as it helps to lower blood sugar, lowering of cholesterol and lowering of systolic blood pressure. Experts believe that month-long fasting can be used for the management of mild to moderate, stable, non-insulin diabetes and as a treatment for obesity and hypertension. Fasting is believed to be a natural way of normalizing body weight as it dissolves all unnecessary and unnatural fat deposits from the body. One can stabilize blood glucose through fasting. It is important that stress increases blood glucose by increasing the catecholamine level and any tool to lower the stress including biofeedback or relaxation improves diabetic control. Islamic fasting as a source of peace of mind has a potential role in diabetic control.

Experts, however, say that all chronic patients should fast after taking advice from their physicians. Patients with diabetes have higher levels of sugar in their blood, and patients with stomach ulcers and those suffering from hepatitis B or C must consult qualified physicians before opting for fasting in Ramazan.