Ramadan fasting and its benefits for the skin

Introduction

Ramadan is the holy month of muslims and it represents one of the five pillars of Islam. Within this month the holy book Quran was brought to the humankind. During this month, muslims are obligated to fast with exceptions for the ill, pregnant women etc. Practicing muslims abstain from eating and drinking from sunrise to sunset. Therefore, we call this type of fasting also ‘dry fasting or dry fasting type of intermittent fasting’. While many other fasting types do not exclude drinking water, coffee or tea, ramadan fasting prohibits drinking anything in addition to eating. There are already many researches done on this type of fasting. Till date, we know that Ramadan fasting has many benefits spiritually and for the body. One of them is the effectiveness on killing and removing carcinogenic cells within the body. This is also called apoptosis. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), said: fast and find health.

The adrenaline and cortisone hormones can be distributed more easily to the blood of a fasted person. These hormones have also been shown to affect cancer cells. Therefore, these hormones are a kind of shield against cancer, which is to say, they prevent the proliferation of cancer cells. The body that fasts takes care, the fat surrounding the internal organs melts, the body’s vitality increases, it gains resistance, and its resistance against stomach, kidney, sugar, heart and liver diseases increases.

In this article we will highlight the effects on the skin. So lets get into it.

Ramadan fasting and Skin cancer

A study conducted on mice in 2015 have shown that biomarkers and risk factors for cancer decreased. Another study from 2016 proofed that the combination of fasting and chemotherapy worked synergistic in slowing the progression of breast cancer and skin cancer. This fact was due to the production of higher levels of lymphoid progenitor cells and tumor infiltrating lymphocytes. These white blood cells are also known as ‘tumor killers’.

Ramadan fasting and Psoriasis

An observational study looked at 108 patients with moderate to severe psoriasis plaques. They all fasted during the holy month of Ramadan. Researchers found a remarkable decrease in Psoriasis Area and the severity. Even psoriatic arthritis improved, including enthesitis (inflammation of the ‘enthesis’, which is where tendons and/or ligaments attaches to bone) and dactylitis (this is a severe swelling that affects the fingers or toes). Further research is of course needed before advicing any form of intermittent fasting to patients. Eventhough, the studies are promising.

Ramadan fasting and acne

If you are dehydrated, your skin produces more oil which results in acne breakouts. But, if you drink plenty of water, the risks decreases. Be carefull not to eat sugary food or beverages. These may worsen your acne breakouts during this holy month of Ramadan. If you would do everything correctly (eating the right food and drinking plenty of water), the acne may decrease, because of the improvement in insulin sensitivity and the detox effect of fasting. Eat nutritious food, eat your fibers, fruit and vegetables. Keep away from baklava or any other sugar rich foods and stay away from high glycemic indexed foods, for this increases the blood sugar levels. Drink at least 2 litres of water each day when dark (sunset). Do not touch your pimples, since this may worsen your acne and leave a scar. Moisturize your skin well with moisturizers. Keep in mind to protect your skin against light by applying SPF (at least 30, but preferably higher).

Ramadan fasting and skin dryness

High blood sugars (hyperglycaemia) is the evildoer on dry skin. Your skin may feel dry. tight and itchy. Ramadan fasting is regulating the blood sugar levels and is therefore a powerful tool for this kind of matter. Be cautious not to overeat, or to eat non-nutritious or sweet foods. This may worsen the dryness, or you may even get acne breakouts as previously mentioned. Keep hydrated by drinking enough water when you are allowed to, because dehydration is the other side of the story. By fasting your skin tends to dry out and therefore gets tight, sore, itchy and irritated. A worse scenario might be the more pronounced wrinkles and lines in the face. Especially the superficial lines which will go after drinking plenty of water. Dehydration may also result in a darker area under the eyes with more shadowing. Put moisturizers during the whole day. Be sure that the moisturizers contain SPF 30 at least or even higher. You can also apply hyaluronic acid serum in addition to moisturizers. This too will add more hydration to the skin. But, be sure to apply the hyaluronic acid serum on a humid skin. Putting on a dry skin might even worsen the dryness.

Ramadan fasting and necessary vitamins and minerals

Vitamin A: This is one of the most crucial vitamins for healthy skin, it gives your skin a smooth, velvety texture and prevents dryness and dehydration of the skin. The best sources of vitamin A are carrots, apricots, spinach, and other green leafy vegetables. Therefore, it is advisable to include fresh carrot juice in your menu at least once a week during the holy month of Ramadan and to include them in your salads.
Vitamin B complex: These vitamins can help prevent premature aging, early wrinkle appearance, and skin dryness. Meat, legumes, and whole grains are excellent sources of vitamin B’s. Therefore, as they are the richest sources, incorporate lean meat, grilled chicken, and fish in your main meal. Replace white bread with whole wheat bread to enjoy the benefits of whole grains.
Vitamin C: The skin needs this vitamin for its crucial role of health preserving and radiance. Do not drink, rather eat your fruit. This, due to the glycemix index of the food. When you drink, your blood sugar level sky rockets and when you eat, the blood sugar increases gradually. Kiwi is the fruit to go when you look at the highest concentration of vitamin C. Also orange and many other citrus fruits are good to go.
Vitamin E: This is another important vitamin which promotes cell renewal and lessens wrinkle appearance. Nuts and vegetable oils contain plenty of them.
Selenium and Zinc: These minerals help to protect skin cells and preserve healthy skin. The main sources are seafood and meat.
Omega 3: We know them from fish. These fatty acids are involved in the skin’s preservation process, which makes your skin look bright. Omega 3 is essential, because it is not possible to synthesize them in the body and therefore they need to be obtained from foodstuffs such as fish. Eat fish twice a week, but be sure it’s grilled and not fried.

Conclusion

Ramadan fasting is beneficial for many things, including health benefits for the skin. Fasting fights skin cancer and eases the symptoms of psoriasis. If done correct (not overeating and eating clean during Iftar), fasting stabilizes the blood sugar levels and thus may reduce acne breakouts. If dehydrated though, fasting results in oily skin and therefore triggers acne breakouts.

Eat clean and give attention to eating the above mentioned vitamins and minerals. This way you make sure not to have any shortage of the building blocks for the skin. Drink plenty of water and keep your skin moisturized by using moisturizers, SPF and additionally hyaluronic acid serum.