Effects of Fasting in the Bahá'í Faith (BF)

Medical And Psychological Effects of Nineteen Days of Intermittent Religious Fasting for Followers of the Bahá'í Faith- an Observational Study

The aim of the study is to find out the effects a specific religious fast (i.e. Bahá'í fast) has on certain metabolic parameters, hydration, psyche and circadian clock. In a follow-up questionnaire series in 2019 we want to additionally validate a specific questionnaire for Bahai fasting, which was developed in 2018.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Healthy; Health Behavior
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Intermittent Fasting

Detailed Description

Followers of the Bahá'í Faith worldwide follow a yearly fasting tradition, where they fast intermittently for nineteen days. The intermittent fast is defined as abstinence from any food, drink and smoking from sunrise until sunset. These nineteen days are always in March and so do not coincide with climatic extremes in any country worldwide. This makes this kind of fasting a good model to study the psychological and medical effects of intermittent fasting in humans.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 145

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Germany
  • Berlin, Germany, 14109
    • Charité

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 69 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Members of the Bahá'í community residing in Germany

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• member of the Bahá'í religious community, Age between 18-69 years, the study participant must be able to understand the instructions given to him by the study personnel, the performance of the religious fast is planned in 2018 (and for the validation of the questionnaire also in 2019)

Exclusion Criteria:

• An interruption of the religious fast is planned for more than five days, pregnant and nursing women, severe internistic condition, eating disorders (anorexia nervosa, bulimia), terminal or severe disease with marked impairments in mobility and vitality, non-existence of email address and Internet Access (because of online questionnaires), severe psychiatric disorder, simultaneous participation in another Trial

Exclusion Criteria for subsample (energy metabolism measurements and microdialysis)

• Body Mass Index <18,0 und >30,9 kg/m2, claustrophobia, clinically relevant haemostaseological conditions or medication, vegan diet, special diet out of medical reasons, current dieting for weight loss, weight loss of more than 2 kg in the month before the study commenced, postsurgical conditions, acute and chronic infections, known drug or alcohol abuse
• additional exclusion criteria for microdialysis (subsample of energy metabolism measurements): allergy to local anaesthetics

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Observational Models: Cohort
• Time Perspectives: Prospective

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Serum Osmolarity	Measured in subsample of study participants (venous blood sample) osmol/l	12 hours
In 2019: Validation of new questionnaire	New questionnaire, developed in 2018, regarding Bahai fasting	1 hour

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Urine Osmolality	Measured in subsample of participants, in spontaneous Urine sample and 12h/24h Urine samples osmol/kg	24 hours
Acid-base balance	Measured in subsample of study participants (venous blood sample) Measured with Radiometer, Base excess (mmol/l)	5 Minutes

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Questionnaire: HADS (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Score)	Anxiety and depression	5 Minutes
Systolic and diastolic blood pressure	Measured in subsample of study participants Measured by clinician, mmHg	5 Minutes
BMI	Measured in subsample of study participants Quantitative, kg/m2	10 Minutes
Microdialysis	Measured in subsample of study participants	3 hours
Indirect calorimetry	Measured in subsample of study participants	2 hours
Individual Interview	Measured in subsample of study participants	30 Minutes, three times during study
Activation of clock genes	Measured in subsample of study participants Measured in monocytes	3 Minutes

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Charite University, Berlin, Germany
• Collaborators: Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Andreas Michalsen, Prof. Dr., Charité University Medicine

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Koppold-Liebscher DA, Klatte C, Demmrich S, Schwarz J, Kandil FI, Steckhan N, Ring R, Kessler CS, Jeitler M, Koller B, Ananthasubramaniam B, Eisenmann C, Mahler A, Boschmann M, Kramer A, Michalsen A. Effects of Daytime Dry Fasting on Hydration, Glucose Metabolism and Circadian Phase: A Prospective Exploratory Cohort Study in Baha'i Volunteers. Front Nutr. 2021 Jul 29;8:662310. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2021.662310. eCollection 2021.
• Mahler A, Jahn C, Klug L, Klatte C, Michalsen A, Koppold-Liebscher D, Boschmann M. Metabolic Response to Daytime Dry Fasting in Baha'i Volunteers-Results of a Preliminary Study. Nutrients. 2021 Dec 29;14(1):148. doi: 10.3390/nu14010148.

Helpful Links

• Results publication 1
• Results publication 2

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): February 19, 2018
• Primary Completion (Actual): April 30, 2018
• Study Completion (Actual): July 31, 2019

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 17, 2018
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 19, 2018
• First Posted (Actual): February 23, 2018

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): December 14, 2022
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 12, 2022
• Last Verified: December 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Hydration; Microdialysis; Intermittent Fasting; Religious Fast; Bahá'í; Calorimetry; circadian clock; circadian rhythm; spirituality; self-efficacy
• Other Study ID Numbers: Bahá'í fast

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No