Metabolic Response to Daytime Dry Fasting in Bahá'í Volunteers-Results of a Preliminary Study

Anja Mähler, Carmen Jahn, Lars Klug, Caroline Klatte, Andreas Michalsen, Daniela Koppold-Liebscher, Michael Boschmann, Anja Mähler, Carmen Jahn, Lars Klug, Caroline Klatte, Andreas Michalsen, Daniela Koppold-Liebscher, Michael Boschmann

Abstract

Each year in March, adherents of the Bahá'í faith abstain from eating and drinking from sunrise to sunset for 19 days. Thus, Bahá'í fasting (BF) can be considered as a form of daytime dry fasting. We investigated whether BF decreased energy expenditure after a meal and whether it improved anthropometric measures and systemic and tissue-level metabolic parameters. This was a self-controlled cohort study with 11 healthy men. We measured anthropometric parameters, metabolic markers in venous blood and pre- and postprandial energy metabolism at systemic (indirect calorimetry) and tissue (adipose tissue and skeletal muscle microdialysis) level, both before and during BF. During BF, we found reduced body weight, body mass index, body fat and blood glucose. Postprandial increase in energy expenditure was lower and diet-induced thermogenesis tended to be lower as well. In adipose tissue, perfusion, glucose supply and lipolysis were increased. In skeletal muscle, tissue perfusion did not change. Glucose supply and lipolysis were decreased. Glucose oxidation was increased, indicating improved insulin sensitivity. BF may be a promising approach to losing weight and improving metabolism and health. However, outside the context of religiously motivated fasting, skipping a meal in the evening (dinner cancelling) might be recommended, as metabolism appeared to be reduced in the evening.

Keywords: body composition; daytime dry fasting; energy expenditure; microdialysis; religious fasting.

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no financial conflict of interest. DKL is a registered member of the international Bahá’í community.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Study design of the self-controlled cohort study on Bahá’i fasting (BF). Figure created with BioRender.com (accessed on 27 December 2021).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Systemic responses to the meal. Serum (a) glucose and (b) insulin concentrations before and after a meal in 11 men before (open circles) and during (closed circles) Bahá’í fasting. Data are presented as means (SEM), p values by ANOVA.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Systemic energy metabolism. (a) Energy expenditure (EE) and (b) respiratory exchange ratio (RER) before and after a meal in 11 men before (open circles) and during (closed circles) Bahá’í fasting. Data are presented as mean (SEM), p values by ANOVA.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Adipose tissue microdialysis. (a) Ethanol ratio and dialysate concentrations of (b) glucose, (c) lactate and (d) glycerol in adipose tissue before and after a meal in 5 men before (open circles) and during (closed circles) Bahá’í fasting. Data are presented as means (SEM), p values by ANOVA.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Skeletal muscle microdialysis. (a) Ethanol ratio and dialysate concentrations of (b) glucose, (c) lactate, (d) pyruvate and (e) glycerol in skeletal muscle before and after a meal in 5 men before (open circles) and during (closed circles) Bahá’í fasting. Data are presented as means (SEM), p values by ANOVA.

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