The Effect of Ramadan Fasting on Plasma Lipids and Lipoproteins

Original article

English

A. M. Swalem 1, N.N. Balo 2

1-Dept. of Medicine, Al —Arab Medical University 2-Dept. of Laboratory Medicine, Al—Arab Medical University

Garyounis Medical Journal Vol. 17, No. 1-2. January/July l994:.81-83

Abstract

During the holy month of Ramadan, fasting is obligatory. Healthy adult Moslems are expected to abstain from food and drink daily from dawn to sunset. The spaced small meals during the day before Ramadan are replaced by one large meal at sunset and a smaller meal before dawn. We undertook this study as part of assessing the metabolic effects of Ramadan fasting; and we report our preliminary results in this letter.
Fifty healthy male volunteers, aged between 18—63 years, participated in the study. Females were not included because of the possibilities of interruption of fasting, if menstruating. Blood samples were collected on the first and last days of Ramadan in EDTA tubes. Lipoprotein fractionation was carried out within 1 —4 days of blood collection. Cholesterol was estimated by Ziataks method (*). Triglycerides were estimated by Enzmyatic method . Lipoproteins fraction were estimated by Agarose Gel Electrophoresis Our results show that at the end of Ramadan the plasma concentrations of total cholesterol, LDL — cholesterol, and HDL — cholesterol were significantly higher than before Ramadan (p <0.05). Keywords: The Effect of Ramadan Fasting on Plasma Lipids and Lipoproteins Link/DOI: