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Ramadan and Lent fasts: What are the health benefits and risks?

Mirna al-Murr, dietitian and nutritionist at Lite Clinic, answers questions from L'Orient-Le Jour.

Ramadan and Lent fasts: What are the health benefits and risks?

A giant lantern is installed next to destroyed buildings in the main square of the city of Nabatieh, in southern Lebanon, on the first day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, March 1, 2025. Mahmoud Zayyat/AFP

Lent and Ramadan coincide this year, both involving fasting practices with unique dietary restrictions. During Ramadan, it is customary to fast from dawn to sunset, with the fast broken at iftar, while Lent often involves intermittent fasting or food restrictions for Christians. In both cases, eating habits are altered. But what are the benefits and risks of fasting, and how can the risks be minimized? L'Orient-Le Jour interviewed Mirna al-Murr, a dietitian and nutritionist at the Lite Clinic since 2011, to discuss these questions. Read more Pumpkin soup duo: Lent and Ramadan versions What are the benefits and risks?For Lent, intermittent fasting can benefit insulin control and be particularly helpful for diabetics. Regulating meal schedules is often more effective than medication for balancing blood sugar and preventing...
Lent and Ramadan coincide this year, both involving fasting practices with unique dietary restrictions. During Ramadan, it is customary to fast from dawn to sunset, with the fast broken at iftar, while Lent often involves intermittent fasting or food restrictions for Christians. In both cases, eating habits are altered. But what are the benefits and risks of fasting, and how can the risks be minimized? L'Orient-Le Jour interviewed Mirna al-Murr, a dietitian and nutritionist at the Lite Clinic since 2011, to discuss these questions. Read more Pumpkin soup duo: Lent and Ramadan versions What are the benefits and risks?For Lent, intermittent fasting can benefit insulin control and be particularly helpful for diabetics. Regulating meal schedules is often more effective than medication for balancing blood sugar and preventing...