Impact of Ramadan Fasting on Dietary Intakes Among Healthy Adults: A Year-Round Comparative Study

Frontiers in Nutrition

MoezAlIslam Faris²  Farah Naja²  Hibeh Shatila³  Mariam Baroudi³  Raeda El Sayed Ahmad³  Nada Abbas³  Rana Chehab⁴  Michele R. Forman⁴ 

[1] Health Sciences (RIMHS), University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates;;Department of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, College of Health Sciences, Research Institute of Medical &Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon;Nutrition Sciences, College of Health and Human Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States;

关键词: fasting;    dietary change;    ethnic group;    foodculture;    intermittent fasting;    Ramadan;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fnut.2021.689788

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Religious rituals are considered among the principle factors that impact dietary behaviors and food selections. The main objective of this study is to characterize food intake among Lebanese adults observant of the fasting month of Ramadan and compare it to their intake of the rest of the year. During a year-round study, including the month of Ramadan, Lebanese adults (n = 62), completed multiple (9 to 13) 24-h dietary recalls. Information about sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics was also obtained. Dietary intake was examined using food groups as well as energy, macro, and micronutrient consumption. Significant differences in dietary intakes were observed for 12 of the 19 food groups (expressed as a percent of total energy) during Ramadan as compared to the rest of the year. More specifically, the intakes of cereals, cereal-based products, pasta, eggs, nuts and seeds, milk and dairy, and fats and oils were lower, while vegetables, dried fruit, Arabic sweets, cakes and pastries, and sugar-sweetened-beverages intakes were higher during Ramadan as compared to the remainder of the year (p < 0.05). Such differences in food groups' intakes were reflected in nutrients intakes, including carbohydrates, cholesterol, calcium, beta-carotene, vitamin C, folate, and magnesium. The findings of this study highlighted major differences in dietary intakes between the fasting month as compared to the rest of the year. With the large number of adults who observe fasting during Ramadan, the particularities of dietary intake during Ramadan ought to be considered in the development of context and culture-specific dietary recommendations.

【 授权许可】

Unknown