Ramadan Fasting Improves Body Composition without Exacerbating Depression in Males with Diagnosed Major Depressive Disorders

Nutrients

Boya Nugraha¹  Nicola L. Bragazzi²  Stefan M. Pasiakos³  Amani Alsabbagh⁴  Haitham Jahrami⁴  Eman Ahmed Haji⁴  Ihab Rakha⁴  Ahmed S. BaHammam⁵ 

[1] Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany;Laboratory for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, Departments and Statistics, York University, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, Canada;Military Nutrition Division, U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Natick, MA 01760, USA;Ministry of Health, Manama 410, Bahrain;University Sleep Disorders Center, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, P.O. Box 225503, Riyadh 11324, Saudi Arabia;

关键词: depression;    intermittent fasting;    mood disorders;    metabolic syndrome;   

DOI  :  10.3390/nu13082718

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Background: Ramadan fasting (RF) is a form of intermittent fasting that generally improves body composition and related metabolic profiles. Whether RF exacerbates depressive symptomatology in individuals diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD) is undetermined. Methods: 100 men, who lived in Bahrain and were between the ages of 18 and 64 years with an established diagnosis of MDD, participated in this 4-week study. Based on preference, participants were assigned to a fasting group (FG, n = 50) and a non-fasting group (NFG, n = 50). The FG engaged in fasting from 03:40 to 18:10 (dawn and dusk timings). Changes in depressive symptoms, body mass, body composition, and components of metabolic syndrome were measured. Results: There were no significant changes in depressive symptoms within the FG vs. NFG after controlling for baseline covariates: mean difference 0.49 (SE = 0.63), p = 0.43. No adverse effects were reported in either group. The FG experienced significant reductions in body mass, 1.87 kg, p = 0.001; body mass index, 0.69 kg/m², p = 0.001; body fat, 0.87%, p = 0.001; body surface area, 0.03 m², p = 0.001; and lean mass, 0.77 kg, p = 0.001. Conclusions: RF did not negatively affect depressive symptoms and improved body composition, suggesting short-term intermittent fasting may be a safe dietary practice for adult males with MDD.

【 授权许可】

Unknown