Saturday, January 3, 1998

Fasting has adverse impact on the body

By Lisa Lytle

The Orange County Register

For millions of people of various religions, fasting retains its centuries-old meaning: the emptying of the vessel -- the human body -- so that something else may fill the space.

Faithful practitioners of fasting say they experience a feeling of enlightenment, a sense of closeness to the deity upon which they place their faith.

Yet fasting also has become a weight-loss fad. It is shamelessly hawked over the Internet and in self-help books as a way to physiologically cleanse or "remove toxins from the body."

And that's what concerns physicians. Detoxification benefits remain unproven while, in fact, the opposite can happen, says Dr. C. Wayne Callaway, a specialist in endocrinology, metabolism and clinical nutrition at George Washington University Medical School.

Ketosis sets in when you fast for more than 18 hours, says Dr. William Daughaday, clinical professor specializing in endocrinology and metabolism at the University of California, Irvine. "You're burning so much fat that your body can't handle effects of byproducts of fat oxidation."

Fasting can exacerbate conditions, including Refsum's disease and Reye's syndrome, he said. Neurologic problems can result.

"The longer the fast, the greater the risk of gall bladder disease," Callaway says. "The risk goes up to about 67 percent. And if you've lost at least 22 pounds, the risk doubles."

When you fast, your blood pressure, blood sugar and blood fats decrease, but these are transient effects, Callaway says. "They go up as soon as you eat."

Ditto for weight. Sure, a long period of fasting can make you lose about half a pound a day -- and lessen your appetite, but you gain them back once you eat, Daughaday says. Worse, you also lose bone and muscle.

But doctors don't dispute spiritual benefits. "The spiritual side is quite valid," Callaway says. "There are biochemical changes that occur in the body during fasting and that may be part of the spiritual aspect. For example, in fasting, one would have a greater propensity to have visions."

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(c) 1997, The Orange County Register (Santa Ana, Calif.).

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