Rawalpindi:A month-long fasting in the holy month of Ramazan can help reduce the risk factors of heart attack while giving a lot of benefits to patients suffering from hypertension and heart diseases as fasting in accordance with the Islamic principles dissolves all unnecessary and unnatural fats deposits in the body and controls blood Low Density Lipoproteins, bad cholesterol, which is bad for heart and health.
Studies reveal that fasting regulates body functions and helps control blood pressure. Fasting brings discipline and contentment keeping a person away from all the scourge of modern life, which results in diseases like high blood pressure and heart attack. Patients suffering from heart diseases, if follow a proper diet and medication plan, may feel a lot better while fasting in Ramazan.
Studies reveal that high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, smoking, diabetes, obesity, lack of exercise, unhealthy diet containing high sugar, intake of high carbohydrates and excess hydrogenated oils and stress are the main risk factors for heart diseases and stroke. While fasting in Ramazan, one can avoid all these factors.
According to Vice Chancellor at Rawalpindi Medical University Professor Dr. Mohammad Umar, patients suffering from heart diseases or hypertension should avoid excessive use of beef, vanaspati ghee, margarine, hydrogenated vegetable oils, refined flour products, instant rice, potatoes and cream while opting for regular fasting in Ramazan. Such patients should replace high carbohydrate, starchy diets with a high protein diet including fish and fish oils.
Professor Umar believes that moderate use of monounsaturated fats found in olive oil, canola oil, various dry fruits such as almond, walnut, peanuts etc is safe for heart patients however they should avoid Trans fats found in French fries, chips, crackers, cakes, biscuits, samosas, pakoras, patties, sweets, vanaspati ghee and hydrogenated oils.
He said that Dr. Umar said patients with heart diseases and hypertension while fasting in Ramazan should eat more vegetables especially leafy vegetables and salads. Heart patients should eat fruits but avoid fruit trifles. They should use more lemon. They may use milk and yogurt but without cream, he said.
Like other health experts, he said that the use of leafy vegetables, salads, fruits and lemon is beneficial for heart patients. Heart patients and patients with hypertension should use milk and yogurt without cream. Such patients should use brown flour/bread and simple ‘chapati’ instead of ‘parathas’.
