Editing Ramadan (section)

== Health effects ==
There are various health effects of fasting in Ramadan. Ramadan fasting is considered safe for healthy individuals; it may pose risks for individuals with certain pre-existing conditions. Most Islamic scholars hold that fasting is not required for those who are ill. Additionally, the elderly and pre-pubertal children are exempt from fasting.<ref name=exemption>{{cite journal|title=Muslim patients in Ramadan: A review for primary care physicians|journal=Avicenna J Med|year=2017|volume=7|issue=3|pmc=5525471|last1=Abolaban|first1=H.|last2=Al-Moujahed|first2=A.|pages=81–87|doi=10.4103/ajm.AJM_76_17|pmid=28791239 |doi-access=free  |issn = 2231-0770}}</ref> Pregnant or lactating women are also exempt from fasting during Ramadan.<ref>{{cite book|title=Al Siyam, "Fasting"| author=El-Bahay El-Kholi|publisher=The Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, [[Arab Republic of Egypt]]|page=36}}</ref> There are known health risks involved in pregnant women who fast, which include the potential of [[induced labour]] and [[gestational diabetes]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Glazier |first1=JD |last2=Hayes |first2=DJL |last3=Hussain |first3=S |last4=D'Souza |first4=SW |last5=Whitcombe |first5=J |last6=Heazell |first6=AEP |last7=Ashton |first7=N |title=The effect of Ramadan fasting during pregnancy on perinatal outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. |journal=BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth |date=25 October 2018 |volume=18 |issue=1 |page=421 |doi=10.1186/s12884-018-2048-y |pmid=30359228|pmc=6202808 |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref name=preg>{{cite book |doi=10.1016/B978-0-12-416045-3.00022-4 |chapter=Obesity, Polycystic Ovaries and Impaired Reproductive Outcome |title=Obesity |year=2013 |last1=Balani |first1=Jyoti |last2=Hyer |first2=Stephen |last3=Wagner |first3=Marion |last4=Shehata |first4=Hassan |pages=289–298 |isbn=978-0-12-416045-3 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Mirghani |first1=HM |last2=Hamud |first2=OA |title=The effect of maternal diet restriction on pregnancy outcome. |journal=American Journal of Perinatology |date=January 2006 |volume=23 |issue=1 |pages=21–24 |doi=10.1055/s-2005-923435 |pmid=16450268|s2cid=260001799 }}</ref>

There are some health benefits of fasting in Ramadan including increasing insulin sensitivity and reducing insulin resistance.<ref>Shariatpanahi, Z. Vahdat, et al. "Effect of Ramadan fasting on some indices of insulin resistance and components of the metabolic syndrome in healthy male adults." ''British Journal of Nutrition'' 100.1 (2008): 147–151.</ref>  It has also been shown that there is a significant improvement in 10 years coronary heart disease risk score and other cardiovascular risk factors such as lipids profile, systolic blood pressure, weight, BMI and waist circumference in subjects with a previous history of cardiovascular disease.<ref>Nematy, Mohsen, et al. "Effects of Ramadan fasting on cardiovascular risk factors: a prospective observational study." Nutrition journal 11.1 (2012): 69.</ref> The fasting period is usually associated with modest weight loss, but weight can return afterwards.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Sadeghirad B, Motaghipisheh S, Kolahdooz F, Zahedi MJ, Haghdoost AA |title=Islamic fasting and weight loss: a systematic review and meta-analysis |journal=Public Health Nutr |volume=17 |issue=2 |pages=396–406 |year=2014 |pmid=23182306 |doi=10.1017/S1368980012005046 |doi-broken-date=1 November 2024 |pmc=10282472 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

In many cultures, it is associated with heavy food and water intake during [[Suhur]] and [[Iftar]] times, which may do more harm than good.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Should your water intake change during Ramadan?|url=https://gulfnews.com/uae/should-your-water-intake-change-during-ramadan-1.63675339|access-date=2021-05-09|website=gulfnews.com|date=5 May 2019 |language=en}}</ref> Ramadan fasting is safe for healthy people provided that overall food and water intake is adequate but those with medical conditions should seek medical advice if they encounter health problems before or during fasting.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Azizi F |title=Islamic fasting and health |journal=Ann. Nutr. Metab. |volume=56 |issue=4 |pages=273–282 |year=2010 |pmid=20424438 |doi=10.1159/000295848 |s2cid=13428042 }}</ref>

The education departments of [[Berlin]] and the [[United Kingdom]] have tried to discourage students from fasting during Ramadan, as they claim that not eating or drinking can lead to concentration problems and bad grades.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Espinoza |first1=Javier |title=Schools say Muslim students 'should break Ramadan fast' to avoid bad grades |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/2016/06/03/schools-say-muslim-students-should-break-ramadan-fast-to-avoid-b/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/2016/06/03/schools-say-muslim-students-should-break-ramadan-fast-to-avoid-b/ |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |work=The Telegraph |date=3 June 2016 }}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Islam und Schule: Handreichung für Lehrerinnen und Lehrer an Berliner Schulen |series=Bildung für Berlin : Politische Bildung |date=2010 |publisher=Zentral- und Landesbibliothek Berlin ZLB. Senatsbibliothek |oclc=824393822 |language=de |url=https://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:109-opus-95998 }}</ref>

A review of the literature by an Iranian group suggested fasting during Ramadan might produce [[renal injury]] in patients with moderate ([[Glomerular filtration rate|GFR]] <60 ml/min) or severe [[kidney disease]] but was not injurious to [[renal transplant]] patients with good function or most [[Kidney stone disease|stone-forming]] patients.<ref name="renal diseases mini review">{{cite journal | title=Ramadan fasting and patients with renal diseases: A mini review of the literature |vauthors=Emami-Naini A, Roomizadeh P, Baradaran A, Abedini A, Abtahi M | journal=J Res Med Sci |date=August 2013 | volume=18 | issue=8 | pages=711–716 | pmid=24379850 | issn=1735-1995 | publisher=Official Journal of [[Isfahan University of Medical Sciences]] | pmc=3872613}}</ref>

A study on 55 professional Algerian soccer players showed that performance during Ramadan declined significantly for speed, agility, dribbling speed and endurance, and most stayed low 2 weeks after the conclusion of Ramadan.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Zerguini |first1=Yacine |last2=Kirkendall |first2=Donald |last3=Junge |first3=Astrid |last4=Dvorak |first4=Jiri |title=Impact of Ramadan on physical performance in professional soccer players |journal=British Journal of Sports Medicine |date=1 June 2007 |volume=41 |issue=6 |pages=398–400 |doi=10.1136/bjsm.2006.032037 |pmid=17224435 |pmc=2465333 |url=https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/41/6/398.abstract |language=en |issn=0306-3674}}</ref>