Can Fasting Lower Blood Sugar Levels?
Author: Annisa Nadya Pratiwi – 19711152
In recent years, many articles have stated that fasting can lower blood sugar levels, and is even one of the treatments for Diabetes Mellitus (DM). This is certainly a hot topic of conversation considering the prevalence of DM in Indonesia, which ranks 7th out of 10 countries with a total of 10,7 million sufferers. So, can fasting really lower blood sugar levels and is a way of treating diabetes mellitus?
Blood sugar level (KGD) is the amount of sugar or glucose in the blood. This KGD needs to be maintained within normal limits so that disturbances do not occur in the body. DM is one of the consequences of high KGD which is mostly caused by insulin dysfunction. The increase in KGD in DM patients exceeds 126 mg/dL in fasting blood sugar and 200 mg/dL in fasting blood sugar. While fasting according to the Big Indonesian Dictionary (KBBI) is the intentional elimination of eating, drinking, and so on from sunrise to sunset. Fasting is prescribed as commanded by Allah SWT in the Qur'an surah Al-Baqarah verse 183 which means: "O you who believe, fasting is obligatory upon you as it was prescribed for those before you so that you may be pious". The benefits of fasting from a religious perspective are also very numerous, including increasing quality (faith), erasing mistakes, controlling lust, increasing gratitude, preventing oneself from immoral acts, and so on.
Intermittent fasting is known to reduce adiposity leading to reduced insulin resistance. This is due to the reduced calorie intake and metabolic reprogramming that are the effects of intermittent fasting. In addition, reducing calorie intake can improve healthier aging and reduce the occurrence of chronic diseases due to increased Activated Protein Kinase (AMPK). This has similarities with the mechanism of action of the drug metformin, which is a drug to reduce KGD in diabetics. In essence, a decrease in energy intake through intermittent fasting will lead to an increase in AMPK levels which play a role in improving insulin sensitivity and blood sugar homeostasis.
Systematic research and meta-analysis by (Cho et al., 2019) found that DM sufferers who do intermittent fasting experience a decrease body mass index and fasting KGD significantly. Another study was conducted by (Furmli et al., 2018) who examined three type 2 DM patients who did intermittent fasting for several months. During the study, all patients experienced a decrease in HbA1C, which is a blood test that can measure the average KGD for the last 3 months, lost weight, and could stop their insulin therapy within 1 month. Another study by (Alfin et al., 2019) at the Purwakarta City Health Center showed that Ramadan fasting had an effect on reducing blood sugar levels in type 2 DM patients with an average decrease of 43,33 mg/dL.
Based on the several sources above, it can be concluded that fasting, both Ramadan fasting and intermittent fasting have an effect on reducing blood sugar levels. However, that does not mean fasting can cure diabetes. This fasting only lowers KGD for some time. Not all DM sufferers are also allowed to fast. It is better if DM sufferers still consult a doctor first.
Bibliography
- Albosta, M. and Bakke, J. 2021. Intermittent fasting: is there a role in the treatment of diabetes? A review of the literature and guide for primary care physicians. Clinical diabetes and endocrinology, 7 (1), pp. 1-12.
- Alfin, R., Busjra, B. and Azzam, R. 2019. The Effect of Ramadan Fasting on Blood Sugar Levels in Type II Diabetes Mellitus Patients. Journal of Telenursing (JOTING), 1 (1), pp. 191-204.
- Cho, Y., et al. 2019. The effectiveness of intermittent fasting to reduce body mass index and glucose metabolism: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of clinical medicine, 8(10), p.1645.
- Furmli, S., Elmasry, R., Ramos, M. and Fung, J. 2018. Therapeutic use of intermittent fasting for people with type 2 diabetes as an alternative to insulin. Case Reports, 2018, pp. bcr-2017.