FASTING IS AUTOPHAGY: Ramadan is a blessing; Nature's system of cell maintenance.

Ramadan Is A Blessing!

Fasting Is 'Autophagy':

Nature’s System of Cell

Maintenance

(M. Javed Naseem)

“O believers! Fasting is prescribed to you as

it was prescribed to those before you, so that

you may (learn) self-restraint – Fasting for a

fixed number of days; but if any of you is ill,

or on a journey, the prescribed number (should

be made up) from days later… And it is better

for you that you fast, if you only knew.”

(al-Quran 2:183-184)

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Modern scientific research found out that

at least 12-hour fasting triggers Glucagon

which looks for those cells and junk in the

body that requires to be cleaned. For a

complete overhaul daily fasting is required

for 20 to 25 days. It is essential for cell

recovery and recycling.

Now, you understand why God

prescribed a month-long daily

fasting (Ramadan) for Muslims?

In fact it was prescribed for the Jews

And the Christians as well.

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A Japanese Nobel prize winner has finally proven how staying away from food can actually help you live healthy. Fasting has two very good benefits for us. Japanese scientist Dr Yoshinori Oshsumi’s Nobel prize-winning work on ‘autophagy’ has shown how damaged cells self-eat or self-destruct — keeping the body in good condition. The other benefit is that when the self-destruction occurs, there is the inducement of the growth hormone which allows for the generation of new cells.

Autophagy of the body means it cleanses itself of damaged, dead and unrepairable cells. It’s a natural process where good cells create membranes that hunt out scraps of dead, diseased, infectious cells and gobble them up. The good cells strip these diseased cells into parts and use the resulting molecules for energy.

Vow! What a marvelous system of maintenance! Allah-o-Akbar!

Human body is the most wonderful creation of the Almighty Creator, Allah, and is also the most complex at the same time. Not many people have heard the word ‘autophagy’. Autophagy is a fundamental process for degrading and recycling cellular components.  

You can call autophagy an actual human cell workshop where cell maintenance work is done in an organized and sophisticated way. It is like a ‘recycling plant’ of human body that constantly takes care of body’s defense mechanism. At this plant, the decaying, damaged and rotten human cells are recycled in an amazing way. The healthy cells, as a matter of fact the healthy parts of cells, eat up the damaged and infected cells. Thus the body is cleaned up internally of the harmful elements before they could create a disease. Here’s how it works:

When our cells are starved or otherwise stressed, they don’t immediately shut down. Instead, they employ autophagy to cannibalize their own components. The word autophagy (pronounced o-toff-a-gee) literally derives from the Greek expression for self-eating, and this recycling process allows the cell to stay alive during tough times.

“By recycling part of the cellular content, autophagy allows our body to cope with starvation and with all types of stress,” said biologist Maria Masucci of the Nobel Assembly. “By capturing invading viruses and bacteria, autophagy is essential for the body’s defense against infection.”

In October 2016, the Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet of Sweden (i.e., the Nobel Prize Committee) announced to award the 2016 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine to Dr. Yoshinori Ohsumi of Japan for his discoveries of mechanisms for autophagy – a fundamental process for degrading and recycling cellular components.

Dr. Yoshinori Ohsumi, has proven what the wisdom behind fasting (Ramadan) is. God had prescribed fasting for a whole month (of Ramadan) for Muslims more than 1400 years ago. Today, modern science has humbly proven that fasting is very important for human health. It’s a system of Nature to maintain healthy cells in human body and eliminate the decaying or damaged cells. God says in the Quran:

فَبِأَىِّ آلاۤءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ

“Then which of the favors of

your Lord would you deny?”

(al-Quran 55:13)

Degradation – a central function in all living cells

In the mid 1950's scientists observed a new specialized cellular compartment, called an organelle, containing enzymes that digest proteins, carbohydrates and lipids. This specialized compartment is referred to as a "lysosome" and functions as a workstation for degradation of cellular constituents. The Belgian scientist Christian de Duve was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1974 for the discovery of the lysosome. New observations during the 1960's showed that large amounts of cellular content, and even whole organelles, could sometimes be found inside lysosomes. The cell therefore appeared to have a strategy for delivering large cargo to the lysosome. Further biochemical and microscopic analysis revealed a new type of vesicle transporting cellular cargo to the lysosome for degradation. Christian de Duve, the scientist behind the discovery of the lysosome, coined the term autophagy, "self-eating", to describe this process. The new vesicles were named autophagosomes.

Autophagy – an essential mechanism in our cells

Thanks to Ohsumi and others following in his footsteps, we now know that autophagy controls important physiological functions where cellular components need to be degraded and recycled. Autophagy can rapidly provide fuel for energy and building blocks for renewal of cellular components, and is therefore essential for the cellular response to starvation and other types of stress. After infection, autophagy can eliminate invading intra-cellular bacteria and viruses. Autophagy contributes to embryo development and cell differentiation. Cells also use autophagy to eliminate damaged proteins and organelles, a quality control mechanism that is critical for counteracting the negative consequences of aging.

Disrupted autophagy has been linked to Parkinson's disease, type 2 diabetes and other disorders that appear in the elderly. Mutations in autophagy genes can cause genetic disease. Disturbances in the autophagic machinery have also been linked to cancer. Intense research is now ongoing to develop drugs that can target autophagy in various diseases.

Nutrient deprivation is the key activator of autophagy. When the body is on a fast mode it signals the brain that there is not enough food available and the body then goes back to stored foods. This condition allows for autophagy — where the cells first attack the old and junky proteins in the body. This happens because the insulin levels in the body dip and the hormone opposite to insulin, glucagon, begins to work in the body. When glucagon is activated, it starts looking for those cells and junk in the body which require to be cleaned. But even the slightest amount of food is easy to shut-down glucagon. It requires completely abstinence from food for 12 to 36 hours which is usually seen in many fasting practitioners. But they must drink plenty of water.

Once autophagy is stimulated, the growth hormone stimulates and it helps to create new energetic cells in the body. It is found to control inflammation and also helps in the process of building immunity. Exercise also stimulates autophagy. Sweating, grunting, post-workout pains put stress on the body and it further allows for the eating away of damaged cells. When the process of autophagy occurs in the body there is actually a feeling of re-invigoration as fresh energy flows in.

The month of Ramadan is a great gift to us from Allah, the Almighty. We should observe the sanctity of this sacred month and use it as a means of steering our lives on the path of righteousness. The reward would be tremendous!

“Ramadan is the (month) in which was sent

down the Quran, as a guide to mankind, also

clear (signs) for guidance and judgment

(between right and wrong). So every one of

you who is present (at his home) during that

month should spend it in fasting, but if any one

is ill, or on a journey, the prescribed period

(should be made up) by days later. Allah

intends every facility for you. He does not

want to put to difficulties. (He wants you)

to complete the prescribed period, and to

glorify Him in that He has guided you;

and perchance you shall be grateful.”

(al-Quran 2:185)

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