The Process of Fasting in Hinduism

Hindus believe it is not easy to unceasingly pursue the path of spirituality in one's daily life. We are harangued by a lot of considerations, and worldly indulgences do not allow us to concentrate on spiritual attainment. Therefore a worshipper must strive to impose restrains on him/her to get his mind focused. And one form of restraint is fasting.

Fasting has its spiritual and religious merits and dimensions. At the same time this practice of fasting which recommended in all faiths and religious tradition also has great scientific and medical benefits.

Fasting is a period of abstinence from all food or specific items. Fluids are consumed in sufficient quantity to satisfy thirst and physiologic requirements. During the absence of food, the body will systematically cleanse itself of everything except vital tissue. Starvation will occur only when the body is forced to use vital tissue to survive. Although protein is being used by the body during the fast, a person fasting even 40 days on water will not suffer a deficiency of protein, vitamins, minerals or fatty acids. In the breakdown of unhealthy cells, all essential substances are used and conserved in a most extraordinary manner. There is an unwarranted fear of fasting that strength diminishes from the catabolism of proteins from muscle fibers. Even during long fasts, the number of muscle fibers remains the same. Although the healthy cells may be reduced in size and strength for a time, they remain perfectly sound.

 The most important reason of fasting is that the body uses quite a bit of energy to digest food, and when fasting this energy becomes available for other uses. In the fasting state, the body will scour for dead cells, damaged tissues, fatty deposits, and tumors, abscesses, all of which are burned for fuel or expelled as waste. The elimination of these obstructions restores the immune system functionality and metabolic process to an optimum state.  Fasting restores good digestion and elimination, and peristaltic action is quickened. Fasting allows a deep, physiological rest of the digestive organs, and the energy saved goes into self-healing and self-repairing. By eliminating obstructions, by cleansing, detoxification, and purifying the intestines, the blood, and the cells, we can overcome many of our physical ills or handicaps as well as getting a boost in energy. Fasting not only removes obstructions and helps the body to heal itself; it is also rejuvenating and life-extending. These resulting benefits can have lasting affects in your mental and emotional health.

Various studies have shown that fasting increases the amount of free fatty acids in the blood, which aside from glucose are the body’s main source of energy. Fatty acids help to reduce the depletion of glycogen in the liver and muscles during exercise, and prevent the depletion of glucose in blood. Under the normal conditions, glucose is the main source of energy. However, physical effort forces the body to use up glucose quickly, leaving a person feeling tired and exhausted.

The body’s dependence on glucose decreases during fasting since sufficient quantities of amino acids are available in the blood to supply the body with energy. The result of this is an improvement in overall muscle performance. Another prescribed benefit of fasting is the healing process that begins in the body during a fast. During a fast, energy is diverted away from the digestive system due to its lack of use and towards the metabolism and immune system. The healing process during a fast is precipitated by the body's search for energy sources. Abnormal growths within the body, tumors and the like, do not have the full support of the body's supplies and therefore are more susceptible to autolysis.

Finally, the most scientifically proven advantage to fasting is the feeling of rejuvenation and extended life expectancy. A slower metabolic rate, more efficient protein production, an improved immune system, and the increased production of hormones contributes to this long-term benefit of fasting.

Hence, the concept of fasting has been around for thousands of years, even though the ritual has become more popular as a scientific tool. Thus fasting serves a dual purpose. It induces a state of mind, a different state of consciousness, where people can get close to the divine.