April 5 1999

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A lthough fasting is making a comeback for its spiritual benefits, physicians and clergy alike say fasting is as good for the body as it is for the soul.

Fasting has a reputation as an alternative therapy practiced by chiropractors, nutritionists, and naturopaths. Joel Fuhrman, a family physician in Belle Mead, New Jersey, and author of Fasting—and Eating—for Health: A Medical Doctor's Program for Conquering Disease (St. Martin's Press, 1995), notes, though, that few, if any, doctors study fasting in medical school. And many patients would rather take a pill than do without food, Fuhrman says.

But fasting advocates tout its many health benefits. Fasting, something many people do routinely between dinner and breakfast, gives the body a rest.

A few health professionals claim fasting allows the body to heal itself from ailments such as asthma, arthritis, skin disorders, food allergies, hair loss, insomnia, and high blood pressure.

Within the first 36-40 hours of an extended fast, Fuhrman says the body switches to a protein-saving metabolism after using up glucose reserves in the liver. During a fast, about 90 percent of the body's glucose comes from fat stores.

Not all physicians agree with the healing potential of fasting. Reginald Cherry, a Christian physician in Houston and author of The Bible Cure (Creation House, 1998), agrees that fasting has positive health benefits and can prepare the body for a nutritional diet, but he has not witnessed any permanent physical benefits from fasting. Cherry says eating specific foods can assist healing. But he does not recommend fasting for weight loss because most fasters eventually regain most lost weight.

All fasters, particularly those with chronic health problems, should consult ...