Ramadan in UAE: Fasting boosts mental health, helps manage stress; here's how say doctors
Beyond its religious and cultural significance, fasting has gained scientific recognition for its positive effects on mental health.
Experts note that fasting helps regulate stress hormones, improves focus, and promotes emotional stability, making it a tool for overall psychological well-being which additionally helps gain mastery over habit and routine.
With millions worldwide preparing for a month of spiritual reflection and self-discipline, medical professionals are encouraging individuals to approach fasting mindfully, ensuring both physical and mental well-being throughout Ramadan.
Dr Mahmoud Negm, Consultant Psychiatrist, Burjeel Medical City, Abu Dhabi said, 'Fasting can enhance cognitive function by promoting neuroplasticity and neurogenesis. The reduction in glucose levels and the increase in ketones (which serve as an alternative energy source for the brain) may help improve focus, alertness, and mental clarity. Additionally, fasting triggers the production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein that supports learning, memory, and cognitive resilience.'
Improves memory and brain function
Doctors highlighted a study published in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience (2021) found that intermittent fasting could improve memory and brain function as well.
'Fasting may reduce stress and anxiety by modulating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which plays a crucial role in the body's stress response. The mild stress induced by fasting can enhance resilience to psychological stressors, similar to how exercise strengthens muscles,' added Negm.
Healthcare professionals explained that fasting has been linked to improved mood due to its effects on neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine.
The practice may also enhance emotional regulation by reducing inflammation, which has been associated with depression and mood disorders.
Dr Kariman Rabie Mohamed Mostufa, Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery, Master degree in Neuropsychiatry, Specialist Psychiatrist, Zulekha Hospital Dubai, said, 'Regular intermittent fasting has been linked to improved mood and emotional stability. By balancing blood sugar levels and reducing inflammation, it can help reduce symptoms of depression and mood swings.'
Healthcare professionals also explained the research that suggests how fasting can activate adaptive stress responses, strengthening the brain's resilience to stress.
Dr Shyam Raja Mohan, Specialist ‑ Internal Medicine, Prime Hospital, Dubai said, 'The autophagic process (body's way of cleaning out damaged parts of cells and recycling them for energy or new components), which is activated during fasting, aids in cellular repair and brain function, contributing to a more stable mood. Fasting influences neurotransmitter activity, particularly serotonin and dopamine, which play crucial roles in mood regulation. The temporary metabolic switch during fasting increases ketone production, which has been associated with reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety.'
'However, a research paper in 2022 notes that short-term fasting has been linked to an increase in depression, anxiety, irritability and tension,' added Mohan.
Increased feelings of calmness, euphoria
But despite this awareness, mostly medics emphasised that majority of studies indicate that fasting participants experience increased feelings of calmness, euphoria, and emotional balance.
They further explained that fasting also plays a crucial role in developing self-control from both psychological and neurological perspectives. Abstaining from food and other pleasures for a set period demands discipline, delayed gratification, and mental resilience — factors that reinforce the self-control mechanism.
Negm added, 'Fasting is a voluntary restriction of an essential need (food), which trains the brain to resist impulsive behaviour. This enhances willpower, a key component of self-control. Research in self-regulation theory suggests that engaging in acts of self-discipline in one area of life (such as fasting) can strengthen overall self-regulation in other areas, including emotional control and decision-making.'
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