title: Body weight loss and changes in blood lipid levels in normal men on hypocaloric diets during Ramadan fasting.
abstract: An investigation was conducted to study the changes in body weight and blood lipids during Ramadan fasting in men on hypocaloric diets. Sixteen healthy male college students were fed a high-carbohydrate diet for the first 2 wk (means 1696 kcal/d), followed by another 2 wk of high-fat diet (means 1834 kcal/d). Fasting blood samples were taken on days 0 (base line), 14, and 28 and were analyzed for triglycerides (TGs) and cholesterol. By the end of Ramadan, body weight, blood TGs, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-chol) had decreased significantly (p less than 0.05), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-chol) had increased, and total cholesterol had not changed compared with base-line values. The variance in blood lipid levels was explained by weight change through linear and curvilinear regression models. The findings contribute to a better understanding of the contrasting results reported by various investigators and they may be useful in regulating blood lipid levels through Ramadan fasting.
authors.affiliation: Division of Family Resources, West Virginia University, Morgantown 26506-6124.
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Hallak
authors.forename: M Z
authors.initials: MZ
authors.lastname: Nomani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005215:Fasting; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D012067:Religion; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D015431:Weight Loss
chemical_list: D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D008055:Lipids; D014280:Triglycerides