How Ramadan Fasting Affects Caloric Consumption, Body Weight, and Circadian Evolution of Cortisol Serum Levels in Young, Healthy Male Volunteers

Peret et al. [1] showed a phase shift in liver glycogen circadian rhythm induced by timed food intake in the rat. Furthermore, our previous results in rats showed a significant decrease in pancreas fresh weight and its insulin content as well as in basal insulin secretion after two months of nocturnal fasting [2]. These observations indicate that the timing of food intake can influence endogenous functions. A review of specific characteristics of Ramadan fasting indicated that it could serve as an excellent research model to investigate the role of daily meal timing in metabolic endogenous bioperiodicity.