Fasting as a curative practice: Historical, traditional, and contemporary perspective

Abstract

Fasting has been practiced since ancient times for religious, spiritual, physical, and psychological purposes. It is conventionally believed that fasting has great rejuvenative effects on the body and mind. It helps deplete morbid matter from the body and so helps in regaining optimum health by reducing efforts to manage the abundance in store. Ancient Indian scriptures refer to fasting (known as vrata or upvasa) and document its benefits. As a biological phenomenon in the procurement of health, the avoidance of food is also seen in the wild. This chapter discusses the historical perspectives, objectives, and physiology of fasting and explores its importance and benefits in various dimensions, both in empirical terms and through the evidence accumulated in the contemporary literature. It is observed that, despite the considerable scientific exploration of the effects of fasting, it remains poorly understood and hence is poorly utilized as a therapeutic modality. Therefore, more studies are required to establish the role of therapeutic fasting as a noninvasive and evidence-based modality in the management of various lifestyle and psychosomatic illnesses for its ultimate scientific validation and subsequent application.