Fasting and intermittent fasting is a major question in kidney disease, whether or not it affects people with CKD beneficially. Fasting is going a period of time without eating any food and a period where you eat. Very popular nowadays, intermittent fasting, where you follow a schedule and do not eat for about 18 hours and eat for the other 6 hours in the day. Others follow a different diet and schedule where they eat the first 8 hours and fast the other 16 hours in the day. People also do water fasts, where they intake more amounts of water throughout the day.

In the holy month of Ramadan, an Islamic month in April, the people who celebrate this holy month don’t eat during the day, they eat at sunset when the sun goes down. Eating 2 meals a day, these people sleep most of the time in the day. In the research, fasting in the month of Ramadan or in general shows no long-term benefits for kidney disease. Robert mentions that no stem cells will be produced either. If anything, at most fasting, would give one a short-term benefit. Some people, in a few cases, do get benefits when fasting for kidney disease because you are reducing your food volume significantly.

Your kidneys work very hard removing toxins and waste, so when you are not eating as much, your kidneys are working less thus leading to weight loss so it may help the kidney function in general. Robert encourages that you are following a better approach and diet when it comes to fasting. When eating, eat plenty of protein and veggies, stay hydrated, and if protein is needed in your diet, include that as well.

 

Can Fasting Help With Kidney Disease?

 

Fasting and Chronic Kidney Disease: Helpful or Not?