FKUI Professor Reveals Signs That Fasting Brings Health Benefits

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - Fasting during Ramadan not only affects spirituality but also health. One indicator that a person gains health benefits from fasting is a reduction in weight.

Professor of Internal Medicine at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Indonesia, Prof. Dr. dr. Ari Fahrial Syam said that a person could be said to gain the health wisdom from fasting if their weight falls by about 5% from their starting weight by the end of Ramadan.

“However, if their weight remains the same or increases, they are among those who do not gain the health wisdom from fasting,” he said during a media briefing with Primaya Hospital in Jakarta, Thursday (5/3/2026).

He explained that during fasting there are usually metabolic changes in the body, one of which is a reduction in fat levels in the blood. However these benefits often do not last long if post-Ramadan eating patterns are not maintained.

The doctor at Primaya Hospital Kelapa Gading revealed that, based on his research, the health improvements during fasting can revert to their original state in a relatively short time.

In the study, reductions in blood lipids were indeed observed during Ramadan. However, when re-examined one month after fasting ended, the condition returned to what it was before Ramadan.

“After a month, it goes back to how it was before the fast. And this becomes a heavy problem because it is hard to sustain,” he said.

Ari then urged the public to anticipate this by maintaining eating patterns, such as reducing fatty foods and increasing vegetables. In addition, the public should remain physically active so that the balance between caloric intake and physical activity remains maintained.

Additionally, eating patterns such as Intermittent Fasting can also be a method to help maintain weight after Ramadan. For example, continuing the voluntary fasts on Mondays and Thursdays, so the amount of calories consumed remains controlled.

Ari also added that maintaining eating patterns like in Ramadan has been proven to reduce the risk of GERD or gastritis. Because poor dietary patterns indeed contribute to the onset of such diseases, as well as stress levels, smoking habits, inadequate sleep, and obesity.

On that basis, Ari emphasised that GERD can actually be cured if the causes of bad habits are corrected and medications are taken regularly.

(mfa/mfa) Add as a preferred source on Google [Gambas: CNBC]