Is Fasting During Monsoon Safe? Here's What Expert Says

In India, many people observe fasts of different kinds all year long, especially due to religious reasons. Some people also fast to lose weight and get in shape. While fasting in other seasons does not bring any risks, it is often believed that it may be harmful to abstain from food during monsoon. Is there any truth to this belief? While it may not harm your health seriously, fasting in monsoon definitely has some cons. Today, we will explain it in depth in this article.

To separate fact from fiction, we reached out to Dr Tushar Tayal, Associate Director, Internal Medicine, CK Birla Hospital, Gurugram.

Is Fasting During Monsoon Safe for Health?

Let us begin by addressing the question of the hour: is fasting in the rainy months safe or not for health? Dr Tayal says, “Across India, monsoon brings not just relief from the heat but also a fresh round of religious observances: Shravan Somwars, Nag Panchami, and the many personal vratas that dot the season's calendar. But this is also the time of year when the body is under quiet strain: humidity plays havoc with digestion, immunity dips, and waterborne infections lurk in every puddle. So the question many are asking, often without quite voicing it, is whether fasting through this vulnerable window does more harm than good.”

The expert continues, “The honest answer is: it depends entirely on how it's done. Doctors often point out that the monsoon body isn't the same as the summer or winter one. During this time, digestive enzyme activity tends to slow down and the gut becomes more susceptible to infections. This gives rise in bacterial and fungal activity during humid months. Skipping meals altogether or surviving on fried snacks that many use to break their fast, can aggravate this rather than ease it.”

Expert Busts Dietary Myths Related to Fasting

There are various dietary misconceptions related to fasting. Dr Tayal breaks some of these myths to create more awareness among people: 

• One persistent myth is that fasting ‘detoxifies’ the body and therefore protects against seasonal illness. Physicians would push back on this framing: the liver and kidneys already do this job continuously. Therefore, prolonged fasting without adequate hydration can actually dehydrate the body faster in humid weather. This is because people often don't feel as thirsty as they would in peak summer despite sweating just as much.
• Another common misconception is that all fasting is equally risky. In reality, the concern is far more relevant for specific groups: those with diabetes, low blood pressure, kidney conditions, or pregnant women. Therefore, those who skip meals for extended hours during monsoon can trigger complications faster than in cooler, drier months.
• For the average healthy adult, moderate fasting is unlikely to cause harm, provided hydration is prioritised, meals are balanced rather than deep-fried, and given the body isn't pushed through back-to-back fasting days without adequate recovery.

“The real takeaway isn't to fast or not to fast; it's to fast sensibly, with awareness of what the monsoon does differently to the body,” concludes Dr Tayal.

Are There Any Benefits of Fasting?

A 2022 study, published in the Disease Markers journal, says that fasting, such as intermittent and prolonged fasting, is a popular dietary approach for weight loss and disease management. It notes that one major benefit of fasting is that it improves your blood's fat profile by significantly minimising ‘bad’ cholesterol and triglycerides. When your body uses up stored sugar during a fast, it naturally shifts to burning stored body fat for energy instead. This process is said to activate ‘brown fat’, which burns calories to create heat and helps reverse the negative effects of a high-fat diet. 

The research adds that fasting can be helpful for blood sugar control, as it aids in lowering blood glucose and improving insulin sensitivity in individuals with obesity or type 2 diabetes. During fasting, the body switches from using sugar to burning fat. That is when the liver produces molecules called ketone bodies, which provide a powerful energy source for the brain. Apart from metabolism, fasting positively influences your body's hormones by boosting growth hormone levels, while adjusting stress and thyroid hormones. 

The study notes that fasting is a dietary practice that also impacts the nervous system by boosting the release of mood-enhancing chemicals such as serotonin and endorphins. To conclude, the research notes that fasting leads to a natural metabolic shift that serves as a practical lifestyle tool to boost physical health and emotional well-being. 

ALSO READ- Want To Boost Gut Health This Monsoon? Add These 6 Probiotic-rich Foods in Your Diet

Conclusion

To summarise, fasting during the rainy months can be totally safe for healthy adults, given it is approached sensibly. Focus should be on proper hydration and balanced meals. During monsoon, the weather turns humid, which can naturally slow down digestion and increase the body's vulnerability to infections. Therefore, mindful fasting is important to avoid these seasonal pitfalls. When practiced correctly, this dietary practice can allow you to safely observe your traditions, while reaping profound metabolic, hormonal, and psychological health benefits.