Observations made from a study in the University of Utah revealed that people who skip a meal every month were found to be 40 percent less likely to be found with clogged arteries, compared to those who did not practice fasting.
The study involved 515 test subjects, and showed that fasting was the only thing that produced significant differences in heart conditions. Results showed that 59 percent of those who fasted were found with heart disease, compared to 67 percent of those who practiced regular eating.
The research noted that most people in Utah are Mormons, who practice a one-day fast every month. It showed that 61 percent of them developed heart disease - a lower number compared to 66 percent for non-Mormons.
According to ABC, however, non-Mormons also produced similar results of decreased heart rate, despite the lack of similar religious practices.
Although the scientists acknowledge that their findings is not solid proof that fasting is beneficial, they did say that it had resulted in the formulation of a theory on the subject, up for further testing.
"It might suggest these are people who just control eating habits better," the AP quoted Benjamin Horne, study leader and a heart disease researcher from the University of Utah. He also noted that the practice extends to other aspects of the subjects' lifestyles that promote healthy living.
Horne surmised that the reason lay with the fact that fasting from food causes the body to turn to fat reserves for needed calories. It also decreases the risk of diabetes, as patients have less exposure to sugar, which requires insulin production for metabolism.
Horne however, along with Dr. Raymond Gibbons, warned that diabetics must not go into fasting, as it may result in dangerous alterations of blood sugar level.
