How fasting shifts our nervous system from chaos to calm

An expert said many muslims experience a steadier energy, clearer thinking and a deeper sense of calm during Ramadan, as their daily life slows down and is punctuated by prayers and family meal time. 

Founder and CEO of ROZE Bio Health, Dr David Roze said, the shift of energy and feeling can be physiologically explained by the formation of communal rhythm, creating predictability that signals safety to the nervous system.

“Safety downregulates threat perception. When the body feels safe, it regulates more easily, muscle tension softens, breath deepens and rest feels more accessible,” he said as reported by Vogue Arabia.

The biological dentist added, the shift contributed by fasting amplified spiritual habits and beliefs during the Holy Month.

“Periods without food reduce digestive stimulation and may create windows of increased parasympathetic dominance, particularly when fasting is accompanied by prayer, meditation, slower breathing, reduced evening stimulation, and spiritual reflection. 

Fasting during Ramadan limits worldly distractions that otherwise would hinder muslims from being spiritually productive.

“In this context, fasting becomes regulatory and a collective return to rhythm, not merely metabolic,” he said. 

Meanwhile, physiotherapist at ROZE Bio Health, Sandra Serrano elaborated that prolonged fasting shifts glucose-based metabolism toward greater fat oxidation and ketone production while emphasising internal regulation.

“Beyond energy changes, it is also important to recognise regulation. When the body is not continuously processing food, systemic load decreases and the nervous system may downshift, allowing habitual protective muscle contractions to soften.

“In neuromuscular medicine, perception is physiology. When unconscious contraction decreases, people often describe feeling lighter even without significant weight change,” she said. 

From a psychological perspective, psychiatrist at Sage Clinics, Dr Teizeem Dhanji said practicing restraint during Ramadan– such as fasting – can heighten consciousness and rewire brain’s reward pathways in individuals.

Individuals may experience headaches and mood swings at first as the body adjusts to the deprivation of its usual external stimulation such as caffeine and smoking.

“In the short-term, fasting causes a shift from glucose to fat metabolism, creating ketones that support mental clarity.

“The very act of restriction and restraint can heighten our internal awareness, making our thoughts and emotions more noticeable, therefore increasing mindfulness and resilience.”

“Stepping back from usual external stimulation such as food, caffeine, smoking or scrolling on social media, can reset our reward system, heightening dopamine sensitivity such that simple pleasures, such as connection or prayer, feel more rewarding and strengthen our oxytocin-related bonding,” she said. 

Although, Dhanji stressed that experiences vary from person to person depending on their habits throughout the month. 

“When paired with hunger, dehydration, caffeine & sleep deprivation, it can cause irritability, lower emotional tolerance and reduced cognitive efficiency.

The Holy Month allows muslim to spend more time with families at the start and end of the day, making their daily routine warmer, calmer and happier.

“Yet when approached with intention, Ramadan’s elements– spiritual focus, communal rhythm, reduced stimulation and structured routine – converge.

“The physiological changes are not the purpose of Ramadan, but when belief and practice move together, the body may quietly follow.

Functional medicine physician at DNA Health Corp, Dr Nasr Al Jafari echoed the same sentiment, adding there is nuance to each issue and stress response to fasting can be highly dependent on context.

He said, fasting is physiologically driven by time without food thus how it is carried out will ultimately shape its impacts.

“A daylight fast (sunrise to sunset) produces metabolic benefits primarily due to caloric deprivation. The benefits come from lower insulin, reduced caloric intake, metabolic switching from glucose to fats, improved insulin sensitivity and reduced inflammatory signaling.

Aside from connecting to Allah S.W.T, praying also helps to diminish temporary need for external stimulation like scrolling through social media.

“Over the course of the month, the prolonged daily low-insulin window promotes glycogen depletion, increased fat oxidation, and improved metabolic flexibility.

“The fast creates a metabolic opportunity and whether meaningful improvements occur depends on nutritional quality, total intake, circadian alignment, as well as sleep,” he explained.

He concluded that the benefits lie in balance through sleep protection, overnight hydration, thoughtful eating at iftar and suhoor as well as moving gently to preserve the sense of steadiness, not merely deprivation.