Nutritionists Discover Fasting One Day a Year Has Significant Health Benefits; Jewish Community Has 3,000-Year Head Start
"Intermittent fasting," confirmed one nutritionist, describing something that has had a name since before nutritionists existed.
A comprehensive study published in The New England Journal of Medicine has found that fasting for an extended period once annually produces measurable improvements in metabolic function, mental clarity, and what researchers describe as "a renewed appreciation for food in general." The study, which took five years and cost $2.3 million, reached a conclusion that one rabbi described as "the whole point."
The Jewish community, which has practiced annual fasting for approximately 3,000 years, received the news with what sources describe as "a certain amount of patience." Several rabbis said they were "glad science caught up." One grandmother said she didn't need a study. "You feel terrible and then you feel better," she said. "That's the whole thing."
"The mechanism is more complex than that," said the lead researcher. He then explained the mechanism at length. The grandmother listened politely and then said "so you feel terrible and then you feel better." The researcher confirmed this was essentially correct. The grandmother said she knew.