Culture  Health&Science
Study links religious fasting to headaches
Reuters
Published: 28.08.11, 07:19
Comment Comment
Print comment Print comment
Back to article
7 Talkbacks for this article
1. Fasting
Menachem L. ,   Jerusalem   (08.28.11)
Eating green grapes, chocolate and carbohydrates and drinking lots of water before fasting helps a lot.
2. A Simple Solution.
Moshe ,   Jerusalem   (08.28.11)
.I am one of those headache sufferers when I fast and I fast all the important fast throughout the Jewish calendar. The simple solution: One week before stop drinking coffee and any other caffeine drinks. It works for me it should work for you.
3. Vioxx and Tylenol and any chemicals similar to them are
Rivkah   (08.28.11)
toxic. Tylenol is the number one reason for liver transplants since it is so liver toxic. It is worse than alcoholism for liver toxicity. Better to have a headache and drink some cold water to sooth it. Put a cold wet washrag on the forehead, too.
4. Caffeine induces headaches
Religious Girl ,   Israel   (08.28.11)
That is why people are advised not to drink coffee or beverages with caffeine in them the day before they fast.
5. RELIGIOUS FASTING AND HEADACHES
SLlotter ,   Israel   (08.28.11)
I fast regularly on Yom Kippur and other fast days and have found that one needs to slack down on sugar and caffein intake a few days before the fast, eat blander healthier food and drink plenty of water up to start of fast, then it is much easier and no headaches.
6. Caffeine--tip adding to comments of #2 and #4
Fast woman ,   Miami US   (08.29.11)
The best way to gear up for Yom Kippur is about a week before, substitute decaffeinated coffee for about a quarter of your normal morning caffeine-laden brew, the next day a third, the next day half, the next day 3/4,, until you are drinking all decaf. Don't forget that colas and even Ssprite have caffeine, and phase those out too. Eating complex carbohydrates before fasting staves off hunger and headaches. (A cholent-like stew with chick peas mixed in is a great seudat mafseket, the meal before the fast).
7. Fasting Re 1 and 2 - both are correct
John ,   Alaska   (08.29.11)
Two of the tthree things that make fasting difficult are caffeine withdrawal and toxins built up in your fat, being released as you start burning fat. Both of these go away pretty quickly, after a couple of days, so abstaining from caffeine in any form and flushing out your body, like with grapes or just a lot of water will both work. The other thing that affects one is dehydration if it's a no-food-no-water fast. I don't think anything really helps that, as excess water is flushed out of your body soon after taking it in. If you don't want to and don't have to put up with a headache from dehydration, a long-lasting pain reliever is a wise idea.
Back to article