Occasional fasting may have cardiovascular benefits
The day-long, once-a-month fast many Mormons undertake as a part of their faith may help explain the lower rates of coronary artery disease in this population, according to a study presented at the American Heart Assn.’s scientific sessions in Orlando, Fla., last month.
“People who fast seem to receive a heart-protective benefit,” said Benjamin D. Horne, PhD, MPH, the study’s senior author and director of cardiovascular and genetic epidemiology at Intermountain Medical Center in Salt Lake City.