Diabetes and Ramadan: How to Fast Safely?

In 2024, Muslims will start Ramadan on Saturday, March 9. They will fast every day for a month, from sunrise to sunset. For diabetes patients, however, this is not easy.

Also read: Is fasting healthy?

Risks of fasting with diabetes

Fasting is an important part of Ramadan. Healthy people can usually participate without any problems, but people with diabetes find it more difficult. “Diabetes patients can suffer from high or low blood sugar levels when fasting,” says Malika El Moussaoui, dietician and diabetes educator at ZNA Middelheim. “A sign of such a low blood sugar level is sweating or having blurred vision. If you do not recognize these warning signs in time and therefore do not intervene immediately, this can result in hospitalization.”

Also read: Dehydration: symptoms and what to do?

Guidelines: Fasting with Diabetes

According to the Quran, not everyone is required to participate in fasting. Fasting should not harm one's health. People with diabetes suffer from a chronic disease and are therefore exempt from fasting. But for some Muslims, participating in Ramadan is very important.

For healthcare providers and people with diabetes who decide to participate in Ramadan after consulting their doctor, ZNA Middelheid and the Diabetes League have put together an education folder. “This education folder should form a bridge between healthcare provider and patient to make the subject of Ramadan discussable,” says El Moussaoui. The education folder provides answers to questions that Muslims with diabetes ask doctors every year. In the form of a visual education folder and brochure, they receive accessible information and practical guidelines.

In the education folder you will find information about the importance of measuring your blood sugar level and being alert for complications (low sugar, high sugar, stomach ache, …). You will also find answers to questions such as: what should you do in case of hypoglycemia and illness? How can you best break the fast? And how can you compensate for not fasting?

Also read: A bomb of fiber and sugars: how healthy are dates?

Tips for a safe Ramadan

We provide some valuable tips for Muslims with diabetes who are participating in Ramadan:

• Discuss with your doctor how you can adjust your insulin administration, whether by injection or pump, to your different eating pattern during Ramadan.
• Breakfast and dinner usually contain more carbohydrates than what you normally eat, so more insulin is probably needed. Keep counting carbohydrates well.
• Don't skip the Sahur, the meal just before sunrise. Use the meal and make sure it has a low glycemic content. So choose complex carbohydrates that are long-satiating and that contain sufficient proteins and fats. This way you have a smaller chance of glucose peaks and you will be less hungry during the day. Also drink enough during the meal.
• Save part of the meal or dessert until after the mosque visit and, if possible, walk or cycle to the mosque. This can provide some extra exercise and lower blood glucose levels.
• Intensive exercise during the day carries a high risk of developing hypoglycemia.
• Drink enough water when you are allowed to drink.

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