ReviewNutrients2023
Christian Orthodox Fasting as a Traditional Diet with Low Content of Refined Carbohydrates That Promotes Human Health: A Review of the Current Clinical Evidence.
Review in Nutrients, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 12 citations in OpenAlex.
- Psychological and Psychiatric Consequences of Prolonged Fasting: Neurobiological, Clinical, and Therapeutic Perspectives.Nutrients · 2025Pooled it
- A Theology of Health: Exploring the Ethiopian Orthodox Church's Influence on Human Well-Being in Ethiopia.Journal of religion and health · 2026Article
- Effect of Vitamin D Supplementation on Oxidative Stress Biomarkers in Women Following Religious or Intermittent Fasting Patterns.Nutrients · 2025Article
- Is There a Difference in Overweight and Obesity Between Christian Orthodox Fasters and Non-Fasters? A Cross-Sectional Study in Northern Greece.Nutrients · 2025Article
- Energy and Macronutrient Dietary Intakes of Vegetarian and Semi-Vegetarian Serbian Adults: Data from the EFSA EU Menu Food Consumption Survey (2017-2022).Foods (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Nutrient Intakes in Vegans, Lacto-Ovo-Vegetarians, Orthodox Fasters, and Omnivores in Russia: A Cross-Sectional Study.Foods (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Mediterranean diet and spirituality/religion: eating with meaning.Aging clinical and experimental research · 2024Review
- Article
- Review
- The Interplay between Metabolic Syndrome and Religious Fasting in Postmenopausal Women.Nutrients · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionChristian Orthodox fasting is a pattern high in complex carbohydrates and low in refined carbohydrates. It has been explored in association with its potential health benefits. The present review aims to comprehensively explore the existing available clinical data concerning the potential favorable impact of the dietary pattern of Christian Orthodox fasting on human health.
methodsPubMed database, Web of Science and Google Scholar were extensively searched in order to identify the more appropriate clinical studies that explore the effect of Christian Orthodox fasting on health-related outcomes in humans utilizing relative keywords. We initially retrieved 121 records through database searching. After applying several exclusion criteria, 17 clinical studies were finally included in this review study. DISCUSSION: Christian Orthodox fasting showed beneficial effects concerning glucose and lipid control, whereas the data for blood pressure remain inconclusive. Concerning weight control, fasters were characterized by lower body mass and lower caloric intake in the course of the fasting periods. During fasting, this pattern is higher in fruits and vegetables, showing the absence of dietary deficiencies for iron and folate. Nevertheless, dietary deficiencies were recorded for calcium and vitamin B2, and also hypovitaminosis D has been noticed in monks. Interestingly, the vast majority of monks do present with both good quality of life and mental health.
conclusionsOverall, Christian Orthodox fasting is a dietary pattern low in refined carbohydrates and high in complex carbohydrates and fiber that may be beneficial for human health promotion and chronic disease prevention. However, further studies are strongly recommended on the impact of long-term religious fasting on HDL cholesterol levels and blood pressure.
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