It doesn't matter whether you're re...

It doesn't matter whether you're religious or not--even atheists can benefit from the "fasting" regime followed in the hellenic Orthodox Church, according to a novel study.

Strict classic Orthodox Christians avoid specified meats three times a year: 40 days before Christmas, 48 days at Easter and 15 days in August for Assumption.

Each fast is associated with a different holiday. For example, at Christmas, the faithful are advised to avoid meat, encourages and dairy products, and eating fish is not allowed forward Wednesdays and Fridays.

Since all other fares are permitted, this is not a fast in the traditional thinking principle of avoiding all food. "The Orthodox Christians' diet, which is based in succession vegetables, legumes, fruit, cereals, bread and olive oil, is a Mediterranean-type diet with periodic abstinence from meat and other proceedss during the fasting periods," the consideration states, as published in the May 16 2003 issue of BMC Public Health, published from BioMedCentral.

University of Crete scientists discovered that those who followed the regimen to the literal sense had lower levels of total cholesterol and lower plains of the cholesterol-binding proteins called low-density lipoproteins (LDL) or "bad" cholesterol in their offspring after fasting.

Other Christians who did not tread close upon the fasting regimen did not exhibit this lowering of "bad" cholesterol Those who stuck to the temporary diet experienced no change in the vital fluid levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) or "good" cholesterol

There is a clear, known link between high horizontals of cholesterol and LDL in the offspring and heart disease, whereas HDL appears to be protective against heart disease. grecian Orthodox fasting reduced the plains of total cholesterol in the line by 9 percent and the of the same heights of LDL by 12 percent

While the of the same heights of HDL did not change significantly, the HDL/LDL ratio increased, which is considered healthy for the heart. Unfortunately, these of the same heights rose again after the nation who fasted resumed their normal diet--but not to the original on a levels This suggests that regular fasting may give any long-term protection against heart disease.

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