During Ramadan fasting, two types of gut bacteria known to help maintain the gut lining and reduce inflammation tend to increase, but it’s not clear whether this is due to fasting itself or changes in what people eat during the month.
Evidence from Studies
No evidence studies found yet.
What Would Prove This
Per GRADE and EBM methodology, here is what ideal scientific evidence would look like to definitively prove or disprove this claim, ordered from strongest to weakest.
A meta-analysis could determine whether Ramadan fasting consistently increases Akkermansia muciniphila and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii across populations after adjusting for dietary fiber and caloric intake.
A systematic review and meta-analysis of all studies measuring these two taxa via sequencing before and after Ramadan in adults, with mandatory adjustment for dietary fiber intake, total calories, and weight change. Only studies with pre- and post-fasting sampling and standardized sequencing methods would be included.
An RCT could determine whether time-restricted eating alone, without dietary change, increases these taxa.
A double-blind RCT with 100 adults aged 25–55, randomized to 14-hour daily fasting (8 AM–4 PM) with identical controlled diet or same diet without time restriction for 30 days. Primary outcome: change in relative abundance of Akkermansia muciniphila and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii via shotgun metagenomics.
A cohort study could determine whether increases in these taxa are independently associated with fasting duration after adjusting for dietary intake and weight loss.
A 12-month prospective cohort of 200 Ramadan observers with daily dietary logs, weekly stool samples, and body weight measurements. Statistical models adjust for fiber, sugar, fat, and caloric intake, and weight change.
A case-control study could compare these taxa in individuals who lost weight during Ramadan versus those who did not, to determine if changes are driven by energy deficit.
A case-control study comparing 50 adults who lost ≥3% body weight during Ramadan to 50 matched controls who lost <1%, with identical fasting schedules, measuring pre- and post-fasting abundance of Akkermansia and Faecalibacterium.
A cross-sectional study could compare abundance of these taxa in Ramadan observers versus non-observers at a single time point.
A cross-sectional study comparing gut microbiota in 200 Ramadan-observing adults and 200 non-observing controls matched for age, BMI, ethnicity, and season, with stool samples collected during the same month and analyzed using identical methods.