Association of Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Christian fasting on appetite hormones and insulin sensitivity in type-II diabetes and healthy subjects in Ethiopia - Research Study Findings

Q: What was the main objective of the study?

To evaluate how EOTC fasting, which combines energy restriction, time-restricted feeding, and vegetarian diet consumption, regulates appetite hormones, insulin sensitivity, and β-cell function in both healthy subjects and people with type-II diabetes.

Q: How were participants and fasting exposure compared?

A fasting cohort and a non-fasting cohort were used, and both groups included individuals with diabetes and healthy individuals. Fasting patterns, physical activity, and sociodemographic traits were collected using a pretested structured questionnaire.

Q: Which physiological outcomes changed significantly with EOTC fasting?

EOTC fasting significantly lowered serum appetite hormones such as glucagon and leptin in both groups compared to non-fasting, altered insulin levels differently in diabetes versus healthy subjects, and improved insulin sensitivity and β-cell function in both diabetes and healthy participants.

Sep 29, 2026

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Longitudinal cohort research assessed how Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Christian (EOTC) religious fasting affects appetite-related hormones and insulin sensitivity in both type-II diabetes and healthy participants. The fasting cohort was compared with a non-fasting cohort, using structured questionnaires to capture fasting patterns, physical activity, and sociodemographic variables. Hormone activity was measured by ELISA, while body weight was recorded with a digital electronic scale. Results indicated fasting-associated changes in glucagon, leptin, ghrelin, insulin, and improvements in insulin sensitivity and β-cell function, supporting a culturally accepted non-pharmacological strategy for diabetes prevention and management.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages7

Reading Time18 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Methods and design

Study area and study design

Obesity Pillars 17 (2026) 100226 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Obesity Pillars journal [homepage:](homepage: www.journals.elsevier.com/obesity-pillars)[ www.journals.elsevier.com/obesity-pillars](homepage: www.journals.elsevier.com/obesity-pillars) | Association of Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Christian fasting on appetite hormones and insulin sensitivity in type-II diabetes and healthy subjects in Ethiopia
Alemayehu Michael a,b,* , Kaleab Baye a
a Center for Food Science and Nutrition, College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Addis Ababa University, P. O. Box: 1176, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
b Hawassa University, College of Natural and Computational Science, P. O. Box: 1560, Hawassa, Sidama regional State, Ethiopia | | | | --- | --- | --- | | A R T I C L E I N F O | | A B S T R A C T | | Keywords: Fasting ELISA analysis
Appetite hormones and insulin resistance | | Background: Energy restriction, time-restricted feeding, and vegetarian diet intake each have been linked independently to positive health effects. However, little is known about the religious fasts practiced by Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Christians (EOTC) fasting, which combine energy restriction, time-restricted feeding, and vegetarian diet consumption.
Method: This longitudinal study compared the effects of EOTC fasting on appetite hormones, insulin sensitivity, and β-cell function. The fasting cohort comprised both individuals with diabetes and healthy individuals, and was compared against a non-fasting cohort that also included both individuals with diabetes and healthy individuals. We employed pretested structured questionnaire to collect information on fasting patterns, physical activity, and sociodemographic traits. Body weight was measured using an adult digital electronic scale (ASTO), and hormone activity was determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) analyzer.
Results: EOTC fast significantly lower serum level of appetite hormones like glucagon (p < 0.0001, p = 0.001), leptin (p = 0.002, p = 0.046) in both type-II diabetes and healthy subjects respectively compared to non-fasting. Insulin increased significantly (p = 0.002) in people with diabetes while decreased (p = 0.003) in healthy subjects. The concentration of ghrelin (p = 0.030) increased significantly in type-II diabetes but insignificantly (p = 0.135) in healthy subjects when compared to non-fasting. Both fasting people with diabetes and healthy subjects showed significant (p = 0.03, 0.010) improvements in insulin sensitivity and β-cell function respectively. Conclusion: Concurrent vegetarian diet and energy restriction practiced among EOTC fasting may improve body weight managements. EOTC fasting improves activities of appetite hormones, increase insulin sensitivity and β-cell function (HOMA-IR) in both people with diabetes and healthy subjects. EOTC fasting practice represents a promising, culturally-accepted, non-pharmacological strategy for diabetes prevention and management. | 1. Introduction Food intake and metabolism are closely linked with onset of chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer [1]. Worldwide, different dietary practices are used in either clinical or research settings to reduce the risk of chronic disease. For example, consumption of vegetarian diets protects occurrence of obesity, blood pressure, diabetes, cardiovascular risk and cardiovascular mortality and enhance health [2, 3]. Similarly, a vegetarian diet and/or calorie restriction have been shown to alter insulin sensitivity and signaling, neuroendocrine function, and weight reduction [4,5]. Moreover, reduced energy intake was practiced in many religious groups by incorporating periods of fasting into their rituals including Muslims, fast from dawn until dusk during the month of Ramadan [6] and Orthodox Christian communities, fast for periods typically ranging from 12 h to 10 weeks by abstinence of all food or selected abstention from pr

FAQs

What was the main objective of the study?

To evaluate how EOTC fasting, which combines energy restriction, time-restricted feeding, and vegetarian diet consumption, regulates appetite hormones, insulin sensitivity, and β-cell function in both healthy subjects and people with type-II diabetes.

How were participants and fasting exposure compared?

A fasting cohort and a non-fasting cohort were used, and both groups included individuals with diabetes and healthy individuals. Fasting patterns, physical activity, and sociodemographic traits were collected using a pretested structured questionnaire.

Which physiological outcomes changed significantly with EOTC fasting?

EOTC fasting significantly lowered serum appetite hormones such as glucagon and leptin in both groups compared to non-fasting, altered insulin levels differently in diabetes versus healthy subjects, and improved insulin sensitivity and β-cell function in both diabetes and healthy participants.

Sep 29, 2026

Upload by Stanley