Prolonged fasting dangerous to health

From Fred Ezeh, Abuja

The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has raised the alarm that many people might come down with kidney-related diseases because of prolonged fasting and other unwholesome health practices that have negative effects on the kidney and liver.

The Director General of NAFDAC, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, told reports at a press conference in Abuja, on Monday, that many people are damaging their kidneys through prolonged fasting and unhealthy activities.

“The human kidney requires some level of water to help it work effectively. Now, many people engage in prolonged fasting without a drop of water and which affects kidney function and is also detrimental to health. I fast but I do that with common sense,” he said.

“In terms of kidney failure, my brother died a painful death as a result of kidney failure and being on dialysis for six weeks. Many people have also died of kidney failure, liver damage and consumption of unwholesome foods and some level of ignorance.

“For a fact, we are a very religious country and we fast a lot. Christians and Muslims engage in that spiritual practice from time to time. However, fasting a lot of times causes kidney problems. The body has to have some element of balance to function well and water is needed. The water level in the body at any given time must be enough the enable the body systems, particularly the liver and kidney to function well.

“For instance, some people would fast for 20 to more days without drinking water. That’s dangerous to the health. Such deprivation of water is a severe punishment to the kidney. Some people, in addition to prolonged fasting, also take medicines or other chemicals. Once that is done, the case is tripled in an exponential manner and might cause serious damage to the kidney because the kidney doesn’t have enough water to dilute and filter consumed items.

“For personal reasons, I engage in fast from time to time but I do that with some level of common sense. People need to know this. We have to fast with our common sense if not we would pay with our kidney.”

She maintained that all over the world there are cases of falsified and substandard medicines, but the commitment of NAFDAC is to bring such cases to the lowest minimal level so that the majority of Nigerians can be confident they purchase and consume goods and quality medicines.

She strongly discouraged the practice of buying medicines from hawkers and corner stores or unregistered locations but approached registered pharmacies for the purposes of purchasing drugs or other consumables.