The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has warned against excessive fasting, saying it can lead to kidney problems.
The warning was issued by the agency’s director general, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, on Monday, January 23, in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)
IkejaBird notes that the warning is coming less than two months to Ramadan, the Islamic holy month when Muslims across the world compulsorily fast for 29 or 30 days.
Addressing the pressmen, the NAFDAC DG said people who fast without taking water risk kidney failure or death as the body’s organs require a percentage of water to allow them to function effectively.
She further added that using substandard, unwholesome products can also lead to kidney failure and death.
“We are a very religious country – Muslims and Christians, we fast a lot and it is part of the kidney problem. Your body has to have homeostatic balance, meaning the water level in your body must be enough to make your organs function.
“Some people will fast for 20 days or 10 days without drinking even a little bit of water and the kidney is being punished and it can damage your kidney because the kidney does not have water to dilute and filter, that is what some of us do. I fast but I fast with common sense. You have to fast with common sense or else you pay with your kidney,” she said.
What is kidney failure
Kidney failure is a condition in which the kidneys lose the ability to remove waste and balance fluids.
According to Moyo Clinic, It occurs when kidneys suddenly become unable to filter waste products from the blood. When kidneys lose their filtering ability, dangerous levels of waste may accumulate, and the blood’s chemical makeup may get out of balance.
Data shows that about 869 million people globally are suffering from kidney disease and in Nigeria, there is an increasing prevalence of the disease.
