Continuous

Hi Mike,

I don't believe anybody here is talking about a sunrise to sunset fast as is practiced in Islam, but rather a fast that is continuous 24 hours per day which allows for only water to be taken in.

As to the health risks and benefits, i am going to paste some quotes of several physicians who are tremendously experienced with fasting:

Joel Fuhrman, M.D. (has fasting center in NJ) says (in his book shown at the bottom of this page) "In my practice I have seen fasting eliminate lupus and arthritis, remove chronic skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema, heal the digestive tract in patients with ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, and quickly eliminate cardiovascular diseases such as high blood pressure and angina. In these cases the recoveries were permanent." His amazing book on fasting is the best to learn about healing serious chronic health problems including migraine headaches.

John Tilden, M.D., who fasted thousands of people in his Denver center, said "I must say in all seriousness that fasting when combined with a properly selected diet is the nearest approach to a 'cure-all' that is possible to conceive-- profoundly simple and simply profound!"

Hereward Carrington, M.D. wrote a book called Vitality, Fasting and Nutrition. He says "fasting is a scientific method of ridding the system of diseased tissues, and morbid matter, and is invariably accompanied by beneficial results....The whole secret is this: fasting commences with the omission of the first meal and ends with the return of natural hunger, while starvation only begins with the return of natural hunger and terminates in death." Natural hunger is the body saying that it is time to stop the fast.

Charles Page, M.D. says "The fasting cure universally and rationally applied, would save thousands of lives every year."

A prominent German physician, Adolph Mayer, M.D. says, in a book entitled Fast Cures--Wondercures: "I assert that fasting is the most efficient means for correcting any disease."

Von Seeland, M.D., a Russian physician, says "As a result of experiments, I have come to the conclusion that fasting is not only a therapeutic agent of the highest degree possible but also deserves consideration educationally."

Ron Kennedy, M.D. says "Fasting creates a condition of low concentration of toxic wastes in the circulatory system. This is sensed by the plasma membrane of each cell and each cell will then let go of its load of toxic wastes. When this happens suddenly, as it does with fasting, the result can be a sudden case of mild systemic toxemia as the system cleanses itself. Those who fast must be prepared for a phase of headache, irritability, insomnia and fatigue. This is a natural part of the healing process and should be welcomed." Also he says "The purpose of the religious fast is the purification of the soul and the preparation to receive atonement of sins."

Dr. Charles Goodrich of the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York City, who has fasted many times said "People don't realize that the chief obstacle to fasting is overcoming the cultural, social and psychological fears of going without food. These fears are ingrained. . . .However, fasting is not starving, not even in a medical sense or the natural sense."

Dr. Yuri Nikolayev, director of the fasting unit of the Moscow Psychiatric Institute, reported on the use of scientific, therapeutic fasting to successfully treat over 10,000 patients...

and a handful of links:

http://www.gaianstudies.org/articles4.htm

http://www.falconblanco.com/health/fasting.htm#What%20is
   
http://fasting.ygoy.com/benefits-of-water-fasting/

http://www.besteverarticles.com/articles/5/1/Water-Fasting/Page1.html