Effects of Monday-Thursday Sunnah Fasting on Short-Chain Fatty Acids, GLP-1, Satiety, and Nutritional Status in Obese Males

NCT07703865 | Completed

• 2 other identifiers: UMJ-SUNNAH-SCFA-2025145/PE/KE/FKK-UMJ/IX/2025
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 74
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This quasi-experimental study investigated the effects of 8 weeks of Monday-Thursday Sunnah fasting on fecal short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), fasting total GLP-1, appetite regulation (hunger and satiety area under the curve), dietary intake, and body composition in obese adult males in Indonesia. Monday-Thursday Sunnah fasting is a twice-weekly Islamic religious practice involving complete abstention from food and water (dry fasting) from dawn (approximately 04:30) to sunset (approximately 18:00), approximately 13 hours per day, practiced by millions of Indonesian Muslims. Unlike conventional intermittent fasting protocols, Sunnah fasting is motivated by religious observance, which may enhance adherence. Seventy-four obese adult males were enrolled (intervention n=38, control n=36). The intervention group performed 16 fasting days over 8 weeks without any caloric restriction outside fasting hours. Fecal SCFA were measured by GC-MS; fasting total GLP-1 by ELISA; appetite by Visual Analogue Scale (VAS); dietary intake by 24-hour recall; and body composition by bioelectrical impedance analysis. Primary analyses used linear mixed models (LMM) controlling for baseline differences arising from the sequential allocation design.

Conditions

Obesity & Overweight; Gut -Microbiota

Keywords

Sunnah fasting; intermittent fasting; short-chain fatty acids; GLP-1; satiety; dry fasting; Indonesia

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (3)

• Total Fecal Short-Chain Fatty Acids

  Total fecal SCFA concentration (acetate + propionate + butyrate + valerate) measured by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS)

  Baseline (Week 1) and Week 8

• Body Mass Index (BMI)

  BMI calculated from measured body weight (kg) and height (m²)

  Baseline (Week 1) and Week 8

• Satiety Area Under the Curve (AUC)

  Satiety assessed by Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) at four daily timepoints (08:00, 12:00, 16:00, 20:00); satiety AUC calculated using trapezoidal method (mm·hours)

  Weeks 1, 4, and 8

Secondary Outcomes (7)

• Fasting Total GLP-1

  Baseline (Week 1) and Week 8

• Hunger AUC

  Weeks 1, 4, and 8

• Body Weight

  Baseline (Week 1) and Week 8

• Waist Circumference

  Baseline (Week 1) and Week 8

• Visceral Fat Level

  Baseline (Week 1) and Week 8

Study Arms (2)

Sunnah fasting

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants performed Monday-Thursday Sunnah dry fasting for 8 consecutive weeks (16 fasting days). Dry fasting entailed complete abstention from food and water from dawn (\~04:30) to sunset (\~18:00), approximately 13 hours per day. No dietary restrictions were imposed outside fasting hours.

Behavioral: Monday-Thursday Sunnah Dry Fasting

Control

NO INTERVENTION

Participants maintained their habitual diet and lifestyle without any fasting intervention for 8 weeks. Both groups were instructed not to modify physical activity or initiate new supplements during the study period.

Interventions

Monday-Thursday Sunnah Dry Fasting BEHAVIORAL

Twice-weekly daytime dry fasting (no food or water) from approximately 04:30 to 18:00 (\~13 hours), performed every Monday and Thursday for 8 consecutive weeks. This practice is based on Islamic religious Sunnah. No caloric restriction was imposed outside fasting hours.

Sunnah fasting

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 19 Years+
• Sex: male
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Male, age ≥ 19 years
• BMI ≥ 25 kg/m² (Asia-Pacific obesity criteria)
• Waist circumference \> 90 cm
• No regular intermittent fasting practice in the prior month
• No antibiotic use in the prior month
• Not currently enrolled in any dietary or weight loss program
• Muslim and willing to perform Monday-Thursday Sunnah fasting
• Residing in DKI Jakarta and surrounding areas (Bogor, Depok, Tangerang)

You may not qualify if:

• Diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus on oral antidiabetic agents, insulin, or GLP-1 receptor agonists
• Coronary heart disease
• Chronic kidney disease
• Uncontrolled hypertension
• Regular use of probiotics, prebiotics, fiber supplements, omega-3, or herbal supplements
• Regular use of lipid-lowering agents, orlistat, appetite suppressants, or hormonal medications
• Excessive alcohol consumption
• Vegetarian diet
• Active smoker

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Muhammadiyah Jakarta: lead

Study Sites (1)

Faculty of Medicine and Health, Universitas Muhammadiyah Jakarta

South Tangerang, Banten, 15419, Indonesia

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Obesity; Overweight; Intermittent Fasting

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Overnutrition; Nutrition Disorders; Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases; Body Weight; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Fasting; Feeding Behavior; Behavior

Study Officials

• Tirta P Sari, Medical Doctor

  University of Muhammadiyah Jakarta

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NON RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Principal Investigator; Doctoral Candidate, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia; Lecturer, Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Universitas Muhammadiyah Jakarta

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 9, 2026
• First Posted: July 14, 2026
• Study Start: September 15, 2025
• Primary Completion: December 11, 2025
• Study Completion: December 29, 2025
• Last Updated: July 14, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-07

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

ID (1)