Happy Navratri

 'Is it a coincidence that most religions have fasting as an integral part of the practices they promote? Happy Navratri!'

I had wished people around me with this line at the beginning of the Navratri season and was happy to note the responses which varied from a counter wish, distinction in Zoroastrianism, an exposition of the New Testament and neglect.
There were also responses extolling the virtues of fasting - how it detoxifies the body and misgivings on how it leads the body to a low-energy state!

Predictably, the emphasis for most was on the words religion and fasting. There were, however, some responses emphasizing the word practice, which suggested that given the advantages of fasting, especially during specifictimes of the year, 'religion' was made part of the communication plan by our forefathers and foremothers to convey a key message and ensure compliance in the salubrious practice.

There is so much when we look online for research backing regarding fasting (confirmation bias). But if you look at mainstream
medical advice, fasting does not seem to be considered more than a fad of some, as in intermittent fasting. This brings us to the question of why traditional practices like not having
food after dark and fasting are not part of what we consume as advice.

In the consumerist culture of the day, we tend to
consume what we are made to consume rather than what we need. Attention is our currency, and it is vied for by goods, services, and practices with some possible monetization behind it. Non-commercial messaging is a casualty.

Not just messaging;  non-commercial research is also a casualty. In India, if you look at what our research institutions are concerned about and what our medical institute are convinced that it is primarily curative than preventive, commercial than health-promoting. Fasting to fight viral infections is noted in reputed Ayurvedic texts. However, even during the peak of COVID-19, we were unable to make it part of our mainstream
advice. Giloi was in; fasting was not. Yoshinori Ohsumi has won a Nobel prize for his work on autophagy induced by fasting. But we do not get to learn about it as there is no commercial purpose served. 

How do I monetize it if you fast? It may be possible. But we find these messages as practices in religion and society as someone thought of solutions beyond commerce at some point.
This is not a call to follow all that is tradition just
because it is tradition. The suggestion is that we should not neglect something only because it is tradition. Observational research could be a technical term that associates some sanctity to the thought - for the scientifically inclined mind.

 We may not have the appropriate action point in time if we insist on a randomized control trial for anything and everything. One way may be to evaluate the possible downside of the traditional practices and afford them relaxed research criteria for acceptance. Another way could be consciously
channeling public funding to non-commercial research, as molecules that can be bought and sold will always find funding for research from commercial space.

Happy Navratri! Do look closer for messages from the past!