What Is the Daniel Fast?

The Daniel fast is a faith-based diet inspired by the biblical figure Daniel. The fast involves avoiding meat, processed grains, and alcohol for 21 days, while eating more whole grains, vegetables, and fruits.

How Does the Daniel Fast Work?

What to Eat on the Daniel Fast

Foods and Drinks to Include

• Fruits, including fresh, frozen, juiced, and canned. Make sure dried fruit doesn’t contain added sugar.
• Vegetables, including fresh, frozen, juiced, canned, and dried
• Whole grains, such as oats, quinoa, brown rice, barley, buckwheat, and spelt
• Plant-based proteins, such as beans, nuts, and seeds
• Oils, such as olive, coconut, and sesame oils. These should be used minimally.
• Herbs and spices, such as oregano or cinnamon, can add flavor to your dishes.
• Liquids, such as water, unsweetened nondairy milk like almond milk, or 100-percent fruit juices

Foods and Drinks to Avoid

• Leavened bread, or bread made with yeast. This can include pizza crusts, rolls, and biscuits.
• Refined grains, such as white flour and white rice
• Animal products, such as meat, dairy, fish, and eggs
• Added sweeteners, such as sugar, honey, stevia, or agave
• Additives and preservatives, such as those found in breakfast cereals or plant-based “meats”
• Solid fats, such as margarine, butter, lard, and shortening
• Alcohol and caffeine of any kind

Potential Benefits of the Daniel Fast

Current research on the Daniel fast is limited, but several small and older studies suggest potential health benefits. More recent studies, which focus on religious fasting in general, not specific plans, also point to potential health benefits of limiting things like meat and saturated fats.

• It could lower your disease risk. A small 2010 study involving 43 participants found that following the Daniel fast improved several risk factors for metabolic and cardiovascular disease.

  [7]

   A recent review of Orthodox Christian fasting also found that limiting animal-based products and oils reduced lipid levels and markers of cardiometabolic disease risk.

  [5]

• It may reduce inflammation. Another small study, from 2013, tested the Daniel fast on 29 people to assess its role in decreasing the risk of heart and metabolic diseases. The researchers found that all participants saw an improvement in lipids (fatty substances found in the bloodstream) as well as reduced inflammation.

  [8]

   Removing red and processed meat, saturated fats, and refined grains from your diet (the core principles of the Daniel fast) is also associated with lowered inflammatory markers in the body.

  [9]

• It may help you lose weight and lower cholesterol. A 2018 study found that participants lost weight and lowered their cholesterol after attending six weekly health education sessions that taught the principles of the Daniel fast.

  [1]

   Reports have also pointed to religious fasting as a sustainable method for fighting against global obesity.

  [10]

The Benefits of Community Support for Weight Loss

Many popular diets — like WW, formerly known as Weight Watchers — incorporate support, whether through online or in-person groups, and share guidelines about what to eat and what to avoid.

Potential Risks of the Daniel Fast

“I think [the Daniel fast] is an extreme diet,” says Julie Miller Jones, PhD, an emeritus professor of nutrition at St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minnesota, and a member of the Grain Foods Foundation's scientific advisory board. “I am never in favor of extreme diets, unless you have some sort of medical condition.”

Here are some downsides of diets like the Daniel fast:

• It cannot detox the body. The Daniel diet is a type of detox diet, Miller Jones says — something she thinks is best avoided. These types of diets make it seem like the body is dirty and needs to be cleaned, she says. “And I just don't buy that.”

  [13]

• You may actually gain weight in the long term. Most people will lose weight on a restrictive diet, then gain it back at an even higher level once the diet ends, Miller Jones says. “So for most people, this severe restriction is not a useful strategy in weight control.”

  [14]

• It could lead to nutrient deficiencies. The Daniel fast requires you to limit some major food groups from your diet, which may lead to certain nutrient deficiencies. Two nutrients of particular concern include vitamin B12 and iron, which many of us get from animal-based foods. Some plant-based foods are fortified with vitamin B12, but it's only found naturally in animal foods. Additionally, no research on this diet recommends or mentions supplementation.

  [15]

  [16]

• Potential for disordered eating. While the Daniel fast is only 21 days, restrictive diets of any kind can contribute to disordered relationships with food and body image that last beyond the length of the diet.

  [17]

Is the Daniel Fast Right for You?

While there are several potential short-term benefits to the Daniel fast, including spiritual and physical benefits, it is not necessarily a sustainable or safe diet to follow long term, without careful planning. The focus of this diet on getting only whole foods is a huge positive.

Everyone, regardless of religious beliefs, should check in with their healthcare provider before trying a fast to see if it is safe for them.

The Takeaway

• The Daniel fast is a short-term diet with religious origins that has been studied for its potential health benefits, particularly in the realm of weight management.
• The Daniel fast focuses on choosing vegetables, fruits, and whole grains while limiting meats, dairy, eggs, processed foods, and alcohol.
• While the Daniel fast may improve some measures of health, there is limited research currently available supporting its effectiveness.
• Eating this way relies on whole foods, which can be very nutrient-dense when planned well. However, it could also potentially lead to nutritional deficiencies and disordered eating patterns because of its restrictive nature.