{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,5]],"date-time":"2026-05-05T01:34:28Z","timestamp":1777944868944,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":40,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,1]],"date-time":"2026-03-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1772323200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0\/"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,1]],"date-time":"2026-03-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1772323200000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/page\/policies\/text-and-data-mining-license"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.sagepub.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Womens Health (Lond Engl)"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,3]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Oxidative stress has been implicated in aging and metabolic dysfunction, modulated by diet, lifestyle, and body composition. While structured dietary practices such as intermittent fasting and plant-based regimens have demonstrated antioxidative benefits, the biological impact of long-term religious fasting remains underexplored. Orthodox Christian fasting, characterized by periodic abstention from animal products and alignment with circadian rhythms, offers a unique naturalistic model for examining redox adaptation in humans.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Objectives:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>To identify the physiological and biological factors of oxidative stress markers in Orthodox Christian monastic women compared to age-matched controls, focusing on the roles of adiposity, insulin, vitamin D status, and age.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Design:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>In this cross-sectional study, 52 Orthodox nuns and 56 women from the general population were assessed.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Serum levels of total antioxidant capacity (TAC), reduced glutathione (GSH), and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances were measured. Anthropometric indices (body mass index, body fat percentage, visceral fat), fasting insulin, 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), and age were recorded. Statistical analyses included group comparisons, Spearman correlations, and multivariable linear regression models.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      In the monastic group, body fat percentage (beta coefficient\u2009=\u20090.387,\n                      <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u2009=\u20090.003) and age (beta coefficient\u2009=\u20090.301,\n                      <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u2009=\u20090.014) were associated with TAC levels. Among controls, insulin positively correlated with GSH (\u03c1\u2009=\u20090.480,\n                      <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u2009&lt;\u20090.001) and marginally inversely with TAC (\u03c1\u2009=\u2009\u22120.321,\n                      <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u2009=\u20090.060). No significant associations were found between 25(OH)D and oxidative markers in either group.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusions:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Vitamin D and insulin levels were not significantly associated with oxidative stress markers in this cohort. These findings highlight the potential of long-term, culturally structured fasting to modulate redox homeostasis and suggest a complex interplay between age, adiposity, and antioxidant defenses. These findings should be interpreted within the context of a highly specific religious and cultural lifestyle and may not be generalizable to other populations. Further research is needed to elucidate underlying mechanisms and long-term clinical implications.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1177\/17455057261442708","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,18]],"date-time":"2026-04-18T09:53:58Z","timestamp":1776506038000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Determinants of oxidative stress in orthodox Christian women: A comparative analysis of monastic and non-monastic lifestyles"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"22","author":[{"given":"Spyridon N.","family":"Karras","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Biological Chemistry, Medical School, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, Greece"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Konstantinos","family":"Michalakis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obesity and Metabolism, Endocrine Practice, Athens, Greece"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1993-6656","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Fatme","family":"Al Anouti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Health Sciences, College of Natural and Health Sciences, Zayed University, Abu Dhabi"},{"name":"ASPIRE Precision Medicine Research Institute Abu Dhabi (ASPIREPMRIAD), UAE"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Maria","family":"Kypraiou","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Assisting Nature Centre of Reproduction and Genetics, Thessaloniki, Greece"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Antonios","family":"Vlastos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Medical School, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, Greece"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Marios","family":"Anemoulis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Medical School, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, Greece"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Fotios","family":"Tekos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biochemistry-Biotechnology, School of Health Sciences, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Zoi","family":"Skaperda","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biochemistry-Biotechnology, School of Health Sciences, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Periklis","family":"Vardakas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biochemistry-Biotechnology, School of Health Sciences, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Costas","family":"Haitoglou","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Biological Chemistry, Medical School, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, Greece"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Evangelos G.","family":"Papanikolaou","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Assisting Nature Centre of Reproduction and Genetics, Thessaloniki, Greece"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Neoklis","family":"Georgopoulos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Patras, Greece"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Georgios","family":"Tzimagiorgis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Biological Chemistry, Medical School, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, Greece"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Demetrios","family":"Kouretas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biochemistry-Biotechnology, School of Health Sciences, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,18]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_3_3_2_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Trepanowski JF Bloomer RJ. 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