It stands to reason that if you’re taking in fewer calories by fasting, you are also probably taking in fewer vitamins and nutrients. Whether or not that reduction is significant enough to affect your health depends upon how long you fast and whether you were deficient in any area before you started. Additionally, fasting folks often want to know whether supplements count as food in a fast. Most experts say they do not, but the timing of taking them is important.
First, consider that if you’re only consuming water and/or black coffee while fasting, quite a few vitamins can make you feel nauseated on an empty stomach, from B vitamins to zinc. If you are going to take any of these, you probably want to save them for your eating windows. (And if you’re not sure, definitely wait).
Vitamins break down into two essential categories:
Fat-soluble: These vitamins should be eaten with fat-containing food in order for your body to absorb them: vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E, and vitamin K. The body stores fat-soluble vitamins in the liver and body fat. Taking these in windows when you aren’t consuming food with fat in it means you’re less likely to absorb them, so there’s no real point. While fasting for less than 5 days, you’ll be burning your own body fat and getting those vitamins that way.
Water-soluble: These vitamins are not stored in your body but excreted during the day if you drink liquids. They include: B-complex vitamins, like B1, B2, B3, etc, folic acid, vitamin C and many others. You can take these on an empty stomach, but again, they might upset it. If you’re doing short term fasting, you aren’t likely to deplete enough of these to affect your health negatively. You only need to consider supplementing if you’re fasting for more than a week.
If you are not already taking vitamin supplements pre-fasting, and are eating a wide range of healthy foods during your eating windows, you probably don’t need to begin supplementing at all. Science has yet to find conclusive evidence that vitamins and supplements have a significant impact on health unless you are deficient in one to begin with. In fact, some can do harm (too much vitamin C can cause kidney stones; too much vitamin E can cause blood-clotting problems).
L-tyrosine: If you’re still interested in supplementing, you might try adding L-Tyrosine. Your brain turns tyrosine into three major neurotransmitters: dopamine, which is linked to our mood and reward centers; norepinephrine, which helps our bodies deal with stress and muscle recovery, and adrenaline, which we need to get motivated and to focus under pressure. L-tyrosine may help you feel stronger and mentally sharper while fasting. You can take this on an empty stomach.
Electrolytes: The supplements you’ll most likely need to replenish during a fast are not vitamins at all, but electrolytes, substances the body needs to regulate and maintain a number of key bodily functions, and which are depleted through physical activity and fasting. The following are key electrolytes you’ll want to stay on top of (but don’t take in excess). The top two to pay attention to are sodium and potassium.
· Sodium. If you want to avoid headaches and muscle spasms, check the recommended daily allowance for your weight and gender.
· Potassium. This keeps your heart functioning well and your energy high.
· Magnesium. Among many jobs, it helps regulate muscle and nerve function, and can aid in sleep.
· Zinc. You might take zinc to help with the common cold, but it’s best known for aiding in testosterone production and nerve function. Be sure to take this with food, however, as it can cause nausea otherwise.
· Calcium. Your bones and your muscles both rely upon calcium. Contrary to what the dairy industry might want you to think, you don’t absorb it best through eating cheese and milk.
Focus on replenishing your electrolytes and keep up any vitamins you already take if possible. The longer you fast, the more likely you are to need supplementation, but most importantly, pay attention to how you feel and make sure your doctor knows you’re fasting. When you do eat, be sure to eat a variety of foods, or adopt a diet such as the Mediterranean diet, (a lifestyle change, not a fad diet), which is associated with reduced risk factors in a number of health conditions.
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If a magnesium powder contains a stevia sweetener does that break the fast?
From what I’ve researched, if you keep total number of calories consumed during your fast to under 50, it’s not considered “breaking” it.
If you are doing clean fast for healing, yes you are breaking the fast. For clean fast just water, green tea, black coffee, no sugar substitute, no cream, no lemon!
Water only, no artificial sweeteners, no sweeteners! 50 calories or less a day is not still fasting, this is a misconception!
It doesn’t matter what people consider “breaking”
it’s scientific – if what you ingests causing any increase in insulin (even the slightest ) your fast has broken. Mostly any caloric food/drink will do so other than black coffee or tea.
Stevia does initiate a glycemic response in the body so it depends on what you’re fasting for. Autophagy? No. Burning fat, probably no problem.
So stevia would be ok to use during the fasting period of fasting for weight loss ?
No lemon??? Darn I was doing lemon, cayenne pepper, and ginger when I wake up. I guess I have to wait tile 10 am to drink that now???
According to Dr. Berg, Stevia does not increase your insulin levels significantly, so that little bit, technically, would not break your fast.
Dr Berg also said that *any* insulin, no matter how small, in the body prevents HGH and goes into storage mode. One of the key points of fasting is to remove insulin from the body so HGH and body fat burning activates. So…. use Stevia if you want [shrug]
I’m on my fourth day of fasting, and instead of losing weight, I’m gaining it? Is that normal?
That usually means you are increasing the amount of calories you are eating. Some people feel ravenously hungry when starting out, and so they tend to overeat during their window. Remember that you still have to take into account your calorie intake if you want weight loss. The fasting helps kickstart your metabolism, but it doesn’t prevent you from gaining weight I’d you increase calories. Try tracking your caloric intake.
Calories have nothing to do with weight gain or fasting. If you are gaining weight during a fast that means your body is most likely burning fat and replacing the fat in the cells with water. Water weighs a lot. You should get a wish effect 1-2 days after you eat when your body lets that water go.
Increasing your water intake during your fast will help reduce water retention.
Dr Berg is also just a chiropractor that sells supplements, not a real doctor or a research scientist in the field and doesn’t know what he’s talking about any more than some random person doing keto / IF
Very true. When I saw the line of supplements he sold I lost a bit of respect for Dr Berg.
Wow and not totally accurate
Stevia is an alternative to sugar because our bodies do not digest it. When your body does not digest something it doesn’t use those micronutrients as fuel or energy.
Stevia may be used as alternative to sugar and in theory should not break your fast.
Credit: Nurse
Juice plus+ Supplements?? Should I avoid taking during fasting hours?
Check the label, last I saw it has several forms of sugar, so yes.
Does taking nitric oxide capsules break a fast? L-arginine is mainly the ingredient along with L-citrulline malate. Just wondering so that I could take it to boost blood flow and endurance while I’m fasted training?
Does taking a magnesium supplement break intermittent fasting?
* At 100 grams
The problem with magnesium supplements is many of them contain extra stuff that can activate your metabolism. If your main goal is fat loss, they won’t be a problem because they’re basically no calories.
Honestly, no one knows forsure the effect a little binder and whatever else comes in a magnesium pill will have on autophagy because it hasn’t been specificly studied.
I’d recommend just taking it during your feeding window. The only time I supplement with magnesium outside of a feeding window is when I’m doing a prolonged fast (3+ days).
Does sugar-free gum break intermittent fasting?
It depends. What I think about is gum and breath mints do not curb your appetite they actually trigger hunger. Personally I am getting off artificial sweeteners.
Going by my own logic: if black coffee (which does have very little calories) doesn’t break a fast, biting of about 1/4th of a piece of gum to freshen the taste in my mouth isn’t going to break it either.
Not necessarily… it’s not always only calories to worry about. Just think about the ingredients and chemicals in the gum. Just putting a 1/2 pea sized food on your tongue due to artificial flavoring can and will activate your insulin response. My personal response would be yup it breaks your fast.
Try peppermint essential oil instead. No calories & does not trigger digestive juices.
You could try brushing your teeth.
Yes it breaks fast. I know bad breath is a draw back when doing this and keto.
I use PUR brand gum. Is uses stevia or erythritol to sweeten. For me, I’ve never had a problem with my fasts going askew and they don’t trigger hunger.
Thank you
I would only supplement ANYTHING during the feeding window. There is really no true reason for supplementation during your fast. If you are not an elite athlete you do not need supplementation for your fasted workout. Even absorption os supplements are usually better NOT on an empty stomach.
What about L-glutamine?
As a diabetic, I need to take insulin. No questions on that, it’s a must. But how does taking it affect my fast? And how much is too much? By the way I don’t plan on fasting for more than 24 hours at most. I usually do intermittent fasting every day.
Best to ask your doctor honestly.
Can I drink tamarind water during my fasting window, also can I take my pre workouts during my fasting window as I workout 🏋️♂️ during the fasting window
Nope. All of these things break fast.
I’m currently about 45 days into an 18:6 fast intermittent fasting schedule, I want to start supplementing potassium. I’m confused though the tablets I have, 99 mg, only have 2% of the daily recommended value? What is a recommended amount to supplement potassium?
5,000 mg. I had a mini stroke and I have been prescribed a 4,000 mg tablet every day
4700mg but the best way to get most of potassium from food like spinach nuts and most of green leafy veg. 45 days try to get yours metabolism reset because after all these fasting your brains is mode of saving most of energy. To do this trying to get normal and carbs diets for week to get your body metabolism faster than get back to keto and fasting, That shock Your body to use more power from carbs and fats but You already have processes for better ketone production in the liver. Good luck
4700mg is the RDA. You can buy NO Salt which gives you 1000mg for 1/4 tsp. Dr Berg has a supplement that you can mix in water gives 1000mg. Also there is supplement online called Keto 1000. Also coconut water as well as tomato juice is high in potassium. I keep them on hand for my eating windows
The research I’ve done on potassium showed that the industry regulates supplements to 99 mg to prevent overdose, but 99 mg is a ridiculously low amount. My dietary app daily value says 4700 mg is safe intake for me; you’ll have to take a lot of supplements to achieve that at 99 mg. Id recommend also finding rich dietary sources for the days you ate eating.
I heard the total calories will not break a fast should be under 30…
how about CLA pills during fasting?
Any advice whether BCAA break a fast?
Breaks it, sadly
Does Q10 Suplement break fasting? Ioimbina, cafein and L-Arginin?
Can I drink Gatorades while fasting?
You should not drink Gatorade at all under any circumstances! It’s loaded with artificial garbage that will have a negative impact in many levels!
Check their label…. it’s loaded with different types of sugars.
You can but it may interfere with the benefits, especially autophagy, so why but stick with water? Forgetting about fasting for a moment, why put that stuff in your body? My philosophy is to not drink anything that humans haven’t been drinking for thousands of years. Tea, water, wine are fine. But Tropicana, Monster Energy drinks, and anything produced by the Coca Cola bottling company are out. As far as I’m concerned the jury is out on the long term consequences of consisting these products. But from what evidence is emerging it’s not looking good.
So, the thing with Gatorade is that it has electrolytes, which are intensely important, even most during fasting. That’s the whole point of it. Most experts will say that any Gatorade will break a fast, whether it has calories or not. But if that’s what you like and it is a good way to make sure you’re getting electrolytes, don’t let anyone shame you out of it.
People have had feinting and heart issues because they drank only water and exercised too much. Electrolytes are vital.
Does taking Ibprophin or Sudafed break the fast?
Does sugar free red bull breaks the fast ?
You can but it may interfere with the benefits, especially autophagy, so why but stick with water? Forgetting about fasting for a moment, why put that stuff in your body? My philosophy is to not drink anything that humans haven’t been drinking for thousands of years. Tea, water, wine are fine. But Tropicana, Monster Energy drinks, and anything produced by the Coca Cola bottling company are out. As far as I’m concerned the jury is out on the long term consequences of consisting these products. With the exception of the effects of caffeine, the ingredients in energy drinks have not been thoroughly studied to confirm the cardiovascular safety or the proclaimed energy-boosting benefits.
Does apple cider vinegar (goli gummies) break the fast?
Can I drink keto coffee 100 calories in the morning or will that break my fast and just go for black coffee
The calories in a no-carb, high-fat “keto” coffee WILL BREAK A FAST. I love mixing coffee with organic grass-fed butter and coconut oil, but I do so to break my fast when my eating period is in the late morning-early afternoon. It’s such a delicious and energizing way to break a fast. If you are in ketosis and choose to drink a “keto” coffee, you will not be kicked out of ketosis, but you will not get some of the greatest benefits of being in a completely fasted state (like autophagy).
Can I drink fresh brewed green tea if I dont add any sweeteners during my fast?
Yes
Alex – Artificial sweetners such as those in sugar free drinks may cause an insulin spike.
I avoid coke zero and pepsi max at all costs while fasting ..
Does using half and half in my coffee break a fast.
If more than a splash, yes. Most say anything over 50 calories breaks a fast, some would say even less.
Actually i have found my way of taking the above needed minerals except zinc by taking 12 tissue salt i bought at the homeopathy drug store which it has iron, potassium, sodium, silica, calcium and magnesium inside the tablet. It’s quite convenient and it doesn’t have any side effects too.
What it the brand?
Would taking a sudafed pill for my cold or mucinex break my fast?
Would taking a sudafed pill for my cold or mucinex break my fast?
If you want to clean fast, then no stevia. Stevia can still trigger an insulin response.
Hello, this is my second try in doing the intermittent fasting and it really works. I am doing the 16:8 because it worked for me. However, can I have no sugarless, no caffeine, hot chocolate?
Not during the fasting window. The sugar substitutes cause functions such as an insulin response.
Can I take a pre-workout during a fast before exercise?
If I drink a morning homemade lemon and ginger drink (water boiled with ginger and lemon) will it break my fast?
Can I chew gum while fasting
I take a probiotic 3x/day. Is that ok to take while fasting? Today will be my first day trying the 16:8 fast. Going to turn on the fasting timer at 8 pm this evening. Wish me luck.
Does anybody know if brewers yeast tablets will break a fast? The dosage is 6 pills a day at ten calories total, so about 1.6 calories per pill.
Hi Suzy,
There is evidence online of the fact that Brewer’s yeast actually;
• Enhances insulin sensitivity.
• Lowers blood sugar levels.
There are warning out there for diabetics and BY as along with their medication it can cause abnormally low blood sugar.
It also comes with fibre that reduces the small amount of carb content also.
If you check out the world record longest fast by the Scottish person done under medical supervision. You’ll find that “Angus” used a number of supplements and lots a monster amount of weight, as well as improving his health.
Now, I believe that it was nutritional yeast he used. However, the previous information I shared was in BY.
1.6g seems low. I’d investigate a high quality NO GMO version of the powder. You may find this more economical.
Good luck
What about collagen in black coffee? Every morning I usually do 1 scoop of collagen in my
Coffee is this slowed? There are
No sweeteners and it’s unflavored
Can I drink coffee with sucralose?!
Does proscription medication breaks the fast ??
Does prescription medication breaks the fast ??
Does melatonin break a fast? I use it sometimes to help me sleep but don’t want to use it if it’ll break the fast process before I go to bed.
Is there a pre workout drink you can take in the morning if you are doing the 16 hour fast?
Will having a protien shake midway mess things up
A protein shake absolutely breaks the fast.
Does chewing tobacco break your fast?? I sometimes like to dip at night to help me relax.. will this cause my fasted state to end?
Surely any calorie intake is braking a fast, Including black coffee?
Black coffee has no calories, or possibly up to 5 per cup. That’s why it’s called black.
Can we take far burn during morning 1-2 hours before breaking intermittent fast. It contains thermogens, green tea , caffeine etc.
How many days per week should you do intermittent fasting 16:8 to be safe and lose weight!?
I would start off 3 days a week for a 16:8 fast. As you get use to it, increase your day by one; or switch it up from 18:6 fast 3 days a week.
Does pills for the flu breaks my fast?
Hello,
Thanks for the great article, would you recommended potassium citrate or potassium chloride?
I don’t prefer black coffee. Can I instead drink unsweetened black iced tea instead during the fasting period? Or does it need to be green tea?
How long should you do 16:8 fast for fat lose?
Does Serrapeptase break a fast? It’s suppose to be taken on a empty stomach.
If you are not eating enough during your eating window, it is possible that your hypothalmus has decided to reset your body’s allowed daily calorie intake to below what you are taking in which means you will gain weight. It does this as a survival mechanism.
Can I take sentrom with this Dite
When can I take my medication and probiotics? Will they break my fast if I routinely take them every morning?
Hello. I’m interested in trying Dr. Attia’s recommendation for Doc Parsley’s Sleep Remedy. How does this fit into ones fasting routine? For reference, I try to stop eating around 6:30pm and eat the next day with a 16/8 format. However, if I’d like to go to sleep around 1030pm and take this supplement at say 930pm, will it impact my fasting window? Thank you!
Can you do 16:8 everyday? Is it best to have rest days and if so how many calories or carbs should be consumed? I’m in need of losing 50 lbs and want to know what to do for best and fastest results.
For longer term fasting like 7 days, how do you supplement zinc if taking it will make you nauseated ?
I am on sleep medication and anti-depressants. Is it fine if I am fasting from evening through the night and still take these medicines?
Will melatonin and probiotic supplements break my fast?