It seems like fasting is one of the hottest topics in the health and fitness world today. If you've considered dieting before, I'm sure you've heard of this approach.
A lot of people swear by it, and it can be an effective strategy for reaching specific health and fitness goals.
However, if you're just getting started, you may have quite a few questions. For example, many of us wonder what foods and supplements are okay to have during a fasting window.
After all, you still want to get the essential nutrients your body needs whether you're fasting or not.
As you may have guessed, there aren't any foods you can have during a fasting window. Anything with calories will break your fast. Yes, that would also include protein supplements.
Does taking vitamins break a fast though? Truthfully, it depends on the vitamins!
We'll get into the nitty gritty details later. First, let's start by taking a closer look at fasting.
What is Fasting?
Fasting is just a predetermined amount of time where you go without calories. While this can be for religious purposes, most people fast as a method to lose weight.
It can be effective for many people because they have less time to eat. Basically, this can be an easy way to lower your daily calorie intake.
If you know anything about losing weight, it's all a game of calories! If you consume more calories than you burn, you'll gain weight. If you consume fewer calories than you burn, you'll lose weight.
Obviously, there are quite a few other factors that go into effective weight loss. However, the most important component of weight loss is your calorie intake.
Fasting just happens to be an easy way to cut back on calories.
Believe it or not, there are even different strategies when it comes to fasting. The most popular by far is called intermittent fasting.
This is a method where people have a specific window they're allowed to eat in every day. For example, the 16/8 method and the 14/10 method are two popular approaches. But, what does that mean?
It means that you can't eat for 14-16 hours of the day and you can eat for 8-10 hours of the day. It all depends on how you choose to break it up and the timeframe that works best.
Now, even though it's popular, are there specific benefits to intermittent fasting?
What Are The Benefits of Intermittent Fasting?
You’ll hear a lot of different things about intermittent fasting…
Some will say intermittent fasting is the greatest thing since sliced bread. Others will say that it’s a gimmick.
So, who's right? Is intermittent fasting a joke or can it actually offer benefits over other dieting strategies?
Well, some people claim that intermittent fasting can help with long-term health, disease prevention, and weight loss. Ultimately though, it's been determined that more research needs to be done on the subject (1).
Yes, it's true that intermittent fasting can be effective (2). Whether intermittent fasting is more beneficial than any other diet is up for debate.
Personally, I think it's all up to personal preference. Some people really enjoy intermittent fasting and it helps them stay consistent. Other people don't do well with intermittent fasting and it can cause them to fall off track.
My point is ... Do what works best for you.
Does Taking Vitamins Break A Fast?
Let's get back to your original question, "does taking vitamins break a fast?" It depends.
If the vitamins don't have sugar, amino acids, or anything with caloric value ... Then your vitamins likely will NOT break your fast.
If we're talking about multivitamin supplements, this may be very hard to come by. If we're talking about individual vitamins, I'd think you're more likely to be safe. At the end of the day, it will come down to the individual product and its ingredients.
With all that being said, I always recommend that you take your vitamins with a meal and water. I say this because vitamins are either water or fat-soluble. That just means you need either water or fat to break down and absorb the vitamins.
So, does taking vitamins break a fast? It depends, but it's also a goofy question. It's goofy because you shouldn't even be taking vitamins when you're fasted! That's just a way to ensure you don't get the most out of them.
If you plan on fasting, there are a lot of things you should avoid during a fasting window. So, what else can break your fast?
If you are fasting, or plan on fasting, are there other things that can break your fast?
Things That Do Break A Fast
So, what kind of things do break a fast? I know I mentioned anything with calories, but what does that include? Close to everything.
The real question should be: What won't break your fast?
Tea, coffee, and water are close to your only options. Plus, when I say tea and coffee, I mean plain tea and coffee.
Again, anything with calories will break your fast. That's why calorie-free drinks are just about the only things you can have during a fast.
Unless there is some new calorie-free food I've never heard of, you'd be best sticking with water in my opinion. It would be the best way to avoid any potential issues.
Finding the Best Vitamins For Fasting
No, I wouldn't recommend that you take your vitamins during a fast. Even if the vitamins we're talking about won't break your fast, you still shouldn't.
Like I said before, it's best to take vitamins with a meal to properly absorb the different fat and water-soluble vitamins and minerals. For that reason, it doesn't even really matter if vitamins break a fast or not.
For the best results, I would just recommend finding a high-quality vitamin.
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References:
(1) Reddy, B Lakshmi et al. “Health Benefits of Intermittent Fasting.” Microbial physiology vol. 34,1 (2024): 142-152. doi:10.1159/000540068.
(2) Song, Dae-Kyu, and Yong-Woon Kim. “Beneficial effects of intermittent fasting: a narrative review.” Journal of Yeungnam medical science vol. 40,1 (2023): 4-11. doi:10.12701/jyms.2022.00010.
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