Earthley Wellness

If you’re reading this, you're likely intermittent fasting or considering it, and have been searching for the answer to: Will my supplements and herbal remedies break my fast?

It’s a very common question that comes up, and that’s because, typically, with fasting, you are refraining from consuming any calories during a period of time to put your body into ketosis (where all the fasting magic happens).

Since many of us don’t consider vitamins, herbal remedies, or supplements food, it makes us wonder if those things would ruin a fast. But before we jump into discussing whether you can take supplements during intermittent fasting, let’s talk about why you should try intermittent fasting.

Why intermittent fast?

Fasting and even intermittent fasting help the body get into a state of ketosis. When a body is in ketosis, it may naturally start to heal itself and support overall wellness, and this is achieved through abstaining from food.

Intermittent fasting is different from traditional fasting because it’s not just something you do for a few days and then stop — it’s more of a daily practice. Instead of going without food for extended periods every once in a while, intermittent fasting weaves fasting into your everyday routine.

Most people typically follow the 16:8 intermittent fasting window, where for 16 hours you fast, and for the other 8 hours you eat. Here are some of the benefits of intermittent fasting:

Lowers insulin levels, helping the body become more efficient at regulating blood sugar.
May help with weight loss
Helps reduce inflammation and oxidative stress in the body
Promotes cellular repair and regeneration by helping cells get rid of waste
Improves focus and mental clarity
May help the body regulate hormones
May help reset the digestive system and support better digestion
May promote longevity

Can I take herbs or supplements while intermittent fasting?

Typically, you can take any supplement during the hours you are eating food while intermittent fasting. But if you want to take supplements before your eating window, that’s where it gets a little tricky.

So, the short answer is yes -- you can take supplements during the fasting window. But some supplements do break a fast, so it matters what supplements you choose to take during that time.

The whole point of fasting is to get the body into ketosis, and what takes the body out of that is insulin spikes. Naturally, during your eating window, insulin will spike, but what you don’t want is to spike it during your fasting window.

You’ll want to avoid supplements that have sugar -- that means any form of carbohydrate and food-derived supplements, if you don’t want to break your fast. Stay away from electrolytes with added sugar, protein powders and collagen, alcohol, and especially glycerin-based tinctures, gummy multivitamins, and fish oils. However, you can take these supplements during your eating window.

Supplements you CAN take during the fasting window

If you’re choosing to take supplements during your fasting window, it’s essential to know they are natural and won’t spike your insulin. You’ll want to stick to things like: