The benefits of fasting.
Intermittent fasting(IF) involves cycling between periods of fasting and periods of nutrient consumption.
Example ratios include16:8and18:6, with the first number being the hours you spend not eating during a 24-hour period.
Fasting also has benefits that go beyond metabolic health to potentially aidlongevity4.
Summary
Does coffee get in the way?
Now for the questions you’re here for: Does coffee break a fast?
And can you have your java without disrupting the benefits of time-restricted eating?
The answers aren’t so clear-cut.
The caveat is thatcoffee can trigger insulin release9even without sugar or carbohydrates, he adds.
“Anything that contains a calorie can impact fasting,” Seeman echoes.
“This goes for carbs, fats, proteins, and alcohol.
These nutrients activate our internal clocks and essentially ‘break’ our time-restricted eating window.”
Do’s & Don’ts of drinking coffee while fasting.
DO: Limit it to one cup.
But one would expect that the more caffeine, the more disruption to the fast."
DO: Drink it earlier in the day.
This is always good advice to follow, whether or not you’re fasting.
This is due to the relatively longhalf-life of caffeine.
DO: Drink it black if you’ve got the option to.
Experts also recommend sticking to black coffee while fasting if you might.
One teaspoon ofcinnamonhas about 6 calories.
Plus, cinnamon hasbeneficial effects for blood sugar10for people with prediabetes or pop in 2 diabetes.
DON’T: Add sugar.
Just one level teaspoon of granulated sugar (4 grams) has about 16 calories.
Sugar will break your fast.
Additionally, added sugar consumptiondrives insulin resistance11and is a contributor to metabolic diseases such asType 2 diabetes12andcardiovascular disease13.
DON’T: Add milk.
So milk will also break your fast.
Also, dairy can produce ahigh insulin response14.
More research is needed to determine whether dairy consumption has implications for insulin resistance.
DON’T: Add cream.
Depending on the key in, 1 tablespoon of cream contains anywhere from about 10 to 50 calories.
Cream will break your fast.
MAYBE: Add MCT oil.
With more than 100 calories per tablespoon,medium-chain triglycerides, or MCTs, will technically break your fast.
But MCT oil is 100% fat, with no carbohydrates or protein, meaning that it’sketogenic-diet-friendly.
Aketo dietencourages the production of ketone bodies, which may alsoencourage autophagy15.
MCT oil may have some metabolic health benefits, including supportingweight management16.
MAYBE: Add coconut oil.
However, both options are keto-friendly.
MAYBE: Add olive oil.
One tablespoon ofolive oilcontains over 100 calories and will break your fast.
MAYBE: Add unsweetened almond/nut milk.
One ounce of plain, unsweetenedalmond milkhas about 5 calories.
So again, technically it will break your fast.
Just check that it’s unsweetened.
MAYBE: Add butter/ghee.
One tablespoon of butter or ghee, a bang out of clarified butter, has over 100 calories.
So butter will technically break your fast.
Benefits of drinking coffee while fasting.
Combining coffee consumption with intermittent fasting may have health benefits of its own.
Low-grade inflammation is a hallmark of many chronic conditions, including throw in 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome.
Coffee consumption specifically (not just caffeine) is associated with areduction in pro-inflammatory markers22.
“Polyphenols help with glucose regulation in the liver,” Seeman says.
But there’s likely more to the link.
Like coffee, intermittent fasting also helps control inflammation by boosting a protein calledgalectin-326, according to preliminary research.
And intermittent fastingboosts autophagy7, as well.
It can help your brain in the short- and long-term.
The short-term benefits of coffee on the body and brain includeincreased mental focus and alertness31andincreased exercise performance32.
Side effects & risks of having coffee during a fast.
And some coffee drinkers are going to feel this more than others.
“When the pancreas releases insulin, blood sugar will drop subsequently.
These regular crashes could have long-term impacts.
Alternatively, you could wait until just 30 minutes before you break your fast, Pedre adds.
That way you could use food to mitigate any blood sugar plummet.
Another potential way to limit a crash is to add MCT oil and ghee to your cuppa.
Huberman also says adding 100 mg ofL-theaninecan offset some of the jitteriness.
Another potential side effect of drinking coffee on an empty stomach is gastrointestinal upset.
People with underlying gallstones can get symptomatic with ingestion of coffee.”
“The recommended upper limit of caffeine is no more than 400 milligrams per day for adults.”
What else can you drink during time-restricted eating?
Hendricks notes that drinking only water is the least disruptive way to stay hydrated during a fasting period.
If you prefer a little something in your coffee, opt for a sprinkle of cinnamon.
Can you drink coffee while fasting for bloodwork?
A recent study showsthat drinking plain black coffee prior to fasting bloodwork does not impact the results.
However, you should check with your physician about your unique situation.
The takeaway.
If we’re being strict about it, coffeedoestechnically break a fast.
Some people may be sensitive to a blood sugar drop after coffee consumption on an empty stomach.
You’ll still reap some metabolic health benefits, despite breaking your fast.
