Fasting Teas: Do They Actually Have Calories or Break a Fast?
Intermittent fasting has surged in popularity for weight loss, blood sugar control, and other health benefits. Many people drink calorie-free beverages like water, black coffee, and tea to help curb hunger while fasting.
But a new category of teas marketed specifically for fasting has emerged, claiming to offer unique benefits. This raises questions around whether fasting teas truly have zero calories, if they impact ketosis, and their overall safety.
Lets take a detailed look at what fasting teas are, their ingredients and benefits, and whether they break a fast to help guide your choices during intermittent fasting.
What Are Fasting Teas?
Fasting teas are a relatively new phenomenon directly marketed to people partaking in intermittent fasting diets.
Also called fasting detox teas, cleanse teas, or skinny teas, these products often contain a blend of ingredients like herbs, spices, apple cider vinegar, probiotics, amino acids, and/or minerals.
Proponents claim these specially formulated tea blends offer advantages like:
- Curbing hunger and cravings
- Providing energy
- Boosting mental clarity
- Speeding weight loss results
- Detoxifying the body
- Supporting gut health
Drinking fasting tea is intended to complement and enhance the benefits of intermittent fasting diets like 16:8, the Warrior Diet, or alternate day fasting.
Common Ingredients in Fasting Teas
Fasting tea ingredients vary between products, but often include:
- Green tea: Provides antioxidants like EGCG that may enhance fat burning.
- Black tea: Contains caffeine for energy and focus.
- Oolong tea: Also has caffeine; may curb appetite.
- Apple cider vinegar: Claims to boost metabolism, reduce fasting blood sugar.
- Ginger: Could aid nausea, support digestion and immunity.
- Peppermint: Helps ease hunger and stomach discomfort.
- Cinnamon: May regulate blood sugar; adds flavor.
- Lemon/lime: Provide vitamin C; enhance taste.
Herbal blends without caffeine are also common for fasting at night. Some brands add probiotics, amino acids, yerba mate, cayenne pepper, and other ingredients with purported benefits.
What Are the Potential Benefits?
Proponents claim specially formulated fasting teas offer perks like:
- Reduced hunger and cravings: Ingredients like green tea, oolong, and ginger may help curb appetite.
- Increased fat burning: Compounds in green tea and spices may mildly boost metabolism.
- Stable blood sugar: Tea, apple cider vinegar, and cinnamon help regulate glucose.
- Detoxification: Herbal antioxidants may eliminate toxins and improve digestion.
- Enhanced cognition: Caffeine provides alertness and focus.
- Gut health support: Prebiotics, probiotics, and anti-inflammatory spices and herbs can benefit the gut microbiome.
However, more research is still needed on these teas as complete products. The quantity of each active ingredient also impacts potential benefits.
Should You Drink Fasting Tea for Weight Loss?
The concept behind fasting teas for weight loss is that ingredients like green tea, apple cider vinegar, and spices enhance the effects of intermittent fasting diets.
Some preliminary studies suggest certain ingredients may provide benefits like:
- Green tea catechins and caffeine increasing calorie burn and fat oxidation.
- Ginger and cayenne pepper increasing thermogenesis and metabolic rate.
- Apple cider vinegar improving satiety after meals, potentially reducing calorie intake.
However, research hasnt yet confirmed whether these specific fasting tea blends amplify weight loss to a significant degree. Drinking them during fasting windows may provide a mental boost if nothing else.
Fasting teas contain minimal calories on their own. But stick to just 1-2 cups to avoid excess calories that could hinder weight loss.
Do Fasting Teas Break a Fast?
This is one of the biggest questions around fasting teas - do they break your fast? The answer depends on the specific tea and ingredients.
Pure teas like green, black, white, oolong, herbal, and chai tea contain zero calories on their own. Flavorings like lemon, mint, cinnamon, and ginger also have negligible calories.
So unsweetened teas made with only herbs, spices, and flavors wont break your fast metabolically by raising insulin or glucose. They support remaining in a fasted state.
However, some fasting teas contain ingredients that do provide calories and technically break a fast, such as:
- Apple cider vinegar - around 5 calories per tablespoon
- Milk, cream, coconut milk, almond milk
- Nut milks like cashew or pecan milk
- Added sweeteners like sugar, honey, stevia
- Protein powder
- Fiber supplements
Even small amounts of calories can trigger metabolic processes that disrupt the benefits of fasting. Only consume true zero calorie teas during your fasting window if you want to remain fasted.
Will Fasting Tea Break Ketosis?
To stay in ketosis, total carb intake must be kept very low, around 20-50 grams per day. This induces fat burning for fuel instead of glucose.
Pure teas and herbals have zero net carbs and wont disrupt ketosis. But sweetened teas, added milk, and higher carb ingredients could easily knock you out of ketosis during fasting periods.
Track your tea ingredients carefully and limit carbs to under 10 grams per serving. Stevia-sweetened teas are generally fine for keto as long as they fit your macros.
Potential Concerns and Caution with Fasting Teas
For most people, enjoying unsweetened teas during intermittent fasting is likely safe. But some considerations include:
- Caffeine sensitivity - Black, green, and oolong teas have caffeine that may cause jitters or anxiety in sensitive individuals.
- Medication interactions - Caffeine, spices, and herbs could potentially interact with some medications. Check with your doctor.
- GI upset - Fasting can make you more prone to nausea or diarrhea, which could be compounded by teas containing spices, acid, etc.
- Sweeteners and milks - Added sugars and alternate dairy/nondairy milks add calories and carbs that break your fast and ketosis.
- Laxative effects - Some fasting tea blends contain herbs with laxative effects like senna or cascara sagrada, which can be risky.
Proceed cautiously if you have a health condition or take any medicines. And restrict intake of fasting teas to 1-2 cups per day maximum to keep additive effects under control.
Should You Drink Fasting Tea? The Bottom Line
Pure teas can be enjoyed freely during fasting windows to help curb hunger without worries of halting fat burning benefits.
Some fasting tea blends boast unique benefits thanks to added functional ingredients. But more research is still needed to confirm special advantages over regular tea.
Steer clear of sweetened or creamy fasting teas, as calories from sugar, honey, milk, etc. will break your fast. And opt for uncaffeinated blends if drinking later in the day.
Test different unsweetened fasting teas to find flavors you enjoy and that make intermittent fasting more pleasant without compromising your goals.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you drink fasting tea while intermittent fasting?
Yes, its fine to drink plain, unsweetened non-caloric teas during fasting periods. Caffeinated and herbal teas can help curb hunger. Just avoid added sugars, milks, and high-calorie enhancers.
What tea is best for intermittent fasting?
Some of the best teas for fasting include green tea, black tea, yerba mate tea, herbal teas with appetite-suppressing ingredients like peppermint and ginger, and chai tea spices. Choose based on your flavor and caffeine preferences.
Do fasting teas really work?
Some ingredients in fasting tea blends like green tea catechins and apple cider vinegar show promise for enhancing weight loss and metabolism. But more research is needed on fasting teas as complete products to confirm special benefits over regular tea.
Can you drink bone broth while intermittent fasting?
Bone broth is very low in calories but not completely zero. A cup often has 10-30 calories, so technically it does break a fast. However, a small amount of plain broth wont spike insulin substantially and is often still permitted.
What can you put in tea while fasting?
During a fast, avoid added sugars, honey, milks, creamers, nut milks, protein powders, and other calorie sources. Lemon, lime, mint, cinnamon, ginger, and small amounts of stevia are generally considered fine.
The Bottom Line
Enjoying unsweetened, low-calorie teas can help make intermittent fasting more pleasant without jeopardizing your fasted state or fat burning. While specially marketed fasting teas provide minimal extra advantages, they offer flavors and variety to prevent boredom.
Stick to zero-calorie blends and watch your intake of enhancements like sweeteners or creamers to keep your fasting teas truly free of calories and carbs.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.
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