Does Ginger Break Intermittent Fasting?

While intermittent fasting, it can be tempting to add a splash of flavor to your drinks. Sticking with water can be difficult and often leads to more cravings down the road. Many intermittent fasters have added a cup of coffee or tea to their fasting menu, but even that can be a little lacking in flavor as the drink must remain plain.

Though tea itself is inherently low in calories and sugars, leaving your fast intact, what do added flavors do to your system? Will adding a splash of lemon affect the makeup of the tea? One of the most common additions to a good cup of tea is ginger – it clears the sinuses and makes for a great spice on a sick day. Ginger has many uses and benefits, but how does it affect intermittent fasting?

We’ll break down ginger and take a look at how each component affects the body. From that we can see for sure whether or not adding a bit of ginger to your intermittent fasting menu will break your fasting state.

Key Takeaways

• Adding ginger to your drinks while intermittent fasting may not necessarily break your fast, as long as you keep the serving size and overall calorie intake low.
• Protein and sugar content in ginger may affect your insulin production and break your fast, so it’s important to be mindful of the amount you consume.
• Ginger has potential weight loss benefits and can help curb hunger and boost the immune system, making it a beneficial addition to your diet during intermittent fasting.

A Break Down of Ginger

Unfortunately, ginger does have calories and calories can break your fast. Eat too much ginger and you consume too many calories for your body to remain in a fasting state. But what about ginger tea or trace amounts of ginger in your water to add a hint of flavor? Well, if you’re able to keep the amount of ginger low, then you should be good to add some to your tea. However, you should be aware of what you’re adding with one serving of ginger.

One serving of ginger – 11 grams – contains 9 calories, 0.2 grams of sugar, 0.1 grams of fats, and 0.2 grams of proteins. One serving alone shouldn’t be enough to break your fast, but you have to be careful when drinking certain ginger-flavored teas as they could use more than one serving. When you compound servings of ginger, you approach the point in which a fast is broken.

How Ginger Affects Intermittent Fasting

The effects of ginger on intermittent fasting will vary based on the method of intermittent fasting you’re partaking in. There are some schools of thought that say even 1 calorie is enough to break a fast. This then renders even one serving of ginger as too much for your intermittent fast to continue. However, if your intermittent fasting plan allows for up to 50 calories, then you could have multiple servings of ginger as long as the sugars and proteins are not too much.

While the calories might not be enough to break your fast after a couple of servings of ginger, the protein and sugar content might. Protein and sugar both wake up your system’s insulin production which can cause your body to immediately break its fast. If you have too much of either, your fast could be broken.

Benefits of Ginger

There are some weight loss benefits that ginger offers, though, so don’t completely rule it out of your diet. For starters, when you have ginger in your tea, the flavor and aroma can help curb hunger and cravings. Ginger tea – if it’s below your body’s fast-breaking threshold – is one of the best drinks to have during a fast. It helps distract your brain from hunger and the hints of nutrients offered by the ginger will satiate your appetite for a bit.

Ginger has also been shown to have a correlation with weight loss. Some studies have found that more ginger in your diet can help the body to lose weight, especially when in teas and water. Your digestive system will also be improved with an increase of ginger in your diet. Many immunocompromised people are recommended to add ginger to their diet as well as it helps boost your immune system.

Don’t forget to check our 10 best fasting apps to make your intermittent fasting journey easier.

FAQ

• Does Ginger Break Intermittent Fasting?

Intermittent fasting is a popular eating pattern where people restrict their calorie intake for a certain period. During fasting, people are not allowed to consume any calorie-containing food or beverages. Ginger is a spice with numerous health benefits, and people often wonder if it can be consumed during fasting without breaking the fast.

• Can you have ginger tea during intermittent fasting?

Yes, ginger tea is allowed during intermittent fasting as it contains no calories.

• Does adding honey to ginger tea break intermittent fasting?

Yes, adding honey to ginger tea will break the fast as it contains calories.

• Can ginger powder break intermittent fasting?

No, ginger powder is allowed during intermittent fasting as it contains no calories.

• Does ginger ale break intermittent fasting?

Yes, ginger ale contains calories, so it breaks the fast.

• Does ginger shot break intermittent fasting?

It depends on the ingredients of the ginger shot. The ginger shot will break the fast if it contains any calories or added sugars.

• What are the health benefits of ginger?

Ginger has numerous health benefits, including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, improved digestion, reduced muscle pain and soreness, and reduced nausea and vomiting.