Can you drink Kombucha while fasting? Learn how Kombucha may affect your fast, the potential benefits, and what to consider before enjoying this fermented tea
Are you planning to drink kombucha during intermittent fasting? Are you curious about the impact of kombucha on your fast or how it can help you achieve your goals? Before you start integrating kombucha into your intermittent fasting plans, there are several things you may need to keep in mind.
People drink kombucha for a number of reasons. First, of course, it tastes great! Not only that, it may have some surprising benefits for some drinkers.
Many people, due to the excitement surrounding kombucha, wonder if they can include it as part of their intermittent fasting. After all, kombucha seems to offer some of the same health benefits as tea, which they can include in their intermittent fast.
Intermittent fasting is a health and fitness trend that, rather than restricting what people eat in an effort to lose weight, encourages people to only eat during certain times of the day in order to lose or maintain body weight. Breaking the fast too early can lead to a spike in growth hormones and changes in insulin sensitivity. Furthermore, breaking the fast, even with a low-calorie drink like kombucha, may lead to increased hunger pangs, which can make it harder to wait out the rest of the window.
Intermittent fasting may take several different forms, depending on the individual's goals.
During the fasting period, fasters obviously cannot eat anything that contains any calories. They can, however, consume beverages that do not contain any caloric content. That typically includes:
Coffee drinkers often find considerable benefit to coffee, especially if they skip breakfast as part of their usual fasting habits. Coffee can help blunt hunger, making it a desirable addition to their fasting routines. Furthermore, coffee often provides the essential energy boost that can help people get moving, even when they're struggling with low energy levels due to fasting.
In general, fasters are expected to avoid any sugar or added calories during the fasting period. That means that while they can enjoy unsweetened tea or coffee, they should not add any type of sweetener to either beverage. That includes honey, sugar, and sugar substitutes.
While some sources suggest that a small amount of cream or milk added to tea or coffee could be fine, especially in moderation, it's important to consider your unique dietary needs before deciding whether that simple addition will take you off-track.
Kombucha is often made from a tea base. The particular type of tea may depend on the intended flavor and profile of the kombucha: green tea, black tea, white tea, and oolong are all popular choices.
Kombucha, however, does contain added sweeteners: typically either cane sugar, a small amount of fruit juice, or both. Those sweeteners are critical to both the taste of the fermented tea and the growth of the yeast and bacteria in the kombucha; however, they do add caloric content, which means that kombucha during intermittent fasting will typically mean that you have broken your fast.
Once you consume sugar, your body will typically release insulin, which causes the fast to break. In general, you should avoid drinking kombucha during fasting hours.
If you love kombucha, you may want to make it a regular part of your diet, even while intermittent fasting. Indeed, intermittent fasting may have a number of health benefits, especially when you're trying to lose weight or keep your blood sugar under control. Adding kombucha to your diet can help you maintain those health benefits throughout your fast and beyond. Here are some of the benefits and principles to consider.
Have you found yourself struggling with your overall energy levels during intermittent fasting? Some people struggle with a lack of energy when they're inside the fasting window, then struggle again with a carb-related slump after they break the fast. Drinking kombucha during your eating window can help you maintain your energy levels all day long.
The probiotic content of kombucha can help with digestion in a number of key ways. Many people struggle with a variety of digestive problems, including bloating, IBS, and diarrhea. Consuming probiotics on a regular basis, including options like kombucha, can help you maintain overall digestive health. Not only does that mean that you'll see improvements in your general health, it may help you feel more comfortable throughout the day, especially if you drink kombucha on a regular basis.
Antioxidants help protect against cellular damage. Green tea, a common component in kombucha, is known to offer a number of antioxidant benefits, which you can enjoy by adding kombucha to your diet plans.
Drinking green tea is known to offer several calorie-burning benefits, including helping to speed up your metabolism throughout the day. Drinking green tea may help aid in body fat reduction, which may help you feel more confident about your fat-burning efforts and make you feel more confident about your weight loss. Kombucha is a great way to get in that great green tea boost—and it may be a lower-calorie option for drinking a sweetened version of that popular beverage.
In general, consuming kombucha does not seem to create the same blood sugar spike as other sugar-rich foods, in part, it seems, because kombucha helps suppress blood glucose levels under some circumstances. As a result, you may be able to consume kombucha soon after your fast comes to an end without experiencing extremely negative effects.
In general, when you break your fast during the intermittent fasting period, you want to consume food rich in healthy fats, protein, and fiber. Many meal options, from soups and sandwiches to eggs and toast, can help fulfill these requirements.
Adding kombucha to these foods within your eating window can offer a number of key advantages, including boosting your energy and helping with digestion. With kombucha as part of your eating window in your intermittent fasting plan, you will often feel better and less weighed down than you would if you were consuming soda or other sugary beverages.
While you may not want to consume kombucha during fasting periods, you can consume kombucha as part of a healthy diet option during the eating period of your intermittent fasting routine.
Once you're ready to break your fast, adding kombucha to your diet is a great way to get many of those health boosts and improve your overall energy levels, fat burning potential, and more.
You may want to consume it as part of a healthy meal that incorporates protein, fats, and fiber, or make a habit of drinking kombucha when you need that energy boost most.
You may want to time your kombucha consumption with your natural low periods, when you need that energy boost the most. Have you noticed that you suffer from a mid-day slump during your intermittent fasting period? Do you struggle to keep your energy levels high at the beginning of the day, when you first break your fast? You may find that those windows are the ideal time to drink kombucha and raise your energy.
If you want to include kombucha as part of your diet plan, look for a brand that is ethically sourced, with a reduced footprint and high-quality herbs and teas that will help you make the most of your experience.
At Brew Dr, we strive to offer the highest-quality products while minimizing the footprint we leave on the world. Do you have questions about our amazing kombucha products and how they can help benefit your intermittent fasting routine? Contact us to learn more about our great options and flavors.
