Can you drink bone broth during your fast? This is a surprisingly common question, especially amongst people who are just getting started with intermittent fasting.
Intermittent fasting has become increasingly popular in recent years as more and more people look to take control of their relationship with food.
Meanwhile, bone broth is touted as a healthy food to help provide a number of nutritional benefits.
So, should you drink bone broth during your fast? The simple answer is no, because it contains calories and therefore will break your fast.
However, there are a few things to bear in mind, and we’re going to go into them in a bit more detail below.
In this article, we’re going to take a close look at intermittent fasting to see why it’s become so popular in recent years.
We’re also going to examine bone broth as a food, and look at what it contains in terms of micronutrients and macronutrients.
We’ll then give a more detailed answer as to whether bone broth will break a fast or not.
So, with the introductions out of the way, let’s start taking a closer look at intermittent fasting and how bone broth fits into the picture.
Jump To Section
What Is Intermittent Fasting?
Intermittent Fasting (sometimes referred to as IF), is simply a way of eating that involves splitting your time into periods of eating and not eating (fasting).
It has become very popular in recent years as more and more people look to take control of their relationship with food.
(Photo: Adobe Stock)
The other reason why some people are choosing to practice intermittent fasting is because it is claimed to bring about a number of potential health benefits.
There is an emerging body of scientific evidence to suggest that intermittent fasting may be beneficial for health, although more research is needed in this area.
The simple premise behind intermittent fasting is that it is presented as a more ‘natural’ way of eating, as ancestral humans are unlikely to have access to the abundance of food that is available today in the modern world.
Giving your body some time off from digesting food from time to time so it can focus on other processes is probably a good thing.
The word ‘fast’ can make the whole thing sound pretty dramatic, but most intermittent fasting protocols are fairly straightforward – they usually involve reorganising your meal times.
One popular intermittent fasting method is the 16:8 protocol. This involves splitting your day into a 16-hour fast, with an eight-hour eating window. For example, if you have dinner at 8pm in the evening, you would not eat the next day until midday.
There are many other different protocols of intermittent fasting. If you are just starting out with intermittent fasting, then trying a daily 12-hour fast could be a simple way to test the water.
Some people also choose to practice longer fast, such as a 24-hour fast every week or month.
You should not try intermittent fasting without having first consulted with a certified medical professional, especially if you have an underlying medical condition or are pregnant or breastfeeding.
If you want to find out a bit more about intermittent fasting, then be sure to check out our interview with Max Lowery, who is the founder of the 2 Meal Day.
The Bottom Line: Intermittent fasting is simply a way of eating that splits your time into periods of ‘fasting’ and ‘eating windows’. One popular method is the 16:8 protocol, which involves splitting your day into a 16-hour fast, and an eight-hour eating window.
What Is Bone Broth?
Bone broth has made a name for itself as a popular ‘health’ food in recent years. It is claimed to have a number of potential health benefits because of the nutrients it contains.
Simply put, bone broth is made by simmering the bones and connective tissues of animals in water to make a broth. It is commonly used as a stock for soups and other dishes, but more recently it has gained notoriety as a drink on its own.
Beef and chicken are two of the common types of bone broth, and vegetables such as carrots and onions are also often added to the recipe for extra flavour.
There is little in the way of scientific studies into the potential benefits of bone broth, but that does not stop many people using it on a regular basis for its supposed health benefits.
The exact vitamins and minerals in bone broth depends on the ingredients used and the way it is prepared, but it usually contains some sodium and potassium. It also usually contains some protein.
Bone broth is also thought to contain collagen, which could bring about some benefits of its own.
The Bottom Line: Bone broth is a hot liquid made by simmering the bones and connective tissues of animals, such as beef or chicken. It is used as a stock and a base ingredient for things such as soups and sauces, but it is also consumed on its own as a hot drink. It contains a number of minerals which could promote certain health benefits, although there is little in the way of scientific research into its specific benefits.
Does Bone Broth Break A Fast?
So, now on to the all-important question. Does bone broth break a fast?
The simple answer is that yes, it does, because it contains calories.
Most intermittent fasting protocols require you not to consume any calories during your ‘fasting window’.
Although bone broth is not a calorie-rich drink, it does have some calories. A one-cup serving of bone broth contains around 80 calories.
That same one-cup serving of bone broth is made up of 10g of protein, 0.5g of fat and 5g of carbohydrates.
For this reason, most people would agree that having bone broth during your fast will bring you out of the fasted state, because it will trigger your body to start digesting it.
(Photo: Adobe Stock)
That being said, whether you choose to drink bone broth during your fast or not will really come down to personal preference and how strict you are willing to be with yourself.
If you are looking to be 100 per cent sure of remaining in a fasted state, then we would always recommend that you only consume water during your fasting period.
The Bottom Line: Bone broth will break your fast because it contains calories. However, some people may choose to consume it during their fasting window because it only contains a minimal amount of calories.
Anything Else To Consider?
Intermittent fasting can be a very empowering tool for a lot of people, but as we mentioned above, you should not try it without having first consulted with a certified medical professional.
This is especially important if you have an underlying medical condition or are pregnant or breastfeeding.
We always like to remind our readers that good health requires a multi-dimensional approach.
You should make sure that you are sticking to a good diet, getting enough quality sleep and are exercising regularly before thinking about making any drastic changes to your lifestyle.
Intermittent fasting and bone broth can both be great tools used in the correct way, but you should not see them as magic solutions to solve all of your health issues overnight.
Wrapping Things Up – Our Final Thoughts
That brings us to the end of our look at whether bone broth breaks a fast or not.
We’ve walked you through the basic things you need to know about both bone broth and intermittent fasting and have explained why they have become so popular in recent years.
We’ve explained that bone broth is likely to break a fast because it contains calories. However, it is fairly low in calories, so some people still choose to consume it during their fasting windows.
It all comes down to personal preference and how strict you are planning to be with yourself with your fasting protocol.
