Lots of people are into fasting to get healthier and lose weight these days. But it can be confusing to know what you can eat or drink during fasting. We’ll talk about whether you can have coffee with Stevia while fasting and give you all the info you need to decide.
Table of Contents
What is Stevia?
Stevia is a natural sweetener derived from the leaves of the Stevia rebaudiana plant. It is much sweeter than sugar but has zero calories and a low glycemic index. This makes Stevia a popular choice for people looking to reduce their sugar intake. Stevia is also considered safe to eat, as it has no known side effects1.
Can You Drink Coffee with Stevia While Fasting?
If you’re doing a water fast, then the answer is no; you cannot drink coffee with Stevia. During a water fast, you are only allowed to consume water and nothing else. Adding anything else, including coffee with Stevia, would break the fast. However, if you are doing intermittent fasting, then the answer is yes; you can drink coffee with Stevia.
Intermittent fasting involves alternating periods of fasting with periods of eating. During the fasting period, you are allowed to consume certain beverages, including coffee with Stevia. But remember, drinking too much coffee can be bad for your health, so it’s important to enjoy it in moderation.
What is Fasting?
Fasting is the act of abstaining from food and drink for a certain period of time. It has been practiced for centuries for religious and cultural reasons, but in recent years, it has gained popularity as a way to improve health and lose weight.
There are several different types of fasting:
- Water fasting: This involves consuming only water and no food for a set period of time.
- Juice fasting involves consuming only fruit or vegetable juice and no solid food for a set period.
- Intermittent fasting: This involves limiting food intake to certain hours of the day or certain days of the week.
- Partial fasting: This involves restricting certain foods or food groups for a set period of time.
- Religious fasting: This involves abstaining from food and/or drink for a set period of time as part of a religious observance or practice.
- Dry fasting: This involves abstaining from both food and water for a set period of time.
- Alternate day fasting: This involves alternating between days of normal eating and days of restricted calorie intake.
Pros & cons of Consuming Stevia while fasting
Here are the pros and cons of using Stevia as a sweetener in your coffee while fasting.
Pros:
👉 Zero Calories: Stevia is a calorie-free sweetener, which means that it will not break your intermittent fast. This is important because consuming any calories during your fasting period can cause your body to start digesting food, breaking the fast.
👉 Helps Curb Hunger: Coffee can help suppress hunger, and adding Stevia to it can make it more palatable without breaking your fast. This can be especially helpful during longer fasts when hunger becomes more intense.
Cons:
👉 May Trigger Insulin Response: According to a recent study, Stevia does trigger an insulin response, which means it can impact your body’s ability to burn fat for fuel during your fast. But, another study says the exact opposite, so the science is mixed.
👉 May Trigger Cravings: Some people find that consuming sweet tastes, even calorie-free ones, can trigger cravings for more food. This could potentially lead to overeating and breaking the fast prematurely.
👉 Individual Response: Everyone’s body responds differently to different substances, and some people may find that consuming Stevia while fasting negatively affects their results.
👉 Dependency: Some individuals may become dependent on sweet tastes and find it difficult to wean themselves off sweeteners, making it harder to break the habit of adding sweeteners to their coffee even outside of their fasting period.
Effects of Natural Sweeteners on Fasting
The science on the effects of Stevia during fasting is mixed. While one study suggests that Stevia triggers an insulin response, a second study shows that it has zero impact on blood glucose levels and therefore doesn’t affect fasting:
“Findings showed no significant differences in fasting blood sugar (FBS) levels between the base line and after two hours, in participants. Also, no significant differences in insulin, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1C) and lipid levels were found between the two groups.”
National Library of Medicine
Some of the most common natural sugar alternatives include:
- stevia extract
- monk fruit sweetener
- sugar alcohols (erythritol & xylitol)
Stevia Extract: Stevia is derived from the leaves of the Stevia plant and is available in powder, liquid, and granule forms.
Monk Fruit: Monk fruit sweetener is derived from monk fruit and is low in calories, and does not raise blood sugar levels.
Sugar alcohols: Sugar alcohols like erythritol and xylitol are also low in calories and do not raise blood sugar levels2 but can cause digestive issues if consumed in large amounts.
Effects of Artificial Sweeteners on Fasting
Artificial sweeteners, or non-nutritive sweeteners, make things taste sweet without making you gain weight. They’re used in things like diet soda or sugar-free candy for people who want to watch their calories or don’t want to eat too much sugar.
New research suggests that artificial sweeteners might not be very good for your health if you suffer from certain medical conditions.3 The study claims that artificial sweeteners could lead to problems with your body’s metabolism, like trouble using insulin and difficulty managing glucose, which could eventually lead to weight gain.
Some of the most common artificial sweeteners include:
- Sucralose (Splenda®)
- Aspartame (Equal®)
- Saccharin (Sweet and Low®)
- Acesulfame potassium (Sweet One®)
Sucralose: Sucralose is an artificial sweetener that is derived from sugar. It is non-caloric and about 600 times sweeter than sugar.
Aspartame: Aspartame is an artificial sweetener made from two amino acids. It is commonly used as a low-calorie sugar substitute and is about 200 times sweeter than sugar.
Saccharin: Saccharin is an artificial sweetener that is about 300-400 times sweeter than sugar. It has zero calories and is commonly used in diet products.
Acesulfame Potassium: Ace-K is an artificial sweetener that is about 200 times sweeter than sugar. It has no calories and is usually mixed with other sweeteners in things like diet sodas or other sugar-free drinks.
Understanding Fasting and Insulin Response
Fasting is a method of restricting food intake for a specific period, with the purpose of achieving metabolic benefits such as weight loss, improved insulin sensitivity, and better glucose metabolism.
When we eat food, our body releases insulin, a hormone that regulates blood sugar levels by moving glucose from the bloodstream into the cells for energy or storage.
When we fast, our insulin levels decrease, and our body starts using stored energy (glycogen and body fat) for fuel.
The length of the fasting period and the types of foods and beverages consumed during the eating window can impact the metabolic changes that occur during fasting.
For example, consuming foods high in carbohydrates or added sugars can spike insulin levels and disrupt the fasted state.
On the other hand, consuming foods high in healthy fats and low in carbohydrates can promote ketone production and metabolic changes that benefit overall health.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the answer to whether or not you can drink coffee with Stevia while fasting depends on the type of fasting you are doing. If you are doing a water fast, then the answer is no, but if you are doing intermittent fasting, then the answer is yes.
Drinking coffee with Stevia while fasting can have several benefits, including increased energy and satisfaction during the fasting period and potential health benefits.
However, it is important to consume coffee with Stevia in moderation and consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new fasting regimen.
- Peteliuk, V., Rybchuk, L., Bayliak, M., Storey, K. B., & Lushchak, O. (2020). Natural sweetener Stevia rebaudiana: Functionalities, health benefits and potential risks. EXCLI Journal, 20, 1412-1430. https://doi.org/10.17179/excli2021-4211 ↩︎
- https://www.ynhh.org/services/nutrition/sugar-alcohol ↩︎
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/artificial-sweeteners/art-20046936#:~:text=In%20general%2C%20artificial%20sweeteners%20are,lead%20to%20serious%20health%20problems ↩︎
