Vitamins during intermittent fasting

[The Accuser]

Does taking vitamins (B, C, D) and other supplements like Zinc or L-Lysin in the forms of capsules break a fast?

I understand the capsules are made of something that must contain calories, maybe that's also true of other components like the carrier of the vitamins (powder etc).

What do you think?

 

[Slothbroth]

Does taking vitamins (B, C, D) and other supplements like Zinc or L-Lysin in the forms of capsules break a fast?

I understand the capsules are made of something that must contain calories, maybe that's also true of other components like the carrier of the vitamins (powder etc).

What do you think?

I think it's a waste

Without food, you don't have the digestive acids in your stomach to break it down fully and I know that with zinc and probably other minerals that you should take them with food or it can give you an upset stomach

I don't think the capsule will cause you to break a fast

Electrolytes are good during a fast though.

 

[Renard]

Usually when people fast it's because they want to experience the benefits of fasting, like autophagy and neurogenesis. So I think your actual question is whether taking vitamins will prevent autophagy? As far as I'm aware, no, you will get autophagy. When you're missing calories your body uses that opportunity to break down old, dysfunctional cells to reuse the protein and fats that constitute them. Vitamins won't stop that process, they're not calories. Supplementing with electrolytes like magnesium, potassium and sodium could be good too, and won't interfere either. For a short fast you can get away with no electrolytes, but it's strongly recommended to take some for a longer fast.

 

[The Accuser]

Thanks for the answers!

Vitamins won't stop that process, they're not calories.

I was referring to the material of the capsule and the other components of the powder which carries the vitamins, not the vitamins themselves.

 

[ChessJitsu]

Does taking vitamins (B, C, D) and other supplements like Zinc or L-Lysin in the forms of capsules break a fast?

I understand the capsules are made of something that must contain calories, maybe that's also true of other components like the carrier of the vitamins (powder etc).

What do you think?

They don't spike your insulin as long as they don't have calories so it shouldn't break a fast the way water and tea don't break a fast.

However, why not just take the vitamins with your food when your fast ends?

Now only will your body absorb most of the vitamin contents better but you'll also meet your nutritional needs the same way anyway since calorie restricting puts you in nutritional deficiency risk (if you're fasting you might not enough food- I fast and always lose weight on fasting so I take supplements).

 

[Renard]

Thanks for the answers!



I was referring to the material of the capsule and the other components of the powder which carries the vitamins, not the vitamins themselves.

Capsules are usually cellulose, which is a plant fiber you can't digest, sometimes fillers like silica (basically sand) and magnesium stereate (some sort of salt afaik). They don't do anything. Although I know there were studies which found that nano particles of common fillers can be bad because their small size allows them to end up in the brain and other places they shouldn't be. Since manufactures never have to mention the particle size of a filler put inside a product, as a rule you don't want a supplement that has a lot of fillers. Unfortunately this rules out like 90% of products, but if you read the labels you can eventually find a better product - it's a little tedious.