You might be taking ashwagandha to help manage stress levels. However, if you’re also following an Intermittent Fasting schedule, will ashwagandha break your fast?
Today, we’re diving into the details of ashwagandha and Intermittent Fasting.
Does Ashwagandha Break a Fast?
Ashwagandha is a medicinal herb that is typically used as an adaptogen to help the body better handle stressors. Like most herbs, the amount of carbohydrates or protein in ashwagandha and ashwagandha supplements are fairly minimal and fall well under the “one gram rule”, therefore it won’t spike insulin or break a fast.
However, lately there have been brands coming out with a form of ashwagandha that will break a fast. This includes the spectrum of gummy vitamins.
Gummy vitamins contain sugar — typically between 1-3 grams of sugar per gummy. With each supplement serving typically totaling between 2-3 gummies, you’re looking at an added 2-9 grams of sugar per serving of gummy supplement.
The amount of sugar that will raise insulin (the storing hormone) and break a fast will vary from person to person. This is why I personally follow the “one gram rule” (this is also the rule followed in the Complete Intermittent Fasting Bundle). With the one gram rule, any food/liquid that comes in above one gram total of protein or carbohydrates will break a fast.
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Both protein and carbohydrates have the ability to raise the storing hormone insulin. When insulin is raised, the Intermittent Fast is broken. Carbohydrates have the greatest ability of raising insulin, especially simple sugars such as those in gummy vitamins.
With this in mind, when using Ashwagandha, be sure to opt for the capsule form if you don’t want it to break your fast.
