Does Salt Break Fast?

Does salt break fast?

In this brief guide, we will answer the question “Does salt break fast?” and tell you why it may not break your fast. We will also discuss whether you need salt while doing intermittent fasting or not. We will also tell you what intermittent fasting is and what its health benefits are.

Yes, salt will break your fast if you are fasting for religious reasons. If you are doing intermittent fasting for weight loss, then it would not break your fast given that it is pure salt. Pure salt will not contain anything other than sodium and chloride and it would not affect your insulin levels so the fast would not be broken.

However, if you do take it while fasting, take it in moderation as it can spike your blood pressure.

Do you need salt while doing intermittent fasting?

This depends on how long you are fasting for. Salt is a good source of sodium for the body. Sodium is important to maintain the electrolyte balance in the body and also for the nervous system. If you are fasting for a short time, then you would not need to take salt and your sodium levels would not be affected as much in a short time.

If you are fasting for a long time, then you may need sodium. What happens is you lose sodium when you sweat or in urine etc. When you are fasting, the insulin level drops. Insulin acts on kidneys and makes it retain sodium. So in the absence of insulin, kidneys release sodium in urine.

So this is why it is fine to have moderate salt while fasting. You can mix a little bit of salt in your water in the morning and drink it. If you are fasting for more than 12 hours, then you most likely will need electrolytes. You can also take supplements.

What is intermittent fasting?

Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern where you set a window in which you can eat followed by a window of fasting. It is a very beneficial method of losing weight and also improving health.

There are many methods to do it but the most popular one is the 16/8 method. In this method, there is an 8 hour eating window where you can eat normally followed by a 16 hour fasting window.

During fasting, you can consume zero calorie drinks like black coffee. While you can eat normally during the 8 hour window, do not overeat and only eat foods that provide all the essential nutrients and are healthy. For example, pick complex carbs over refined carbs.

Another method is the 5:2 diet wherein you can eat normally for 5 days while you only consume limited calories for 2 non-consecutive days. For example, you can choose to fast on Sundays and Wednesdays while you eat normally on the other 5 days of the week.

You should consume only 500-600 calories on the fasting days and eat healthy, nutritious foods on regular days.

It has become very popular now due to the health benefits it offers. Also because it basically tells you when to eat rather than what to eat, the latter can be difficult for many.

What are the health benefits of intermittent fasting?

It is great for weight loss without having to keep a check on the number of calories you are consuming.
It also reduces insulin resistance which may be protective against developing type-2 diabetes.
It may be able to lower the cholesterol (LDL) levels in the blood. Lower cholesterol levels mean a healthy cardiovascular system which in turn leads to a healthy heart.
It can also promote a healthy brain.
It also has shown some anti-inflammatory effects in the body.

Read up more about intermittent fasting here.

Other FAQs about Salt that you may be interested in.

Can you eat food without salt?

Can you eat salt without iodine?

Do salt and pepper go bad?

Conclusion

In this brief guide, we answered the question “Does salt break fast?” and told you why it may not break your fast. We also discussed whether you need salt while doing intermittent fasting or not. We also told you what intermittent fasting is and what its health benefits are.