what is stevia | Does stevia break a fast | how to choose stevia | how to use stevia
So, Can I Drink Coffee With Stevia While Fasting? let’s find out… With limited fasting-friendly drink options, discovering another ingredient you can use during your fasting window can change the fasting game. Do stevia and intermittent fasting go together? Let’s find out!
Stevia is one of the few sweeteners that is not chemically created in a lab but derived from a plant. It’s likely that a drink or food labeled with “natural sweeteners” or “no artificial sweeteners” will have stevia as one of the ingredients. Therefore, you will find stevia in popular drinks like Coca Cola Life and Vitamin Water Zero.
But how about stevia during intermittent fasting? If you’re here to find out does stevia break a fast, we’ve got good news. In short, adding stevia to your intermittent fasting drink won’t break the fast.
But let’s find out more about this natural, zero-calorie sweetener. Here’s what we will cover:
- Can I drink Coffee With Stevia While Fasting?
- What Is Stevia?
- How To Choose Stevia
- How To Use Stevia When Doing Intermittent Fasting?
Can I Drink Coffee with Stevia While Fasting?
Short answer, When you have a coffee and add stevia, this within itself will not break a fast, due to the calorie content in stevia and the absence of impact on your insulin and blook sugar levels. However, your coffee must either be black coffee or be calorie free creamer in the coffee to keep you in fasting mode. Read more to understand what mistakes can be made when using stevia and fasting.
We all love our coffee to increase energy levels, and it is safe to drink during your fasting period. You may also consider certain types of sugar alcohols which can be used, and are safer than artificial sweeteners if you can’t stomach Stevia.
What Is Stevia?
Stevia is a green sweet herbal plant native to South America. The plant looks a little like mint and its leaves have been used in South America for centuries. Stevia belongs to the family of sunflowers and its leaves are naturally sweet. In fact, the indigenous people used to chew the leaves for their sweet taste and used them to sweeten their drinks naturally.
Stevia extract is about 200-300 times sweeter than sugar, which means that you only need a tiny bit at a time to sweeten your morning coffee or baked goods.
So..how does stevia taste like?
The taste of stevia varies from person to person. Overall, when compared to sugar, it takes longer for the “sweetness” to kick in. But most say that the sweet flavor lasts longer.
Depending on the stevia brand and your tastebuds, you might also taste some bitterness, metallic aftertaste and liquorice or minty note.
Stevia is becoming a popular alternative to other sweeteners, both natural, like sugar or honey, and artificial ones. What makes people opt for stevia sweetener?
Three main reasons for choosing stevia are:
- Stevia has zero calories. Due to the way your body metabolizes stevia, it quickly passes through your digestive tract and does not break down for calories. For comparison, 1 teaspoon of sugar contains about 16 calories. Stevia is a popular sweetener for those with weight loss goals.
- Stevia is natural a.k.a made from plants. Stevia is not created in a lab, it is a natural plant sweetener. Why avoid artificial sweeteners like Splenda, NutraSweet, Sugar Twin and others? There is a lot of conflicting information and various studies done around artificial sweeteners and their effects on the health and insulin response. Some studies show that artificial sweeteners tend to increase appetite and their consumption is linked to weight gain and obesity-related diseases. Yet another reason to go for a natural sweetener like stevia.
- Stevia doesn’t increase blood sugar levels. This makes it a safer alternative for insulin-sensitive people and diabetics.
Does Stevia alone Break A Fast?
We’ve got good news! Yes, you can use stevia while intermittent fasting. As it contains zero calories, stevia is practically the only sweetener you can use during your intermittent fasting window.
However, take note that for some people, stevia could increase appetite. Therefore, pay attention to how you feel after drinking your coffee or tea with a pinch of stevia. If it keeps hunger at bay for longer, that’s great. However, if it makes your sugar cravings worse, it’s better to stick to plain unsweetened drinks during the fasting window. Does stevia break a fast? answer is absolutely not!
How To Choose Stevia?
It might be tempting just to grab the first stevia product out there. However, keep in mind that not all stevia products were created equal.
To make stevia look, feel and behave more like sugar, most stevia products contain some additives. They are added to enhance the flavor, add bulk, or make stevia more powder-like.
The drawback is that these additives might not only improve the taste or texture but also add carbohydrates and calories. This doesn’t sound as intermittent fasting friendly anymore.
Here are some tips to choose stevia for your intermittent fasting days:
- Read the label. Just because it says “stevia” on the product does not mean it’s the only ingredient. Try to avoid common stevia additives like Agave, Dextrose, Maltodextrin and Erythritol which are often made from genetically-modified ingredients or are chemically synthesized. The fewer ingredients, the better.
- Don’t trust “natural”. The term “natural” is very loosely used and could mean anything. Still check the product label to avoid unnecessary additives.
- Choose powdered stevia. You can find stevia both in powdered and liquid form. It takes more processing and preservatives to make liquid stevia, while the powder form is generally less processed and has fewer if any, preservatives.
Far and away my Favorite Stevia is – Better Stevia Organic Powder(click here)– tastes great and Zero-Calories – PURE Stevia with no adders or fillers.
We suggest trying SweetLeaf Stevia which is one of the most popular and best rated on Amazon.
No artificial ingredients, zero carbs and calories. Oh, and no bitter after taste – that’s where their slogan “The World’s Best Tasting Stevia” comes from.
How To Use Stevia While Intermittent Fasting
Now when you know all pros and cons of using stevia during intermittent fasting, it’s time to find out some of the ways to use this natural sweetener.
As someone doing intermittent fasting, you might already be familiar with what can you drink during intermittent fasting. The best is to stick to 3 intermittent fasting safe drinks: water, plain tea or black coffee. During the fasting window, these will be the drinks you can add a pinch of stevia to add some flavor and satisfy your sweet tooth. Just remember, stevia is 200-300 times sweeter than sugar, so check the product label to understand the right amount of stevia to add. You only need a small amount of stevia.
During your intermittent fasting eating window, you can get more creative and substitute sugar with stevia in baked goods. For some inspiration, you can check these 17 healthy stevia-sweetened dessert recipes. Stevia is an especially great choice for anyone doing the low-carb keto intermittent fasting as sugar is pure carbs. We answered the question, does stevia break a fast, no! let us know if you would like more content like this.
Info on Artificial Sweeteners while fasting (the bad types!):
Artificial sweeteners are commonly used as a substitute for sugar in food and beverages such as diet soda, etc. These sweeteners have zero calories and are considered a non-nutritive sweetener. They are used by people who want to reduce their calorie intake, manage their blood sugar levels, or control their weight. However, studies have shown that the use of artificial sweeteners can have negative effects on health.
Artificial sweeteners can affect insulin response and insulin levels in the body. Insulin is a hormone that regulates blood glucose levels by signaling cells to take in glucose from the bloodstream. When artificial sweeteners are consumed, they do not stimulate insulin release, which can cause a delay in insulin response. This delay can cause an increase in blood sugar levels, leading to insulin resistance and decreased insulin sensitivity. These conditions can eventually lead to type 2 diabetes.
Furthermore, artificial sweeteners have been linked to negative impacts on health, including increased risk of metabolic syndrome, obesity, and cardiovascular disease. One reason for this is that they can disrupt the natural balance of gut bacteria, which can affect glucose metabolism and lead to insulin resistance. Additionally, some studies have shown that artificial sweeteners can increase appetite and food intake, leading to weight gain over time. In conclusion, while artificial sweeteners or a calorie-free sweetener may seem like a good alternative to sugar, they should be consumed in moderation to avoid negative impacts on health.
Researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of USC say diet sodas actually cause the brain to experience more food cravings (hunger pangs) than normal sugary beverages. Study authors note this is the largest study to date examining how artificial sweeteners, or nonnutritive sweeteners (NNS), influence brain activity and appetite.
Other Alternatives of drinks other than a cup of Coffee?
We recommend trying herbal tea, lemon water, black tea, water – Want to see an entire list – check this out of What can I drink while fasting here. Also, an alternative to stevia, some people prefer monk fruit sweetener. Great taste, but sometimes blended with sugar alcohols.
Conclusion – Can I Drink Coffee with Stevia While fasting?
Yes, you absolutely can drink coffee with stevia while fasting, but be careful what else you put in with your coffee. There are various creamers, MCT Oils, Butter, Whether you’re an intermittent fasting beginner or already practicing for a while, there’s always a room for improvement.
Be careful with Bulletproof coffee, it contains grass-fed butter, MCT Oil, coconut oil and generally can not be used while in a fasted state if you are trying to maintain your fast. While it is healthy, it may contain too many calories thus breaking your fast. You can enjoy your coffee without the table sugar or a sugar substitute that will have a negative impact on your gut health, cause metabolic changes. Stevia may be your best option to enjoy your morning joe!
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