Supplements While Fasting

by Vorst Canada November 28, 2022

Disclaimer: This content has been produced purely for informational and educational purposes only and is never intended to be used as a substitute for professional medical guidelines including diagnosis, advice, and treatment.

Although fasting has many proven health benefits, it’s important to fast in a healthy way. Fasting or any type of food restriction, such as dieting or juicing, may lead the body to miss out on certain key nutrients. Taking supplements while fasting may help reduce the risk of nutrient deficiencies. But what supplements are good for fasting and when to use them? Keep reading to learn more.

In this article, we’ll be discussing the importance of taking supplements while fasting in a scientific manner. But before we get into how supplements can support fasting, we’ll need to understand fasting and its effects a little bit more. So, let’s get started.

Understanding fasting and its effects
Taking supplements while fasting
Precautions and side effects
Final words

Understanding fasting and its effect

Though it has gained increasing popularity as a favorable lifestyle choice over the past few years, fasting or otherwise known as intermittent fasting, isn’t new and has long been practiced throughout history for survival, health, and spiritual reasons.

Fasting has been shown to have many different health benefits. Studies suggest that fasting can help reduce visceral fat mass and insulin resistance, thereby can hugely help in facilitating weight loss and preventing diabetes and heart disease.

Despite it has many beneficial effects on the body, fasting has some downsides too. Intensive fasting protocols like water restriction may lead to an increased risk of dehydration, infections, mild to moderate damage to tissues and organs, and most importantly, nutrient deficiencies that can affect entire bodily functions and quality of life. This is the reason why most nutritionists and healthcare professionals recommend taking supplements while fasting, especially for those whose diet regimen is poor from a nutrition standpoint.

Taking supplements while fasting

Studies suggest that nutrient deficiencies or low levels may cause various health issues including chronic fatigue, weakness, anemia, poor balance, and mental confusion. Taking supplements while fasting may help reduce the risk of malnutrition and thereby, risk factors that can contribute to developing serious health issues.

But there are many supplements that essentially can break the fast and ruin the desired outcomes. Hence, choosing the right supplements while fasting is quite tricky. We need to choose supplements that don’t break the fast but can help prevent nutrient deficits and associated issues.

Moreover, it’s also important to understand when and how to take them. While some supplements work very well when taken on an empty stomach during fasting, others are not get properly absorbed on an empty stomach and are required to be taken with foods.

Let’s take a look at some vital supplements that can help facilitate fasting:

Calcium

Calcium is critical for many bodily functions, especially for building and maintaining bones and muscles. It acts as an electrolyte and can help the body retain water and stay hydrated during fasting.

Here you can see Vorst’s pure and natural Calcium with Vitamin D Tablets

Magnesium

Magnesium is an essential element that assists in more than 300 biological processes. Low levels of magnesium can affect potassium and calcium levels which can cause various symptoms such as irregular heartbeat, fatigue, muscle cramps, weakness, and digestive issues.

Most clinicians recommend magnesium bisglycinate as this form is well-absorbed on an empty stomach and doesn’t cause any digestive issues. If you still experience stomach upset after taking magnesium bisglycinate on an empty stomach, consider taking it with foods in your eating window.

Here you can see Vorst’s natural Magnesium Bisglycinate Vegan Capsules

Potassium

Potassium helps keep healthy fluid levels inside the human cells. It is hugely helpful while fasting because it can help prevent and manage side effects induced during the body starts turning fats into energy, which is known as ketosis.

Here you can see Vorst’s pure and natural Potassium Iodide Vegan Capsules

Vitamin D

Vitamin D supports the body in how it stores and uses calcium and other vital minerals. It’s essential for bone health. Supplementation of this vital vitamin can help lower the risk of developing bone disorders like osteomalacia.

Here you can see Vorst’s Vitamin D3 25 Mcg (1000 IU) Capsules

Fish oil

Fish oil contains significant quantities of omega-3 fatty acids, particularly DHA and EPA. omega-3 fatty acids are good fats that can be used by the body to produce energy, especially during fasting. It helps the body to absorb certain vitamins, stay warm, and get the energy required to sustain itself during fasting.

Here you can see Vosrt’s Fish Oil Softgels

Precautions and side effects

Although there are tons of benefits to taking supplements while fasting, all supplements don’t suit all body types. Choosing supplements is individual and it depends on various factors such as dietary intake and specific health status. Some people may experience mild to moderate side effects with certain ingredients as well.

Therefore, it’s always best to work with a professional nutritionist or naturopathic doctor to determine which supplements are right for your specific health status and which method of use would be the best for you.

Final words

Fasting or otherwise called intermittent fasting has been found to have many potential health benefits ranging from facilitating weight loss to regulating sugar levels to preventing serious diseases such as heart disease and even certain types of cancer. Despite its proven health benefits, there are certain risk factors involved such as an increased risk of getting malnutrition, infections, and tissue or even organ damage.

Taking supplements while fasting is the easiest way to prevent these risks and stay energized. Common supplements mostly recommended by clinicians may include calcium, potassium, magnesium, vitamin D, and fish oil to name a few.

But it’s important to consider working with a professional nutritionist or naturopathic doctor to determine the right supplements and best possible doses.

Important resources:

Supplements While Fasting

Table of contents

Understanding fasting and its effect

Taking supplements while fasting

Calcium

Magnesium

Potassium

Vitamin D

Fish oil

Precautions and side effects

Final words