Intermittent fasting has become an enormously popular health and wellness trend. Supporters point to benefits like enhanced fat burning, reduced inflammation, improved blood sugar regulation, and more. But what if illness strikes while you’re committed to your IF protocol? Specifically – can you take cough drops while fasting or do cough drops break a fast?
It’s a key question many new and seasoned intermittent fasters wonder about. The short answer is most of the time, no, cough drops will NOT break your fast – but let’s discuss the specifics.
In this in-depth intermittent fasting guide, we’ll cover critical topics like:
- A primer on intermittent fasting protocols and science
- The ingredients typically found in popular cough drops
- Whether cough drops spike insulin or contain calories
- Tips for maintaining your fast if you get a scratchy throat
- The best (and worst) cough remedies to use while fasting
- Precautions to consider if symptoms persist or worsen
We’ll make sure to touch all the key details around cough drops and intermittent fasting so you can power through a cold confidently without jeopardizing progress. Time to drop some knowledge!
What is Intermittent Fasting and How Does it Work?
Before diving into the question – do cough drops break a fast?, let’s level-set on what intermittent fasting even is, and why it has become so popular as a health and weight loss trend:
Intermittent fasting (IF) is an eating pattern that intentionally cycles between periods of fasting (not eating or severely limiting caloric intake) and feeding (allowing yourself to eat).
Rather than grazing on food constantly throughout the day, intermittent fasting condenses your meals into specific windows of time. This extended deprivation of caloric intake is where benefits can start to emerge.
Some examples of popular intermittent fasting strategies include:
- 16:8 fasting – Fast for 16 hours per day, eat during an 8 hour window
- Alternate day fasting – Fast every other day
- 24 hour fasts – Avoid food for 24 hour periods 1-2x per week
No matter the exact intermittent fasting protocol followed, the unifying theme is entering a deep fast for an extended period of several hours up to days. This is where the biological magic can happen.
So what does extended fasting actually do in the body? Key mechanisms and effects include:
- Flipping metabolic switches – Fasting triggers shifts from burning glucose to burning fat and ketones for energy. This enhances fat burning.
- Changing hormones – Levels of human growth hormone (HGH), insulin and norepinephrine change significantly, promoting fat breakdown.
- Initiating cellular repair – Autophagy kicks in, allowing damaged cells and junk to be cleared out.
- Reducing inflammation – Inflammatory markers IL-6 and c-reactive protein drop during fasts.
- Rejuvenating immune cells – Results in fewer old/damaged cells and more regeneration.
- Enhancing cognitive function – Brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) increases.
- Preserving muscle – During fasts, the body focuses breakdown on fat stores while preserving lean mass.
In essence, spending targeted time in deep caloric deprivation shifts the body into healing, rejuvenating, self-cleansing modes. This is why intermittent fasting can be so transformative if done sensibly!
“Intermittent fasting allows the body to tap into health- and longevity-promoting pathways that only kick in during periods of fasting.” – Dr. Jason Fung, nephrologist and intermittent fasting researcher
So with those fundamentals covered, let’s tackle our original question: can you use cough drops while intermittent fasting or will that ruin your fast? Let’s investigate!
Will Cough Drops Break an Intermittent Fast?
When hunger and cravings kick in, it can take supreme discipline and willpower to power through and stick to your prescribed intermittent fasting window. So naturally many IF practitioners worry that something as small as a cough drop might jeopardize all their hard work and fasting benefits!
Let’s analyze what’s actually in popular cough drops and whether they could break your fast:
Cough Drop Ingredients
Here are some of the most common ingredients used in commercial cough drops:
- Menthol – Provides a cooling, soothing sensation
- Honey – Coats and soothes sore throat
- Herbal extracts – Ingredients like licorice, slippery elm, echinacea, etc. work as demulcents, meaning they create a protective film barrier.
- Zinc – Zinc gluconate or acetate may help shorten duration of cough/cold.
- Sweeteners – Sugar alcohols like sorbitol, xylitol, etc. may be used for flavor instead of sugar.
“Most standard over-the-counter cough drops don’t actually contain any calories or macronutrients – they are predominantly combinations of various slippery demulcents and flavorings.” – Dr. Monali Yadav, MD
The main takeaway is the majority of cough drop ingredients listed above will NOT break your intermittent fast. Let’s discuss why:
Most cough drop ingredients don’t spike your insulin levels or provide calories/macronutrients. With no metabolic impact or insulin response, your fasting state remains intact.
So honey, herbs, menthol and more slippery ingredients can be considered free game. Even minuscule traces of zinc, vitamin C or sweeteners are unlikely to make any real impact unless consuming excessive amounts. We’re talking 10+ strong cough drops per hour!
In summary – common cough remedies and throat lozenges will NOT break your intermittent fast so they can be consumed as needed.
Selecting Cough Drops for Intermittent Fasting
If opting to use cough drops while intermittent fasting, considering choosing options more aligned with maintaining a fasted state. Tips include:
- Seek cough drops listing 0 calories and no sugar per lozenge
- Prioritize those made without artificial sweeteners when possible or stevia-sweetened
- Carefully read all ingredients lists, watching for hidden sugars
- Use only during designated feeding periods if doing daily 16+ hour fasting
- Minimize dosage to the least amount needed for relief
- Opt for drops with mainly inert ingredients unlikely to trigger insulin like menthol, eucalyptus and dextromethorphan
Holistic nutritionist Leyla Moudden recommends proceeding with caution:
“Read labels closely to avoid sugar and questionable additives, use only during feeding periods, and dose minimally. Better yet, stick to herbal teas and natural soothing remedies instead that won’t disrupt your fast.”
What About Artificial Sweeteners in Cough Drops?
A word of caution around sugar-free cough drops that use non-nutritive sweeteners though. While these artificial sweeteners don’t provide calories, some choices like sorbitol and xylitol can lead to gastro issues like diarrhea or upset stomach when over-consumed.
So while your fast remains intact if you don’t go overboard, GI discomfort may make fasting more challenging. Our advice is stick to a couple sugar-free cough drops max per hour while fasting.
Or opt for options sweetened with stevia, monk fruit or honey instead since they tend to be gentler on digestion. Tracking your body’s signals is key here!
Tips for Soothing a Cough During a Fast
When illness hits during a fast it can certainly dampen motivation levels. But suffering with a painful cough or sore throat makes sticking to your fasting routine extremely difficult.
Rather than force yourself into misery, we actually suggest a few alternative solutions to help provide cough relief without any need to break your fast. Give these remedies a try:
- Stay hydrated with water, herbal tea, electrolytes
- Use a humidifier to keep mucous membranes moist
- Gargle with salt water to ease inflammation
- Suck on ice chips or frozen fruit to soothe pain
- Mix lemon juice with warm water and honey after you break your fast
The above home remedies provide soothing relief without insulin or caloric impact. They buy you time until your next eating window when more powerful options open up.
We also highly suggest seeing your doctor if cough persists for over 1 week or gets progressively worse. At a certain point, all bets are off and health becomes number one priority – even over adhering to your planned fasting routine.
Listen to your body and don’t overdo it! Fasting should never come at the expense of feeling miserable.
Precautions Around Cough Drops and Fasting
While we’ve established that consuming limited cough drops during the course of an intermittent fast is fine, we do have some words of precaution:
✅ Enjoy menthol or herbal cough drops moderately without worry
❗But avoid excessive consumption of cough-relieving products
🛑 Stop fasting immediately if you experience ANY negative side effects
Even generally safe demulcents like licorice or marshmallow root can cause problems for some people in large amounts. Side effects may include:
- Diarrhea
- Dehydration
- Electrolyte loss
- Headaches
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
- Rapid heart rate
- Muscle cramps
Additionally, pay attention if cough or illness lasts longer than one week despite home treatment. Progressive worsening of symptoms or prolonged duration warants seeing a doctor ASAP – no if’s, and’s or but’s!
Don’t try to force intermittent fasting if you are feeling highly unwell for multiple days with severe cold and flu symptoms. It can hamper immune function further plus set you up for complications.
In those cases, it’s best to STOP your fast so your body can rest and focus all energy on recovery. Health should always come first!
The Verdict: Do Cough Drops Break a Fast?
So after all this exploration on fasting, coughing, menthol and mucous – Do Cough Drops Break a Fast? Can we use it?
Yes! You can absolutely use cough drops while intermittent fasting without worrying about it breaking your fast in most cases.
The vast majority of over-the-counter sore throat lozenges contain non-caloric ingredients that won’t spike insulin or break ketosis. As long as you are mindful of limiting excessive artificial sweeteners, you can confidently ease coughing fits to get you through to your next eating window more comfortably.
Choose reputable brands focused on menthol, licorice, slippery elm and other safe demulcents. Avoid any with significant calories, sweeteners or other questionable additives of course. And sip water constantly during your fasting periods!
While illness can certainly make fasting more challenging, you CAN power through short bouts without too much discomfort if you leverage cough drops and various other non-caloric remedies.
We hope this definitive guide helps answer concerns around cough drops and fasting for intermittent fasters who catch a pesky cold. Stay strong and don’t allow a sore throat to sabotage your goals!
🔑 Main takeaway: Common cough drops don’t break an intermittent fast since they provide NO calories or insulin spike. Enjoy them moderately but stop fasting if any negative side effects occur.
Now go rock your next 24+ hour fast with confidence – coughs be damned! Just stick to keto-friendly Halls and sugar-free herbals for reliability. You’ve got this!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on topic: Do Cough Drops Break a Fast?
What are some popular intermittent fasting approaches?
Some popular IF approaches include the 16:8 method (16 hours fasting, 8 hours eating window), the 5:2 diet (eat normally 5 days, restrict calories 2 days), and alternate day fasting (fast every other day).
Do Cough Drops Break a Fast?
Yes, cough drops may break a fast due to their potential to spike insulin. Most contain sugar or sweeteners that could shift the body out of its fasted state even in tiny amounts. Shorter daily fasts under 16 hours are more sensitive than less frequent fasting approaches.
Why is maintaining a fasted state important?
Staying in the fasted state triggers beneficial effects like lowering insulin, promoting autophagy, enabling cellular repair processes, and more. Any calories or sweet taste could disrupt this.
What ingredients in cough drops matter for fasting?
The key things that could break a fast are calories from sugar, artificial sweeteners, and insulin-triggering emulsifiers or stabilizers. Even tiny amounts may stimulate insulin.
Do sugar-free cough drops break a fast?
Potentially – even no calorie sweeteners may elicit an insulin reaction, shifting you out of the fasted state. Effects likely depend on the specific sweetener used.
What natural remedies soothe throats without compromising fasting?
Salt water gargles, proper hydration, soothing herbal teas, and raw honey during eating windows can relieve coughs/sore throats without breaking your fast.
Do Cough Drops Break a Fast? or can you have cough drops while intermittent fasting?
You can, but they do pose a risk of breaking your fast so proceed with caution. Prioritize no calorie, no sweetener options during stricter fasts over 16 hours long. Time any cough drops carefully around eating periods.
Do things like menthol and eucalyptus break a fast?
Unlikely – ingredients like menthol and eucalyptus oil probably do not stimulate insulin. But their effects haven’t been directly studied during fasting.
Does dextromethorphan break your fast?
Probably not – dextromethorphan is a cough suppressant without known effects on insulin or glucose levels. But as with most cough drop ingredients, direct research is lacking.
Does lemon water break your fast?
Lemon water is generally considered fine for fasts under 16 hours. The small amount of calories and citric acid are unlikely to trigger an insulin response. During longer or stricter fasts, plain water is a safer choice. Monitor your body’s response.
Can you have fiber supplements while fasting?
Soluble fiber supplements like psyllium or inulin may technically break a fast since they have calories and can impact gut hormones. During short fasts under 16 hours they are likely fine but should be avoided with longer fasts.
Will taking salt break your fast?
No, consuming salt alone does not break a fast. Electrolytes like sodium and potassium are important while fasting to maintain mineral balances and functions like hydration. Pink Himalayan salt or sole water are safe choices while fasting.
Do I need fiber when intermittent fasting?
Fiber is important for bowel regularity, gut health and feeding healthy gut flora. Focus on getting adequate fiber from whole food sources during your eating window. If needed, timed fiber supplements may assist during fasting periods.
What about Apple Cider Vinegar and fasting?
Small amounts of ACV diluted in water are generally considered fine during fasts. While ACV provides trace calories and nutrients, it is unlikely to elicit an insulin spike and should not disrupt a fasted state.
