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Home arrow Nutrition arrow Intermittent Fasting arrow Does Pickle Juice Break a Fast? Read the Sour Truth

Does Pickle Juice Break a Fast? Read the Sour Truth

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Written by Edibel Quintero, RD
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Fact checked by Rosmy Barrios, MD
Last update: October 22, 2023
5 min read 1437 Views 0 Comments
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Pickle juice is a drink that contains many nutrients. It may give you a boost of energy, but will it break a fast? We explain if pickle juice ruins intermittent fasting progress, including ways that this salty beverage could benefit your weight loss journey.

does pickle juice break a fast

Pickle juice has lots of nutrients that benefit your long-term health.

Some people might drink this beverage while losing weight. Others may want to try it during a fasting window, but that all depends on the calorie, carb, sugar, and fat content. The common rule of a fast is that you shouldn’t consume calories, so will pickle juice ruin your progress?

Since you can get different versions of pickle juice, it could be hard to tell. Someone who wants to begin intermittent fasting should understand more about this beverage. 

In this article, you’ll discover if drinking pickle juice will break a fast. 

Does Pickle Juice Break a Fast?

Yes, pickle juice will break a fast if you’re clean fasting. This is because it contains calories, which will stop the fat-burning mechanisms. However, if you’re dirty fasting, there are some branded pickle juice drinks that contain less than 10 calories.

Consuming any kind of beverage has been known to ruin intermittent fasting. Orange, apple, mango, and other common juices contain too many calories, which stops the body from burning stubborn weight. This still applies to pickle juice during your extended clean fast.

Now, if you’re dirty fasting and want to try this low-calorie drink, you have to find one that is completely natural. It should only hold ingredients like vinegar, salt, organic pickle flavoring, water, and some electrolytes.

Just be aware that some brands add sugar and preservatives to the pickle juice. This will raise the calorie and carb content, encouraging an insulin spike. Of course, if your insulin levels go up during the fast, the body won’t burn belly fat or reduce your overall fat percentage. 

Eating pickles are also not allowed while fasting as they contain calories.

What Is Pickle Juice?

Pickle juice is a vinegar-rich beverage that contains minerals and salt. This type of drink is usually made using natural dill flavoring from a dill pickle. Some people like to consume pickle juice because it might reduce blood sugar levels and high blood pressure.

The average cup of pickle juice holds many nutrients for your health. For example, sodium and potassium, two important electrolytes, can hydrate the body all day. More hydration means fewer headaches and no more serious constipation or spikes in your blood pressure

If you do want to drink pickle juice, choose low-calorie options or make your own. Buying this beverage from the grocery store and drinking it might trigger an insulin response. This is because sugar and saturated fat raise blood sugar, especially in those who have diabetes. 

Can I Use Pickle Juice for Electrolytes?

Yes, one serving of pickle juice contains lots of electrolytes that can fuel your body. Some of these electrolytes include sodium, potassium, and magnesium. However, this beverage shouldn’t replace water, so make sure to reach your daily water intake

To get the most out of this drink, find one that is free of yellow dye and preservatives. This ensures you’re not ingesting anything that promotes dehydration. One thing to note is that food dyes might contain benzidine or carcinogens – substances that promote cancerous cells.

Just remember that  even though sodium is an important electrolyte, you can’t have too much. Adults need to consume less than 2,300mg of sodium a day. Going overboard could increase the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, kidney stones, poor sleep, and severe bloating. 

Does Pickle Juice Break Autophagy?

Consuming plain dill pickle juice will disrupt autophagy. The number of calories and carbs may raise your insulin levels, which ruins the “self-cleaning” process. Eating or drinking other foods could also break autophagy and stop your weight loss results.

Autophagy is the body’s way of removing damaged cells and replacing them. This internal state occurs during intermittent fasting, as you’re not eating calories. Some experts suggest that this healthy process can start anywhere between 18 hours to four days of intermittent fasting.

Pickle juice is one beverage that could harm this process. Of course, you need to check the nutritional label to measure its calories, carbs, fats, or added sugar. Raised insulin levels will only happen once the body starts digesting food and increasing your blood sugar content.

Can You Lose Weight by Drinking Pickle Juice?

Drinking pickle juice could help you lose weight and feel healthy. Since it doesn’t have much of a nutritional profile, it can’t disrupt your daily calorie intake. Pickle juice might also reduce those annoying hunger cravings, which will stop you from binge eating. 

Pickles are great for weight loss, meaning pickle juice offers similar benefits. This beverage contains lots of vinegar – a type of bitter condiment that may help you reach your fitness goals. One 12-week study found that people lost 3.7 pounds after consuming vinegar daily.

Just remember that drinking this juice won’t burn fat directly. You need to do regular exercise, like long-distance runs or walks, to actually lose weight in the long term. It might be worth creating a balanced diet while intermittent fasting, as this can boost your future results.

What Juice Can You Drink While Fasting?

You shouldn’t drink any other juice while fasting unless it doesn’t have ingredients that could spike insulin. Juicing usually retains sugars that would ruin your weight loss progress. For example, store-bought apple juice has 10.3 grams of sugar per 100 grams. 

There is only one way to approach certain intermittent fasting methods. People can drink lots of plain water, sparkling water, unsweetened tea, or black coffee. These simple beverages don’t have a high nutritional profile, which makes them perfect for triggering the fat-burning process.

Any other juice could break the fast and autophagy. Of course, this isn’t something you want when losing weight, so avoid drinking juice that contains calories, carbs, fats, and sugars. The number one drink is obviously water, as it can specifically lower blood sugar levels.

A Word From MD

Pickle juice will break your fast, so it’s not worth drinking this beverage. However, if you’re following a dirty fast, pickle juice may be suitable in moderate amounts. For people who don’t enjoy the flavor of this sour drink, there is a way to reap the same health benefits.

Simply freeze the pickle juice in an ice cube tray and add some toothpicks. Once the liquid has frozen, you can pull it out using the stick and treat it like a pickle pop. Getting more of these nutrients, but in a more enjoyable way, could help reduce muscle cramps after exercise. 

Yes, pickle juice might get rid of those leg cramps. This may be the electrolytes hydrating your muscles and preventing soreness. Drinking pickle juice might help people with their muscle cramps, especially after intense exercise that focuses on hardcore weight training.

Conclusion 

Pickle juice has many great benefits, but not for intermittent fasting. It contains too many calories and carbs that could break the fat-burning process. You should avoid juices completely and stick to beverages like plain water, unsweetened tea, and cups of black coffee. 

If you are on a dirty fast, you can have a few sips of pickle juice, as this is a hydrating liquid. You may also consume it with big meals during the eating window, as some people might have a sensitive stomach when it comes to sour-flavored drinks.

Written by Edibel Quintero, RD
Edibel Quintero is a medical doctor who graduated in 2013 from the University of Zulia and has been working in her profession since then. She specializes in obesity and nutrition, physical rehabilitation, sports massage and post-operative rehabilitation. Edibel’s goal is to help people live healthier lives by educating them about food, exercise, mental wellness and other lifestyle choices that can improve their quality of life.
The article was fact checked by Rosmy Barrios, MD
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HR_author_photo_Edibel
Written by Edibel Quintero, RD
HR_author_photo_Rosmy
Fact checked by Rosmy Barrios, MD
Last update: October 22, 2023
5 min read 1437 Views 0 Comments
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