Does Zevia Break a Fast? Calories, Nutrients, and More

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Nobody wants to unintentionally break a fast after hours of effort. That’s why monitoring what you put into your body during the fasting window is so important. While eating is off-limits during an intermittent fast, you can consume beverages to keep yourself hydrated.

Water is top of the list, but you might wish to venture out with other zero-calorie drinks. Zevia is one example of a popular, zero-calorie drink. But does zero calories automatically make it a safe choice, or will it influence your body while in the fasted state?

Keep reading for the answer.

What Is Zevia?

Zevia is a sugar-free, naturally sweetened soda. 

It offers a healthier alternative to full-sugar soda and diet sodas as it contains zero calories and zero artificial sweeteners. The star ingredient is stevia leaf extract, a natural sweetener and sugar substitute made from the leaves of the Stevia rebaudiana plant.

Zevia comes in multiple flavors (15 in total), including Cola, Cherry Cola, and Cream Soda. The Zevia brand also produces other beverages, such as energy drinks and organic teas. All products are gluten-free, non-GMO, and vegan.

Zevia nutritional value

When confirming if a food or drink will break a fast, the first thing is to check its nutritional information. You can discover whether the product has calories, carbohydrates, and other nutrients that signal your body to release insulin and end your intermittent fast.

The table below shows the nutritional content of Zevia Cola per 100g:

Does Zevia Spike Insulin?

Zevia does not spike insulin because it doesn’t contain anything that might trigger an insulin response. There are no calories or macronutrients to raise your blood sugar levels. Therefore, drinking it will not cause you to risk breaking your fast.

Stevia is the sweetener contained in Zevia, and according to studies, stevia has no effect on blood glucose and insulin levels. In fact, stevia may improve insulin sensitivity and support blood sugar and insulin management in people with type 2 diabetes.

How to Drink Zevia When Fasting?

As a zero-calorie drink, you can drink Zevia at any time when practicing intermittent fasting. It’s essentially flavored sparkling water, so it helps maintain your hydration levels while you’re off food. It is also a refreshing change from drinking only water during the fasting window.

That said, you shouldn’t drink soda excessively during intermittent fasting, as consuming too much stevia can bring unpleasant side effects. It’s best to moderate your intake and consider it a sweet treat when hunger and sugar cravings hit – two common intermittent fasting side effects.

Unless you choose caffeine-free flavors, you’ll consume 45mg of caffeine per can of Zevia. For this reason, it’s better to consume it during daytime hours to avoid caffeine at night. Drinking caffeine late in the day can harm your sleep quality.

Poor sleep can make it harder to lose weight as it encourages poor eating habits, increased hunger, and decreased physical activity. Thus, it may even contribute to weight gain.

You should monitor your intake if you are sensitive to caffeine to avoid nasty side effects like anxiety, headaches, restlessness, and increased heart rate. For example, you might consume too much caffeine for your tolerance level if you drink it after your morning cup of coffee or tea.

Does Zevia Have Any Side Effects?

Zevia has potential side effects because it contains stevia.

Stevia has many health benefits, but overconsuming it can disrupt gut flora and cause digestive issues like bloating, constipation, and diarrhea. Regular use of stevia has also been linked to weight gain, increased BMI, and a higher risk of diabetes and high blood pressure.

There’s also the risk of caffeine-based side effects, as mentioned above. However, 45mg of caffeine is unlikely to upset your body since the average recommendation is 400mg per day.

FAQs

Conclusion

Zevia will not break a fast, regardless of whether you’re intermittent fasting for weight loss, gut rest, or to improve mental clarity. It won’t wake the digestive tract and stall fat loss, and it makes an ideal alternative to regular soda and even diet soda with zero calories.

Still, you shouldn’t make Zevia a daily staple in your intermittent fasting regimen to replace water and other nutritious, fast-friendly beverages. Plain water should remain your priority, with welcome additions of black coffee, green tea, and lemon water.