Can You Still Drink Coffee While Intermittent Fasting?

Coffee is not some new fad people are obsessing over in their blogs and social media posts. Much more than a morning pick-me-up, coffee is motivation in a mug, liquid sanity... a way of life. Any respected barista can agree that coffee is serious business and if a diet requires eliminating it, that may be a problem. After all, caffeine is, as claimed by The Atlantic, the world's most popular drug.

If you are considering jumping on the intermittent fasting train, you will be happy to know that you don't have to cut out your coffee completely — but you may have to modify your order. Dietician Sue Ryskamp explains the main goal of intermittent fasting is calorie reduction, so beverages like water, tea, and coffee are acceptable during fasting hours (via Insider). Black coffee has around three calories per cup which will not impact your fasting — but the cream and sugar certainly will, so leave those out. 

According to Healthline, not only can you enjoy your cup of joe during fasting, but it might even increase desired health results. Studies suggest intermittent fasting and drinking coffee may help reduce inflammation, which is promising considering chronic inflammation is the source of many illnesses. Recent research implies that intermittent fasting can improve brain function, specifically, cognitive health and memory (via Pacific Neuroscience Institute). Maintaining your daily dose of caffeine, while fasting, can also benefit your brain by increasing alertness and improving mood. Drinking coffee may also assist in the prevention of pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes (via Medpage Today).

Given the suggested health advantages of intermittent fasting, as well as those for coffee consumption, this buzzworthy diet seems like a home run. Yet, there is one more perk to this diet worth mentioning; coffee suppresses the appetite and may increase the metabolism (via Livestrong). So, enjoy your java as you fast for better health, one savory sip at a time.