Does Bone Broth Break a Fast? On a Strict Fast, Yes

In 30 seconds

Yes. Bone broth breaks a strict zero-calorie fast because its protein and usually some fat provide energy. Have it when your eating window opens, or choose a modified fast that allows broth.

• Bone broth provides energy from protein and fat, so it ends a strict zero-calorie fast.
• The trials cited here told participants to avoid caloric intake during the fast and allowed only energy-free drinks.
• No source cited here tested broth during a fast, so a fast that includes broth is a modified approach, not the same fast.
• Water, black coffee and plain tea are the kind of energy-free drinks those trials allowed.

Does bone broth break a fast? On a strict fast, yes.

Yes, on a strict fast. Bone broth is made by simmering bones, skin and often meat; the liquid carries protein and some fat. The trials cited here defined the fasting window by no caloric intake or energy-free drinks, so broth goes in the eating window.

In the 12-week TREAT trial, the time-restricted group was told to eat from 12:00 to 8:00 p.m. and to completely abstain from caloric intake for the rest of the day.Source 11

A 12-month time-restricted eating trial allowed water and energy-free drinks such as black tea, coffee and diet sodas during the 16-hour fast.Source 22

Can broth fit a modified fast?

You can keep the window energy-free, open it with broth or choose a modified rule that allows broth. If you drink it to open the window, record the fast as ending then. A modified fast is a different approach from the strict fast in the trials; decide your rule ahead of time so your records stay comparable.

If you want a looser rule on purpose, clean versus dirty fasting explains the trade-off. For every drink that does fit a strict fast, see what you can drink while fasting, and for the first meal afterwards, see how to break a fast.

Have fasting trials tested broth?

No trial cited here tested broth during a fast. TREAT asked for no caloric intake outside its noon-to-8 p.m. eating window, and a 12-month trial allowed only water and energy-free drinks such as black tea, coffee and diet sodas. These trials cannot tell us how broth changes the results of a fasting routine.Source 11Source 22

Who should check before fasting?

This page answers one question: whether broth ends a strict fast. It does not assess claims about joints, skin, gut health or collagen, which need their own evidence.

Talk to a qualified health professional before fasting if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, under 18, living with or recovering from an eating disorder, have diabetes, take insulin or a medicine affected by meal timing, are an older adult, or are acutely ill. Do not change the dose or timing of any medicine without your clinician. See Blimbi’s safety guide.

Related guides

• What Can You Drink While Fasting?

  Water, black coffee and plain tea fit a zero-calorie fast; diet soda adds little or no energy. See what you can drink while fasting and what ends a fast.

• Does Milk or Creamer in Coffee Break a Fast?

  Yes, on a strict fast: milk, cream and creamers all add energy to coffee. See your options if you want to keep a coffee ritual during a fast.

• What to Eat After You Break a Fast

  Here is how to break a fast: an ordinary meal of protein, vegetables and whole grains, eaten slowly. The window is not a licence to make up missed food.

• How Do You Calculate Intermittent Fasting Hours?

  Calculate intermittent fasting hours from your last meal. See a 16:8 example, compare Blimbi's five schedules and learn what its estimated phases mean.

• Water Fasting: What Trials Found and Who Should Avoid It

  Water fasting means only water, often for days. What small trials of 5- to 20-day fasts found, the lean mass loss two of them measured, and who shouldn't try it.

Frequently asked questions

Does bone broth break a fast?

Yes, it ends a strict zero-calorie fast because its protein and fat provide energy. The trials cited here required no caloric intake during the fast and allowed only water and energy-free drinks.Source 11Source 22

Does chicken broth break a fast?

Yes, on a strict fast. Chicken broth also provides energy, so have it in your eating window. Water, black coffee and plain tea are the kind of energy-free drinks a 12-month trial allowed during the fast.Source 22

Sources

1. 1

   Effects of Time-Restricted Eating on Weight Loss and Other Metabolic Parameters in Women and Men With Overweight and Obesity: The TREAT Randomized Clinical TrialDylan A. Lowe et al. American Medical Association (AMA), November 1, 2020.DOI: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2020.4153 · PMID: 32986097Human randomized trial

2. 2

   Time-Restricted Eating Without Calorie Counting for Weight Loss in a Racially Diverse Population: A Randomized Controlled TrialShuhao Lin et al. American College of Physicians, July 1, 2023.DOI: 10.7326/M23-0052 · PMID: 37364268Human randomized trial

3. 3

   Fasting Safely with DiabetesMartin M. Grajower. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, August 26, 2020.Official guidance

4. 4

   Overview – Eating disordersNHS. NHS, January 23, 2024.Official guidance