When fasting, particularly for health or religion, we automatically want something cool and refreshing- a cold drink can is calling your name from the fridge. Before we open it, however, let’s consider what it means to drink a can cold drink while fasting. Does it count as breaking your fast? Is it negative? Or is it just a small treat?Let’s unpack this fizzy debate.
Fasting: What does it mean to break a fast?
Fasting is not all created equal. There are strict ones, and there are flexible ones, for example:
- Religious Fasting (Ramadan, Ekadashi etc.): during fasting you cannot even have water while fasting; so yes, having a cold drink would break your fast, and you would break your spiritual fasting discipline.
- Intermittent Fasting (16:8, 5:2, OMAD): There are no limitations on water, black coffee or other zero-calorie drinks decisions. But, if you drink a can of cold drink, which is full of sugar and artificial ingredients, this would most likely break your fast, and lessen or break the metabolic benefits that you may be looking for.
- Detox Fasts: this type of fasts are typically used to remove foods that are processed, sugar, and chemicals (what cold drinks usually have anyway).
- So to clarify, can we have cold drinks while fasting? Many cases no.
What Makes That Cold Beverage Wanting?
It’s cold. It’s fizzing. It’s delicious to drink. When our energy is low, it provides a quick sugar rush. Unfortunately, that’s all it is—a rush. It raises your blood sugar but will leave you crashing, especially on an empty stomach. Opening a cold beverage can might seem innocent, but during periods of fasting, our digestive system is in a rest phase. Introducing sugar, caffeine, and carbonation could lead to:
- Stomach upset
- Acid Reflux
- Gas and bloating
- Cravings for more sugar
The body demands hydration, not stimulation during fasting.
What About Diet Cold Drinks Can?
You might think, “Well, what if it’s sugar-free?” A valid point.
Some cold drink cans labeled as “zero” or “diet” may not contain calories, which means they technically might not break an intermittent fast. But here’s the catch:
- Artificial sweeteners can still trigger an insulin response in some people.
- They may increase cravings for sugary foods later.
- Long-term health effects of artificial sweeteners are still debated.
So while a diet can cold drink might be okay for some people, it’s not ideal if your goal is detox, weight loss, or gut rest.
Cultural and Religious Considerations of cold drinks can.
For some culture in fasting, the mind and spirit cleansing aspect is so tied to the idea of physical health, that simply having a processed drink with lots of chemicals (even when the drink is technically allowed), may just not fit with the purpose of the fast.
Taking then the fasting tradition of India, it may be somewhat odd to some that people prefer to drink lemon water, coconut water, or plain milk when fasting. It can appear almost a little contradictory when we consider the entire category of drinks, but the story is relative to simplicity and purity in the context of what is consumed as part of the fast in some cultures.
The Good Alternatives to Cold Beverages When Fasting
- Cold beverages can sound refreshing but do respect your fast when you have them. Consider some of the following options:
- Infused water (mint, cucumber, lemon)
- Unsweetened herbal teas (hot or iced)
- Coconut water only when finished fasting (for post-fasting hydration)
- Fresh lime water, with pink salt (great for energy and digestion at the end of the fast) – this is a nice drink to have.
You won’t have sugar spikes or bloating from these options, and they are the better choice for your health in the long run.