Does Rennie no sugar break a fast?

newbies
fasting
#1

Hey,

Does Rennie no sugar break a fast?

Cheers

(Jane) #2

Welcome!

I have no idea what that is, so can’t comment.

(KM) #3

Antacid sweetened with sorbitol, which is about 2/3 the carbs of table sugar. I suppose whether it breaks a fast depends on how much you take, I’m guessing an ordinary dose would not be enough to make much difference.

(Allie) #4

Better off adding half teaspoon of bicarb to warm water and drinking it.

#5

I’m taking it for a different reason, but since sorbitol has calories, it’s obvious that it doesn’t fit the fasting concept.

(KM) #6

Then why did you ask?

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #9

@RastaMan Welcome to the forums!

The short answer to your question is, it depends. Mostly on why you are fasting, and what your reasons are for needing Rennie.

As far as the ketogenic diet is concerned, if you are counting net carbs, you can count the grams of sugar alcohols at 1/2. As you note, they do contain calories, but there is an idea that they don’t get fully metabolised. So count them against your 20 g/day limit. If you are counting total carb intake, of course, you would count the full number of grams.

Now, as to what breaks a fast, that is a different question. There is some evidence that the benefits of fasting are not too badly disrupted by a small amount of calories. I don’t know what the limit really is. You might find it mentioned on Dr. Jason Fung’s site, or in his book, The Obesity Code. My guess is that the limit is absolutely no more than 500 kcal, probably quite a bit less.

Just as an aside: One of the things our experience has shown is that acid reflux is actually caused by an insufficiency of stomach acid, not by too much. So antacids and proton-pump inhibitors are actually exactly the wrong treatment. You mention that you are not taking this preparation for its antacid value, but I’m wondering, for the sake of your digestive system, whether there might not be some better way of achieving your purpose.

In any case, you alone know why you are fasting and the reason you need to take Rennie. So only you can decide what your situation requires. In general, however, if someone needs to take a medication that must be accompanied by food, then perhaps that is a reason not to fast, until the medication is no longer needed. On the other hand, perhaps the benefits of fasting can be achieved, even while taking the medication.

One last thought to ponder: fasting is not required on a ketogenic diet, because a low-carbohydrate, high-fat, ketogenic diet produces a metabolic state in the human body that is very like fasting, except for the lack of food. That said, however, many ketonians do find that fasting helps them, even on a ketogenic diet. So it is totally your call. You don’t need to fast, but probably you will still get some benefit from it, even if you take this preparation you are asking about.

Sorry to take so many words to say all this, but I wanted to give you some thoughts to clarify your thinking. And please do let us know what your experience is.