Yes, sugar ends a fast.
Technically, consuming anything that contains calories or impacts your blood sugar levels will break a fast. This includes not only obvious sources of sugar, but also many other food items.
How Sugar Affects Fasting
During a fast, your body depletes its glucose stores (glycogen) and begins using fat for energy. Consuming sugar or any caloric food will:
- Increase blood glucose: This triggers the release of insulin.
- Shift fuel source: Insulin signals your body to stop using fat and start using the new influx of glucose.
This effectively ends the fasting state, as it disrupts the metabolic processes associated with fasting.
Examples of What Breaks a Fast (including Sugar)
According to the reference provided, the following items will end a fast:
- Any food or beverage with calories.
- Any food or beverage that affects blood glucose levels.
This includes, but is not limited to:
- Grains
- Meats
- Fruits
- Regular soft drinks
- Juice
- Flavored or sweetened coffee and tea
Key Takeaway
The main aspect of breaking a fast revolves around any type of calorie intake or any food that triggers a response in your blood sugar levels. Sugar, being a prominent source of carbohydrates that significantly impacts blood glucose, certainly ends a fast.
