Intermittent Fasting and Alcohol: The Essential Guide

In a sea of endless happy hours, booze-forward social events, and alliterative drink specials (here’s looking at you, Wine Wednesdays and Fizz Fridays), navigating alcohol intake while you’re intermittent fasting can feel like a minefield. 

Whether you’re not sure if you even can—or should—drink alcohol while intermittent fasting, or you’re wondering how can you make a toast without burning your fasting results (like weight loss, fat burning, and other health benefits) to a crisp, we’ve got you covered. In this article, we’ll explain everything you need to know about mixing intermittent fasting and alcohol.

Though this article focuses specifically on alcohol, if you’re looking for more general insight into what you can drink while fasting—or tailoring what you drink during intermittent fasting to maximize your results—check out our “What can I drink while fasting?” guide. 

Physical and mental safety should always be top priority when it comes to your eating routine. We always recommend consulting your primary care provider, but you should be particularly cautious about mixing intermittent fasting and alcohol if you: 

• have existing chronic health conditions (e.g., diabetes, liver disease, pancreatitis, heart disease, or osteoporosis); 
• are taking medications that can interact with alcohol (e.g., antidepressants, antibiotics, or antihistamines); 
• are pregnant or nursing; 
• have a BMI in the “underweight” category; or 
• have a history of, or are at risk for developing, alcoholism. 

Can You Drink Alcohol While Intermittent Fasting? 

For any “can I drink” or “can I eat” question around intermittent fasting, there are three important things to remember:   

1. What “can” really means. Nothing is inherently off-limits when you’re intermittent fasting. It’s an eating routine that focuses on when, not what, you eat or drink—so nothing has to be avoided entirely (unless your dietary needs or healthcare provider advise otherwise!) 
2. Meeting your needs. While technically anything goes as far as your menu is concerned, some foods and beverages are more health-promoting and nutritionally dense than others, so some may be a better fit for supporting your intermittent fasting goals. 
3. The difference between eating and fasting windows. If you’re wondering if you “can” have something during intermittent fasting, are you asking if you can have it in general (see point one!) or specifically during your fasting window? In other words, does something break a fast?

So, how does that apply to whether or not you can have alcohol while intermittent fasting? 

1. Yes, you can have alcohol during intermittent fasting, provided you don’t fit into certain risk categories…
2. but,as a calorie-dense beverage linked to negative health outcomes when consumed in excess, it’s not the best choice for supporting intermittent fasting benefits…
3. and it does break your fast. 

If the thought of abandoning your nightly glass of red wine or skipping booze-forward social events like Thirsty Thursdays and Sunday tailgating sounds like a recipe for unhappiness (or reduced sanity), the good news is that alcohol and intermittent fasting can go hand-in-hand. Intermittent fasting should never prevent you from living and enjoying life—it’s just about finding a way to balance the needs of your physical health, mental well-being, and the reasons why you’re fasting in the first place. 

Easier said than done, right? Think of it like a cocktail: The ingredients, amounts, and timing all come into play in order to make it a success (whatever that means to you and your unique needs, tastes, and goals). 

Sadly, no matter how you shake it (or stir it), alcohol does break a fast: Even without mixers or other additives, a single serving of any type of alcohol contains more than 60 calories, which is generally considered enough to cause an insulin response and interrupt a fast. (Research doesn’t have a consensus yet on exactly how many calories break a fast—especially since every body is different—but sticking to no more than 10–50 calories during your fasting window is a good guideline.) Even if you’re doing a dirty fast (which gives the all-clear for a small number of calories, usually 50–100), alcohol is pushing that limit. So, if you want to drink alcohol during intermittent fasting, having it overlap with your eating window is your best bet. 

However, just because alcohol breaks a fast doesn’t mean it necessarily breaks the effects of a fast—but under certain conditions, it can affect those results (as well as your overall health). 

Let’s dig into the how and why. 

How Does Drinking Alcohol Affect Intermittent Fasting?

Imagine if you’re dancing on a blazing hot beach and someone hands you a hot toddy to drink. Maybe it’s not ideal, but it’s probably manageable. 

Now imagine they keep supplying you with boozy hot drinks, even as the temperature climbs, and even as you continue to dance. Seems less manageable—and like the recipe for a massive hangover—right?

Now imagine that same scenario where your first drink was a crisp glass of champagne. Then you sipped on a glass of ice water for a while before eventually moving onto a frozen daiquiri. Much more appealing—and less heavy! 

If we haven’t lost you entirely to the fantasy of a sun-drenched beach party, this metaphor holds true for drinking alcohol during intermittent fasting: Ensuring the two pair together like tacos and margaritas and not tequila shots and an early morning meeting involves considering the amount and and type of alcohol you consume. 

Why Moderation Is Key

In moderation—which the CDC defines (admittedly not very inclusively) as two drinks or fewer for men and one drink or fewer for women—alcohol may not impact the potential health benefits of intermittent fasting. In some very specific circumstances, moderate drinking may even support positive health outcomes that overlap with potential benefits of intermittent fasting, like better cardiovascular health and reduced risk of type 2 diabetes (but more research across a wider variety of circumstances and populations is needed). 

However, in excess—anything beyond the CDC’s definition for moderation—alcohol intake can undermine the success of intermittent fasting by counteracting its potential benefits. For example, it can: 

• Increase blood pressure;
• Trigger system-wide inflammation;
• Prevent stored fat from breaking down;
• Interfere with glucose metabolism and insulin resistance;
• Lead to weight gain, obesity, and metabolic dysfunction; 
• Impede liver function; and
• Affect neurological health and mental clarity. 

It can also exacerbate intermittent fasting side effects (like headaches, dehydration, reduced sleep quality, and increased appetite and feelings of hunger). 

Of course, a few crazy nights here and there aren’t likely to derail your progress or create long-term health challenges, but over time, the effects of excessive alcohol intake can really do a number on your brain, body, and health goals. 

Why Certain Alcoholic Beverages Are Better Than Others for Intermittent Fasting

As we mentioned earlier, alcohol is a calorie-dense drink: The CDC states it has approximately seven calories per gram (almost as much as a gram of fat, and nearly twice as much as a gram of carbs or protein)—and that’s without additional mixers or accounting for typical drink serving sizes. Moreover, alcohol is often considered to be “empty calories” since it provides no nutritional value (unlike fat, carbs, and protein). 

While there’s no way around the fact that alcohol is naturally calorie-dense and doesn’t directly contribute to nutrition, not all alcoholic drinks are created equal. For instance, some drinks or mixers are more or less calorie-dense than others (especially when it comes to sugar, which is a significant culprit in weight gain, blood sugar challenges, and increased health risks). Likewise, some alcoholic beverages—like red wine, whiskey, and tequila—contain antioxidants, vitamins, or other compounds that may offer minor health benefits when consumed in moderation. 

That means that even though alcohol isn’t generally a health-promoting choice, there are options that may offer more benefits—or at least fewer risks—than others. 

So, How Much Alcohol Can You Drink While Intermittent Fasting? 

Now for the real question: How do you find your alcoholic beverage Goldilocks—enough to avoid extra stress from dietary limitations, but not enough to interfere with your health or intermittent fasting goals?

While the CDC’s definition of moderation is a good rule of thumb, everyone is different, and what works for you may not be the best fit for someone else. For example, body composition can significantly affect your body’s ability to metabolize alcohol, which in turn affects your risk level. Other factors like genetics, age, sex, and lifestyle can also influence the effects of alcohol. 

So, though aiming for moderation (as opposed to excess) is a good idea all around, what that looks like in practice can vary from person to person. (And again, a little indulgence on occasion doesn’t just immediately erase any intermittent fasting benefits you’re experiencing.) To figure out how much alcohol you can drink while intermittent fasting without impeding your progress or creating additional health concerns, start by talking with your primary care provider about your goals, concerns, and lifestyle. They’re a good first point of call to help you figure out what approach to drinking alcohol might balance all those needs best.

What Are the Best Alcoholic Drinks for Intermittent Fasting? 

Similar to the amount of alcohol you can drink during intermittent fasting, the best alcohol for intermittent fasting depends on a lot of individual factors. Likewise, “best” in this case is more about “what is less likely to roadblock your needs” rather than “what is going to catapult you to achieving your goals.”

That said, the “best” alcoholic drinks for intermittent fasting are those that are low in calories / carbohydrates and contain the highest concentrations of those beneficial antioxidant compounds (otherwise known as polyphenols). 

If you’re not sure what to order or get flustered by extensive drink menus, save the rest of this section as a (non-exhaustive) quick-reference tool for guiding your choices. The approximate caloric values are based on a standard serving size of 1.5 oz for spirits, 5 oz for wine and champagne, and 12 oz for canned or bottled drinks—and of course they will vary based on drink size and the specific ingredients and brands used. 

Tips for Mixing Alcohol with Intermittent Fasting 

Much like making actual cocktails, there’s not necessarily a one-approach-fits-all science to mixing alcohol and intermittent fasting, but some recipes are more designed for success than others. 

Here are some tips for becoming a mixology expert—at least when it comes to your own drinking habits. 

Know your reasons for fasting. Understanding your goals and your needs (physically, emotionally, and mentally) will help you identify what types and amounts of drinks will work best for you—and how to position them around your fasting periods and in your eating windows. 

1. Sip slowly. Savoring your drinks not only helps them last longer but also gives you more time to notice how you’re feeling. Especially if you’re newer to intermittent fasting, alcohol may hit you harder and faster than usual.
2. Listen to your body and know your limits. So many factors can affect how alcohol affects you, and those factors aren’t always set in stone. If something feels off, it may be time to adjust your approach or check back in with your healthcare provider to see if your idea of moderate alcohol consumption needs to shift. 
3. Stock your kitchen with low-calorie (especially low-sugar) drinks and mixers plus nutrient-dense snacks. It’s easier to make more health-promoting choices when those options are more readily accessible than calorie-dense, sugary mixed drinks—particularly during any drunchies after heavy alcohol consumption!
4. Eat before drinking. Even if you’re not anticipating a night of heavy drinking, lining your stomach with some food can be a great way to ensure you’re still getting the nutrients you need while combatting drunkenness and late-night cravings on an empty stomach. 

TL;DR

Can you drink alcohol while intermittent fasting? Yes; there’s no need to stop drinking altogether during intermittent fasting as long as your primary care provider says it’s safe for your general health and you don’t notice any negative, persistent side effects from mixing intermittent fasting and alcohol. 

Should you drink alcohol as part of your intermittent fasting schedule, or could it impede weight loss efforts, liver function, the fat burning process, or other health outcomes? If you want to maximize, not undermine, the potential benefits from intermittent fasting–like weight loss and fat oxidation–you should consume alcohol only during your eating windows and aim for moderate alcohol intake rather than excessive drinking. The occasional drink or over-indulgence won’t harm your progress or health in the long-run, and you don’t have to limit alcohol intake indefinitely, but regular excessive alcohol consumption can lead to significant challenges. 

To safeguard against excessive calorie intake and not getting the nutrients you need, ensure you’re eating nutrient-dense meals around drinking and prioritize low-calorie, low-sugar, and high-polyphenol drinks and mixers.