Yes, ghee breaks a strict fast. It is almost pure fat: USDA FoodData Central lists 900 kcal per 100 g, so a 5 gram teaspoon carries about 45 kcal, and any calories end a water-only fast. Whether that matters to you depends on which kind of fast you keep, because intermittent fasting plans, religious vrat and a fast before a blood test all have different rules.
Before any fast, follow your doctor's advice, and ask first if you have diabetes, take medication, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have had an eating disorder.
At a glance
- USDA FoodData Central lists clarified butter (ghee) at 900 kcal and 100 g of fat per 100 g, so a 5 g teaspoon carries about 45 kcal.
- Diabetes UK describes 16:8 fasting as eating within 8 hours and fasting for 16, and the 5:2 diet as 2 days a week of around 500 to 600 calories.
- A 2021 umbrella review in JAMA Network Open covered 11 meta-analyses of randomised trials of intermittent fasting, with a median follow-up of 3 months.
- A 2025 network meta-analysis of 99 trials in The BMJ found intermittent fasting had broadly similar effects to ordinary calorie restriction on weight.
- A PubMed search on 13 October 2026 for ghee with fasting returned 14 papers, and none tested ghee eaten during a fast.
Does a teaspoon of ghee break a fast?
On a strict fast, yes. A fast that allows only water ends with the first calorie, and a teaspoon of ghee has about 45. On a plan that allows a set number of calories, a teaspoon simply counts towards that allowance. On a religious fast, the answer is set by custom, not by calories.
So the real question is which fast you are keeping. If you add ghee to your morning coffee, that cup's calories are worked out in our guide to ghee in coffee.
How many calories are in a teaspoon of ghee?
About 45 kcal in a teaspoon and about 135 kcal in a tablespoon. USDA FoodData Central lists clarified butter (ghee) at 900 kcal per 100 g, which is 9 kcal per gram, and ICMR-NIN's Dietary Guidelines for Indians count a teaspoon as 5 g and a tablespoon as 15 g.
The USDA FoodData Central record for ghee lists 100 g of fat and 0 g of carbohydrate per 100 g. The household measures come from the 2024 Dietary Guidelines for Indians.
- 1 teaspoon: 5 g × 9 kcal per g = 45 kcal.
- 1 tablespoon: 15 g × 9 kcal per g = 135 kcal.
- Against a 500 kcal fasting day: 45 ÷ 500 = 0.09, so one teaspoon uses 9 per cent of the allowance.
Spoons at home vary, so treat these as round figures. Low-carbohydrate plans are covered in is ghee keto friendly.
Does ghee break intermittent fasting, such as 16:8 or 5:2?
It depends on the plan. On 16:8, ghee eaten in the 16 fasting hours means you were not fasting then. On 5:2, the fasting days allow around 500 to 600 calories, so a teaspoon of ghee counts towards that total rather than ending the day's plan.
Diabetes UK's page on intermittent fasting describes 16:8 as eating within an 8-hour window and fasting for 16 hours, and 5:2 as "2 days where you have a very low-calorie intake, usually aiming for around 500-600 calories".
The 2021 umbrella review in JAMA Network Open describes zero-calorie alternate-day fasting as fasting days with no calories, modified alternate-day fasting and the 5:2 diet as fasting days of 0 to 600 kcal, and time-restricted eating as fasting for 12 to 24 hours a day. A zero-calorie fast has no room for ghee; a calorie allowance does.
Can you eat ghee during a vrat?
That is a matter of custom, and the custom varies. An Indian medical review describes Hindu fasts that range from no food at all to fasts where fruit and milk are allowed, and another says Navratri fasts have no fixed rule. Whether ghee is allowed is for your own family or community to answer.
A review of fasting practices in Tamil Nadu, in the Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism, says a fast can be "nirahara" (without food), "phalahara" (where fruit and milk are allowed) or "alpahara" (when broken rice and the like are allowed). A 2017 review of Navratri eating in the same journal says the eating patterns "have no fixed rule and vary from community to community", with some eating one or two main meals and others eating fruit, vegetables and dairy products more often.
We do not speak for any religious tradition. Nutrition can only say that ghee adds calories to a vrat meal, as to any meal. The Navratri review lists "fried or oily preparations" among common Navratri dishes, and advises people with diabetes to consult their physician, dietician and diabetes educator before fasting.
What about fasting before a blood test or an operation?
Ghee breaks these fasts, and these are the ones to get exactly right. The NHS says that before some blood tests you may need to "not eat or drink anything other than water". Before a general anaesthetic, it says to follow the instructions on when to stop eating and drinking, to make sure your stomach is empty.
The NHS pages on blood tests and general anaesthesia leave the details to the team treating you. Follow your written instructions exactly, with no ghee in tea or anything else. If you have diabetes or take medication, ask the clinic how to manage it during the fast.
Which fasts does a teaspoon of ghee break?
Every fast that allows no calories, and none whose rules allow it. The table assumes one 5 g teaspoon, about 45 kcal. It is a guide to the rules, not advice to fast.
| Type of fast | Does a teaspoon of ghee break it? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Water-only fast | Yes | Any calories end it; a teaspoon has about 45 kcal |
| 16:8 time-restricted eating | Yes, during the 16 fasting hours | Diabetes UK describes the 16 hours as the fasting period; ghee in the 8-hour window is part of eating |
| 5:2 diet | No, it counts towards the day's allowance | Fasting days allow around 500 to 600 calories; 45 kcal is 9 per cent of 500 |
| Zero-calorie alternate-day fasting | Yes | Fasting days have no calories, as defined in the JAMA Network Open review |
| Religious vrat | Set by custom | Fasts range from no food to fruit and milk allowed, and vary between communities |
| Before a blood test or operation | Yes | The NHS says only water before some blood tests, and an empty stomach before anaesthesia |
What does the research on intermittent fasting actually show?
Mostly short-term changes in weight and blood markers, with evidence of mixed quality. A 2021 umbrella review found moderate-to-high quality evidence for only a handful of benefits, in trials with a median follow-up of 3 months. A 2025 network meta-analysis found intermittent fasting broadly similar to ordinary calorie restriction.
The umbrella review by Patikorn and colleagues graded 11 meta-analyses of 130 randomised trials. Of 104 associations, 28 were statistically significant, but only one was supported by high-quality evidence and six by moderate-quality evidence; the rest of the significant associations rested on low or very low quality evidence. It also found intermittent fasting associated with reduced fat-free mass, and called for longer trials on clinical outcomes such as cardiovascular events and mortality.
The 2025 systematic review and network meta-analysis by Semnani-Azad and colleagues in The BMJ pooled 99 randomised trials in 6,582 adults. It concluded that intermittent fasting diets have "similar benefits to continuous energy restriction for weight loss and cardiometabolic risk factors", with a small extra weight loss for alternate-day fasting in shorter trials, and that longer trials are needed.
Has anyone studied ghee during a fast?
Not that we could find. A PubMed search on 13 October 2026 for ghee with fasting in the title or abstract returned 14 papers. Most were studies of ghee and blood fats or disease risk that used the word for things such as fasting blood glucose. None tested ghee eaten during a fast.
A second search, for ghee with intermittent fasting or time-restricted eating, returned none. Claims that ghee makes a fast work better have no study behind them, as with the morning habit covered in ghee with warm water on an empty stomach.
Who should talk to a doctor before fasting?
Anyone with diabetes or on regular medication, anyone pregnant or breastfeeding, and anyone who has had an eating disorder. Diabetes UK advises speaking to your healthcare team before starting an intermittent fasting diet if you use insulin or other diabetes medication, because doses may need adjusting to keep you safe.
Know Diabetes, a patient site carrying NHS branding, says people with a history of eating disorders, and pregnant or breastfeeding women, "should not attempt intermittent fasting". It says that for people on insulin, or tablets such as sulphonylureas or glinides, an intermittent fasting plan "could significantly increase the risk of hypos". Whatever the fast, your doctor's advice comes first.
The short version
Ghee breaks any fast that allows no calories, because a 5 g teaspoon carries about 45 kcal on USDA figures. On 16:8 it belongs in the eating window; on 5:2 it counts towards the fasting-day allowance of around 500 to 600 calories. On a vrat, custom decides, and the custom varies between communities. Before a blood test or an operation, follow the clinic's instructions exactly. No study has tested ghee during a fast, and if you have diabetes, take medication, are pregnant or have had an eating disorder, ask your doctor before fasting at all.
Sources
Further reading behind the figures above. Himdhara's own numbers — yields, batch results — come from our production records and the batch reports on the lab reports page.
- US Department of Agriculture (2019). Butter, Clarified butter (ghee). FoodData Central, SR Legacy.
- Patikorn C, Roubal K, Veettil SK, et al. (2021). Intermittent Fasting and Obesity-Related Health Outcomes: An Umbrella Review of Meta-analyses of Randomized Clinical Trials. JAMA Network Open.
- Semnani-Azad Z, Khan TA, Chiavaroli L, et al. (2025). Intermittent fasting strategies and their effects on body weight and other cardiometabolic risk factors: systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomised clinical trials. The BMJ.
- Diabetes UK (2024). Intermittent fasting diets for type 2 diabetes remission. Diabetes UK.
- Gupta L, Khandelwal D, Singla R, Gupta P, Kalra S (2017). Pragmatic dietary advice for diabetes during Navratris. Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism.