Does fish oil break a fast?

Q: Does fish oil break a fast?

No - breaks a clean fast. Small, but still oil calories. Oil is calorie-bearing even when the capsule is small. Take fish oil with a meal unless your clinician gave different instructions.

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Breaks a fast

Small, but still oil calories

10-45 kcal

No - breaks a clean fasthigh confidenceSupplement-label evidence

Decision

No - breaks a clean fast. Fish oil capsules contain dietary fat, so they are not clean-fast friendly.

Reason

Oil is calorie-bearing even when the capsule is small.

Evidence

Supplement labels typically list fat calories per serving for omega-3 oil products.

How we calculate this value

Base tier: 25/100 for "Breaks a fast". Item adjustment: +10 points for calories, nutrient signal, product variability, and safety caution. Final Fast Score: 35/100.

What to do

Take fish oil with a meal unless your clinician gave different instructions.

Medical caution

Ask a clinician about fish oil if you take blood thinners or have surgery scheduled.

References for this answer

Methodology

NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Dietary Supplements for Exercise and Athletic Performance NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Dietary Supplement Fact Sheets U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Dietary Supplements MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine: Taking multiple medicines safely