For the purposes of fasting on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, do dietary supplements such as vitamins, melatonin, Metamucil, and Cysto Renew count as food, or can they be considered medicine?
If they act as food, they should be considered food. For example, weight-loss products meant to be consumed as part of a meal (e.g., diet “snacks” such as energy bars) should be considered food. If they are taken as you would take medicine (e.g., pills, capsules, powders), then they can be considered not to be food and can be consumed on days of fast in accordance with your doctor’s or nutritionist’s instructions.
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