If you are on a ketogenic diet, have you been exposed to exogenous ketone supplements? It’s advertised online more for the ketone bodies themselves, which may make you wonder if you should add exogenous ketone supplements. So today, let’s learn a little bit about exogenous ketones.
What is an Exogenous Ketone?
When it comes to exogenous ketone, we first need to understand what ketone bodies are. Ketone bodies are the body’s breakdown of fat, which produces water-soluble energy substances through oxidation and metabolism. It reduces inflammation in the body and also provides efficient and clean energy to the brain. In the process of burning fat and producing ketone bodies, the body burns stored fat and achieves weight loss. In contrast to ketone bodies produced by the body’s metabolism, ketone bodies obtained directly from outside the body are called exogenous ketones.
Should You Take Exogenous Ketone Supplements or Not?
Ketogenic diets are designed for weight loss and fat loss with the expectation of reducing a person’s fat levels. The main process is to promote fat metabolism through the structure of the diet to produce ketone bodies, which in turn feed the body and create a virtuous cycle of body fat reduction.
In other words, weight loss through a ketogenic diet involves using your fat-producing ketone bodies rather than exogenously supplemented ketone bodies. Even if you put your body in a ketogenic state through exogenous ketones, it does not mean that you are consuming your fat in a state where you are using exogenous ketones.
The purpose of ketogenesis is to increase the efficiency of the body’s use of ketone bodies, not the more ketone bodies the better.
However, because ketogenesis varies from person to person, some people have difficulty getting into ketosis in the early stages of ketogenesis, for example, feeling the benefits of ketogenesis early on by consuming exogenous ketone supplements appropriately can help build confidence in ketogenesis and strengthening belief in it.
What Are Some Common Exogenous Ketone Supplements?
Ketone Salts
Ketone salts, chemically known as beta-hydroxybutyrate, are a type of ketone body found in the blood and when combined with some minerals such as sodium, magnesium, calcium, or potassium, or even some amino acids, they become a common exogenous ketogenic supplement on the market.
Exogenous ketone supplements, such as ketone salts, may contain high levels of caffeine or other nutrients, and some promotions will emphasize presentations such as improved athletic performance. ketone bodies improve athletic performance, there is no doubt about this, although some products may amplify the actual effect by adding other ingredients.
There is no data to suggest that exogenous ketone supplements can improve actual athletic performance, as the degree of production of such exogenous ketone supplements is very limited
MCT
A unique form of saturated fat that helps protect the immune system by providing antioxidant and anti-microbial properties. MCT is extremely easy to convert to energy in the body, so very little MCT oil is used as fat storage to provide energy.
It is present in small amounts in coconut oil and can quickly raise ketone levels within two to three hours. However, it is recommended that it be taken in a controlled amount of 50 ml per day. Excessive intake of MCT may lead to gastrointestinal discomfort, stomach pain, and diarrhea.
Although MCT is different from ketone salts, it is also an additional independent intake and can be classified as a type of exogenous ketone. However, compared to ketone salts, it is much more effective! This is why most of our fat-burning coffees choose MCT over ketone salts.
Regardless of the type of exogenous ketone, it is not necessary for nutritional ketogenesis and it may help some people who want to produce ketones but don’t have them, giving them physical and mental relief; it may be that your ketone measurements will improve in the short term after ingesting ketones, but remember, these ketones are not produced by your fat breakdown.
Who Can Take Exogenous Ketone Supplements?
Those who need relief from the early signs of ketogenic effects
There are signs in the early stages of ketogenesis, such as poor concentration, dizziness, and mental fatigue. The main reason for these conditions is that the body is not yet able to produce enough ketone bodies to supply energy and there is an energy gap due to the underutilization of ketone bodies.
Ketone bodies can provide energy to the brain, extra ketone bodies can help improve concentration and mood, and consuming the right amount of exogenous ketone supplements can help alleviate these conditions.
Need for faster access to ketone bodies
Exogenous ketone supplements can better create an environmental climate in the body that allows cells to quickly adapt to ketone bodies as a fuel option, which may help the body enter a ketogenic state and produce and utilize endogenous ketone bodies more quickly and easily.
People who are less fit but still want to go ketogenic
Some people want to try a ketogenic diet but have difficulty getting into ketogenic states for physical reasons, or some hormonal issues. Or some people have a low tolerance for hunger, or poor blood sugar control, making it difficult to get into ketogenic at first, and may consider exogenous ketogenic supplements.
People who want to fast, but have difficulty fasting
Fasting can help you lose weight quickly and enter a ketogenic state quickly, but many people cannot stick to fasting for various reasons. This is when you can try exogenous ketones, as ketones can reduce your food cravings, though we recommend keto salts or the more convenient fat-burning coffee.
