Your Guide to The Best Keto Supplements
What Are Keto Supplements?
The diet works by depriving the body of glucose, which is the main source of energy for our cells and comes from carbohydrates. When an individual strictly limits their carb intake, the body needs to use an alternative source of energy from stored fat called ketones.
Typically, individuals following a keto diet consume foods like eggs, nuts, seafood, meat, cheese, oils, seeds and butter, and limit or avoid many starchy vegetables and fruits as well as other carbohydrate-rich foods.
Keto supplements are often taken by people on a ketogenic diet to aid in reaching ketosis quicker or to supplement the body with nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals, that may be lacking on such a strict eating plan. “Supplements help fill the gaps, and for someone following keto, there are usually going to be gaps,” explains Wendimere Reilly, a registered dietician nutritionist and the director of nutrition at InnovaCare Health in Clermont, Florida.
Common Ingredients in Keto Supplements
A keto diet restricts the types of food a person can eat, which may pose a risk of vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Some common ingredients in keto supplements, according to Reilly and Lindsay Malone, a registered dietitian and an adjunct professor of nutrition at the School of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, include:
- MCT (medium chain triglyceride) oil: MCTs are saturated fatty acids commonly found in sources such as palm kernel oil and coconut oil. “MCT oil bypasses the lymphatic system and the calories are available for fuel in the bloodstream quicker than other types of fats,” explains Malone.
- Omega-3 fatty acids: Supplementing the keto diet with omega-3 fatty acids can help to improve a person’s fatty acid profile, as well as help prevent hyperlipidemia, a condition that refers to an increase in lipids, such as cholesterol, in the blood[1].
- Vitamins: Low carbohydrate diets such as the keto diet may cause a person to be deficient in a number of important vitamins. As a result, keto supplements may contain vitamin B1, vitamin B6, vitamin B9, vitamin B12, vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin C and iron, explain Malone and Reilly.
- Electrolytes: Just like vitamins, some essential minerals, like electrolytes, may be lacking in a strict keto diet. Keto supplements are most likely to contain electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, calcium, iron and magnesium, according to Malone and Reilly.
How does ketosis work?
The first thing to understand, she says, is what it means when the body is in a state of ketosis.
The body typically burns carbohydrates to fuel muscles when you’re active. But if you don’t provide the carbs, the body will turn to fat.
“The term ketosis refers to a process when you restrict the human body of carbohydrates to the point where it begins to break down fatty acids for fuel,” Fiorita says. “Ketones are the byproduct of this breakdown.”
Ketosis occurs naturally after prolonged exercise, during starvation, when you’re fasting or when you’re following a diet that is very low in carbohydrates, such as the keto diet.
But reaching ketosis is difficult for some people.
Your body needs time to adjust to a low-carbohydrate diet. And you likely won’t feel or perform at your best during that process. That’s why some athletes look to supplements.
“People use ketone supplements in a situation when they would like to reach a state of ketosis more quickly or stay in a state of ketosis more efficiently,” says Fiorita.
How do you know whether ketone supplements are right for you?
“Ketone supplementation may help you get into ketosis, but it’s not providing your body with any form of nutrition or added metabolic health benefits,” says Fiorita.
She adds that you may think more clearly and notice appetite suppression when taking ketone supplements, but they don’t actually help your body burn fat.
To help understand if they’re beneficial for you as an athlete, Fiorita suggests that you ask yourself two questions:
- What type of athlete am I? “Endurance athletes (marathoners or triathletes) may benefit from a state of ketosis,” she says. “However, a strength and power athlete (sprinters, football players) will typically experience a decrease in performance due to the difference in energy systems being used.” In other words, your body typically functions better when it’s burning carbohydrates, especially for shorter periods of activity.
- Is my enhanced athletic performance worth certain trade-offs? For some, Fiorita says, the answer is yes. Ketone supplements can help an athlete consuming carbohydrates last longer during an activity without having to re-fuel. And it may help the already fat-adapted (ketogenic) athlete tap into their fat reserves for fuel, she says. But you need to understand that these supplements don’t really offer health benefits. They may actually even cause your body to store fat and increase insulin instead of burning your body fat for fuel, she says.
What to Look for in a Keto Supplement
According to Reilly and Malone, it’s important to search for the following attributes when selecting a keto supplement:
- Low in carbohydrates: “Keto-friendly supplements would need to be low in carbohydrates to be suitable for a keto diet,” explains Reilly. “Avoid supplements that contain added sugars such as gummies or flavored enhanced beverages.”
- Look for verified products: As supplements aren’t regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), it’s crucial to seek out verified products wherever possible, notes Malone. “Brands should be evaluated for purity, potency and quality,” she explains. “[The U.S. Pharmacopeia] (USP) and [the National Science Foundation] (NSF) are two organizations that test and verify supplements.”
- Seek professional advice: Ultimately, everyone is different, which means that anyone starting a new supplement regimen should take into account their personal health needs, explains Reilly. “Work with a registered dietitian or another qualified health practitioner that specializes in keto diet planning to help you create a wellness plan that includes the best supplements for you,” she advises.
