Exogenous Ketones

THE KETONE CRAZE

In recent years the ketogenic diet has become the latest diet trend. In contrast to the conventional low-fat, high-carb diet, the ketogenic diet is just the opposite—very low-carb and high-fat. The research has been highly impressive with more favorable results with weight loss and improved health markers than the standard low-fat dietary approach.

The secret behind the ketogenic diet is that it shifts the body from burning sugar (glucose) to burning fat as its primary source of fuel. Excess body fat is burned off, promoting weight loss. Fat is a far more efficient fuel than glucose and triggers metabolic changes that improve overall health. The key feature of the diet is the production of ketones—primarily beta-hydroxybutyrate or BHB—an alternative form of fuel produced by the liver from fatty acids. When your body begins to use ketones as a major source of fuel, you are in what is referred to as nutritional ketosis.

The ketogenic diet provides many health benefits including weight loss, increased energy levels, improved mental function, better blood sugar control, improved cardiovascular health, and protection from cancer, to name a few.

Many of the benefits come from reducing the amount of carbohydrate consumed and many come from the body’s use of ketones as a source of fuel. In fact, studies have shown that ketones themselves can produce many desirable effects including:

• Appetite suppression and weight loss

• Improved cognition/memory

• Increased energy

• Better mood

• Increased endurance and athletic performance

• Reduced inflammation

• Better sleep

Traditionally, the only way you could increase blood ketone levels was by going on a ketogenic diet, fasting, or by consuming a source of medium chain fatty acids, such as coconut or MCT oil. In recent years, ketone dietary supplements have entered the market. These are not MCTs but ketone salts that directly raise blood ketone levels. Ketone salts are made of beta-hydroxybutyrate that are combined with potassium, calcium, sodium, or magnesium to improve absorption. This is the type of ketone supplement currently used in all commercial dietary supplements. Researchers use another form, called ketone esters, in which beta-hydroxybutyrate is linked to an alcohol, but they are very expensive and currently only used in research. These products are referred to as exogenous ketones because they originate from a source outside the body. This is in contrast to endogenous ketones, which are produced in the body by the liver.

The advantage of supplemental ketones is that they provide an almost instant source of ketones without the need of changing the diet or consuming large quantities of MCT oil or coconut oil. Like endogenous ketones, exogenous ketones provide you with all the same health benefits that ketones have to offer. For many people it is far easier to stir a spoonful of ketones into a glass of water or juice and drink it, than it is to make dramatic changes to the diet or take several spoonfuls of MCT oil. Another benefit is that it doesn’t upset the stomach like large amounts of MCT oil or coconut oil can; although depending on the added ingredients (MCTs), some brands can cause stomach upset. With exogenous ketones you can raise blood ketones to therapeutic levels with one dose mixed with a little water. Exogenous ketone supplements will raise blood ketones for about 2 to 3 hours and can be taken up to three times a day.

There are also some disadvantages to exogenous ketones. The most prominent perhaps is the taste. They taste terrible. Some brands add flavorings and sweeteners to their products to make them more palatable. Sometimes people forget that these are dietary supplements, not shakes or beverages, and they aren’t supposed to taste like candy.

Another issue is the price. The process of making ketone salts is expensive and for this reason, exogenous ketones supplements are pricy. You will pay $40 to $60 for one container that may provide 16 to 20 servings. Expect to pay anywhere from $2 to $4 per serving. The more expensive brands cost as much as $6.50 per serving. Companies often recommend two servings at day. This means 60 servings per month for a total of $390 monthly. That’s a lot to pay for a supplement.

Because of the growing popularity of the ketogenic diet, there has been an explosion of interest in ketone supplements. The ketogenic diet requires a definite change in eating patterns and some degree of effort to maintain. Taking a dietary supplement to achieve much of the same benefits, without changing the diet, is appealing to many people. For this reason, a multitude of ketogenic supplements of all types have burst onto the market—some of them useful and others a complete waste of money. Because of the many choices, it can be difficult to tell the difference between them. Many claim to be the best on the market or the most effective, and often make wild claims or insist that their product is the number one choice to burn fat and lose weight or boost brain power, or whatever. With so many products on the market, it can be confusing for consumers.

The words keto, ketone, and ketogenic are thrown around loosely by supplement manufacturers. Many companies use these terms as brand names or to describe certain products that are essentially just vitamin and mineral supplements, and nothing more. They do this to cash in on the keto craze, hoping customers will purchase their products thinking they will enhance ketogenesis. Many of these “keto” supplements contain only MCTs and are way overpriced. True ketogenic supplements contain exogenous ketones in the form of beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB). If the product does not contain BHB, it is not an exogenous supplement and will not increase blood ketones (unless it contains MCTs). BHB, however, can raise blood ketones much higher than MCTs can.

Because terms like “keto” and “ketone” can be used indiscriminately on any product, determining which truly supply exogenous ketone can cause confusion. Here are the things you need to look for when purchasing a useful exogenous ketone supplement.

INGREDIENTS

The first thing you need to do is look at the list of ingredients. The following are some of the ingredients you may find in these supplements.

BHB

The primary ingredient in any exogenous ketone supplement is beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB). If it doesn’t have this ingredient it is not an exogenous ketone supplement. BHB must be in the form of a ketone salt and therefore must be bound to sodium, magnesium, calcium, or potassium. Generally, the product will contain BHB in 3 or 4 of these forms.

Ketone salts are the only ingredients the supplement needs to be effective. However, many brands add various other ingredients. If the product is in powder form it will generally also contain silicon dioxide and calcium silicate as anti-caking agents and to add bulk. If it is in a liquid form it doesn’t need these ingredients, but may contain citric acid and/or sodium hydroxide as a preservative and to maintain pH.