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The keto diet has taken over the world. With millions of people per month searching for keto, the diet has hit every gym in the United States.
But with that growth – has come a plethora of bad products. When you are looking for the best keto supplements, it’s imperative to look for ones that are high-quality.
So we’ve aggregated tens of thousands of actual user reviews, tested the top picks, and compiled a short list for you. With this article, you can quickly and easily buy the best keto supplements on the market.
Andf you’ve got more time, or want more information, we’ve also included the top factors to look for, when deciding on the best keto supplements. Don’t waste your time on poorly manufactured products, opt for only the best – your health is worth it.
Our Top Pick
Perfect Keto Exogenous Ketones
A delicious powder that helps you easily get into ketosis – is there a better solution than Perfect Keto? If so, we have yet to find it. We like mixing it with coconut milk or almond milk, but even plain water works well. We have yet to try it in coffee or shakes, but many reviews say this is one of the best keto supplements to try with either.
Other Great Picks
7-Keto DHEA
7-Keto DHEA is one of the more traditional forms of keto supplements. It enhances metabolism and helps support weight loss. Interestingly, it also is a metabolite of DHEA, but cannot be metabolized into sex hormones, which means that you get the added benefits of DHEA, without any of the side effects.
MCT Oil
One of the purest and cleanest formulations out there, MCT oil is made from medium chain triglycerides, and helps with an increased metabolism and weight loss. One of our favorite aspects of MCT oil is that is has no flavor, and no smell. This means it mixes absolutely perfectly in any choice of beverage, shake, or smoothie.
Electrolytes (Magnesium, Calcium, Potassium, Sodium)
The keto flu is very common – and by drastically reducing carbohydrate intake, you are also often in serious risk of not getting enough electrolytes. That’s where this simple supplement comes in. Providing all 6 electrolytes, as well as supporting minerals, we also especially like it for its simplicity.
L-Glutamine
By depleting carb intake, we naturally will be eating fewer vegetables (due to their high carb content). This can pose significant health risks, as this means our body will start to produce more free radicals, and fewer antioxidants.
Fortunately, supplementing with glutamine (a powerful antioxidant) may help, when in a particularly deep state of ketosis. This is doubly true if intensely exercising, as glutamine has been shown to aid in recovery from workouts.
What Is The Keto Diet?
While the standard American diet has traditionally been high in carbohydrates – the keto diet turns this on its head. With moderate protein, high amounts of healthy fats, and tiny amounts of carbs – it is almost the anti-diet.
By using your body’s natural ability to produce ketones when carbs run low – you can enter into an advanced fat-burning state. However, there is an adaptation period to the keto diet – during which you might feel slightly less than optimal.
Foods popular in the American diet are rarely consumed when following a ketogenic diet – or skipped entirely. Instead, you’ll be eating more healthy fats like avocados, coconut oil, and extra virgin olive oil.
It’s also important to eat plenty of protein when following a ketogenic diet, to make sure that you don’t lose any muscle mass. However, to stay in ketosis – your carb intake needs to be strictly controlled.
This typically means keeping your daily carb intake to 20 grams or less. For most used to a high-carb diet – this will sound a little bit crazy.
The standard American diet usually contains 200 to 300 grams of carbs a day – so this is a drastic macronutrient shift. However, it’s for a very good reason.
Once your body runs low on glucose, you’ll start to produce ketone bodies. These molecules circulate throughout the bloodstream, and will keep your body and brain running – even when glucose is scarce.
Scientists are not entirely sure, but they believe we developed the ability to produce and run on ketones, as a necessary survival tactic. When our ancestors could not get food for long periods of time – they needed some way to survive.
Do I Really Need Keto Supplements?
There are different schools of thought on the subject. A keto diet is great for longevity, weight loss, mental clarity and many other things – but it is awfully low in carbs. By nature, this can cause potential issues, if a keto diet is not followed carefully and properly.
The most nutrient dense vegetables (spinach, kale, broccoli, etc.) all contain carbs. These veggies are great, because they help our body in many ways.
These vegetables all contain large amounts of antioxidants, which literally help to protect our very cells from damage. However, too many carbs – and we’re out of ketosis.
This is where net carbs come into play. By subtracting dietary fiber, we arrive at net carbs, which is a more accurate carb count. This allows us to eat more vegetables, without losing ketosis.
This all being said, it is our opinion that a few keto supplements are probably a good idea, as none of us eat perfectly, even on a keto diet.
Are There Other Keto Supplements I Should Buy?
If you are more curious about keto supplements, we highly recommend browsing through all the keto supplements available, so you can pick and choose for yourself.
There are always advances in the market, as well as many products that are simply too numerous for us to mention. We have provided the top keto supplements (in our opinion), that everyone can see some benefit from.
However, there are many keto supplements which are more specialized, serve a single specific purpose, or have not been reviewed by enough people for us to trust the product’s validity (at least not enough to recommend on a large scale).
What Issues Should I Look Out For On A Keto Diet?
There are numerous things which can go wrong, on a keto diet. Keto supplements can help to protect and prevent against many (but not all) of these problems and side effects.
Low blood sugar is perhaps one of the most common issues, especially during the adaptation stage of keto. As your body is used to burning carbohydrates for fuel, this stage of adjustment can be particularly vexing.
Our body will be confused as to why it’s not getting its preferred source of fuel, and not know how to react. This causes many of the sluggish feelings, and brain fog, which is particularly common during the keto flu.
Another issue common when switching to a keto diet, is sugar cravings. Boy, do we know these well!
Suddenly all you can think about is a candy bar, your favorite ice cream, or a cool can of sugary soda. This is your brain simply trying to tell you it wants fuel.
Since you are not yet adapted to burning fat for fuel, your body does not want to be low on energy, and it sends signals like these, to try and guide you to (what it thinks is) better health.
Fatigue – how we hate this side effect. No one likes to have low energy, and this is probably the hardest keto side effect to deal with. Before you are keto adapted, energy levels are typically in the toilet. This makes just getting through the day challenging, sometimes.
This is one side effect that usually cannot be completely avoided, though keto supplements may help with energy levels. Sugar cravings go hand in hand with low energy levels.
Our brains are trying to tell us we are starving. Which we know is not true. But in our keto adaptation stage, our brain does not know this yet.
If you are looking to exercise during the keto adapation period – be very careful. You are likely to have very low energy, as well as reduced strength. This means that you will probably not be able to exercise at full tilt, or with your normal amount of weight.
There are a few ways to help minimize keto adaptation side effects. First, try eating every few hours. This will help to keep your blood sugar more balanced. It will also help to stabilize energy levels.
There are sometimes also issues with electrolyte and mineral imbalances. This can be remedied by eating foods richly salted, or foods rich with magnesium (or other electrolytes).
Another potentially rough side effect of the keto adaptation period is sleeplessness. Due to hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysregulation, your brain and body are very out of sorts.
This can result in disturbed sleep, disrupted sleep, or a simple lack of sleep. Similar to caffeine withdrawal, there are a vast amount of changes going on inside your brain and body, so being patient here is critical.
Adapotgenic herbs are sometimes used during this tough time period, but we have not found them to be critical or essential. If you are feeling particularly stressed, you may want to experiment with them.
However, within 1-2 weeks, most keto adaption side effects will lessen. Once you are keto adapted, you will find that you are thinking clearer, resting better, and are burning fat more efficiently.
Intense shifts in dietary regimens always require some sort of adjustment period, and becoming keto adapted is no different.
What To Look For In Keto Supplements
Quality, quality, quality. We cannot overstate this enough. The supplement industry is unregulated, so there are almost no rules as to what companies can put into their products, or how much of the active ingredient there must be.
Reviews – this is one of the easiest ways to quickly scan for a product’s quality ranking. If there are numerous poor reviews, that is usually a pretty big red flag. Make sure that reviews are solid, and that there are plenty of them (preferably more than 50).
Active ingredients should also be labeled, clear, readable, and understandable. This means that you should quickly be able to scan the bottle or product, and know exactly what is in it. It should also be clear to tell exactly what those ingredients are doing.
Snake oil supplements can usually be spotted by recognizing outrageous claims, as well as not having numerous (or well-written) reviews. Steer clear of these keto supplements.
Are There Other Supplements That Are Ideal For A Keto Diet?
There are so many supplements on the market. One of the most interesting new areas of research, revolves around nootropic supplements. It seems that nearly anyone can benefit from nootropic supplements, and this includes those on a keto diet.
Nootropic supplements have vast potential for enhanced thinking, improved stamina, better focus, and increased energy. However, when it comes to these supplements, scrutiny is vitally important.
There is the same issue of low amounts of regulation in these products, so reading reviews and labels carefully is extremely important.
Best Keto Supplements
There you have it – our picks for the best keto supplements. Remember to never gamble with untested supplements, as they can often contain dangerous additives.
When switching to (or following) a keto diet, it’s important to check your ketone levels, as well as supplement wisely. Make sure that your electrolyte levels stay high, and you stay well-hydrated.
Using products like MCT oil, you can easily keep your fat intake high, while keeping your budget intact. You should also always following the standard rules of nutrition – which means eating plenty of low-starch veggies, organic sources of protein, and sticking to mostly healthy fats.
Keto supplements can help you maximize the keto diet experience – and it’s a very good idea to use the best keto products, in addition to eating an optimal diet. Of course, be sure to consult with your doctor, before taking any new supplements. There are many more products on the market besides keto supplements though, so be sure to check out the other great picks in our health section.