Do Keto Supplements Really Work?

My short answer is yes. But there are also some shady companies trying to jump on the Keto Train just to make a buck so be wary and know that you don’t have to buy any of this stuff to get to Ketosis…

A good friend talked to me about Keto Supplements, and I am glad they did.  Before I started the Keto diet I bought a few supplements and Keto friendly low carb food.

It did cost me a little over $100.00 for the first month but it was definitely worth it.

I got to Ketosis in less than 48 hours and I lost almost 15 pounds in the first 2 weeks.

I also almost completely avoided the dreaded keto flu.  I had a little headache on the third day but that passed quickly with good hydration.

When you change to a Keto diet the whole idea is that your going to change the makeup of your body.

Most of the changes are exactly what we want to happen.  You will start burning fat most of the time which is the way that our bodies were really meant to work.

The transition can be a little dicey at times but it can be made easier with some supplements.

There are also supplements that can help maintain ketosis and even speed up the weight loss.

A little caution, there are some supplements that make claims that are overstated or just not true.  I will let you know what I found about that as well.

If you are still on the fence about Keto check out my posts:

They Keto Diet has changed the way I eat and live my life for the better…

UPDATE: 11/2/2018…I have an Six Pack again! (Well, it’s really an 8 pack but you know what I mean. I haven’t been able to see it for about 15 years!) I love Keto!!

20 Amazing Benefits of the Keto Diet

Getting Started on the Keto Diet

Lose 10 Pounds in Seven Days

Specific Keto Supplements:

Chocolate….just kidding.

But not really, it is important that you are able to deal with the pain of no chocolate.  There is help though.

You can have chocolate and other candy too.

Sodium (Salt)

I know that we have all been told that salt is bad for our blood pressure, but that is not how it works on Keto.

If you want to avoid or minimize the Keto Flu, the most important thing is to eat enough salt.

On the Keto diet, you are going to need more salt.  I explained this in Getting Started on the Keto diet.

Table salt will do just fine.  You can use the salt shaker again.

But if you want something fancy and more delicious, try these:

• Himalayan Pink Salt
• Kosher Salt
• Truffle Salt

Another way to get enough salt is find yourself a Keto friendly salty snack and enjoy it frequently – I like the spicy pork rinds, dry roasted peanuts, and the smokehouse almonds.

MCT Oil

MCT stands for Medium-Chain Triglycerides.

If you’re like me those are just really big words and you really want to know what it is going to do for you.

These oils are absorbed directly in GI tract and go to the liver where they are changed to ketones.

The ketones are then released to the blood where they are either used as energy or excreted.  So they are not stored as more fat.

Pure MCT Oil will have an energizing effect.  And it’s good in coffee.

Now, I do have to say that this product can be spendy.  It’s made from coconut oil but makes up only about 10 percent of it. You can get MCT oil from coconut oil, but its not as potent. It’s not necessary for the Keto diet but it helps especially in the beginning. So check out your Keto budget and make your decision.

Potassium

Weather you are on the Keto Diet or not your body needs potassium.

It helps to relax blood vessels so that your blood pressure doesn’t get out of control.

When your body looses sodium which I talked about above, it will also lose potassium.

The symptoms of a potassium deficiency are nausea and vomiting, headache, confusion, loss of energy, drowsiness and fatigue, restlessness and irritability, Muscle weakness, spasms or cramps,  seizures, and if it is allowed to go to far, Coma.

That sounds like a bad case of the Keto Flu.

So you are going to want to get some potassium either from supplements or your foods.

Spinach, avocados, chard, Brussel sprouts and yogurt are all awesome, Keto friendly foods that are high in potassium.

Potassium supplements are not worth the money, they’re expensive and generally have less potassium than an avocado or a helping of spinach.

Magnesium

You need Magnesium for many processes in the body, including regulating muscle and nerve function, regulating blood sugar and blood pressure as well as  making protein, bone, and even DNA.

You really don’t want to be without enough of this stuff. The symptoms of magnesium deficiency is very similar to those of the calcium or potassium.

Magnesium supplements are also too expensive for what you get.  And magnesium is also in a lot of Keto friendly food,

Vitamin C

I didn’t know until I found out the hard way that Vitamin C prevents constipation.  So there’s that.  It also boosts your immune system.

Get some vitamin C pills.

L-Glutamine

If you want to have quick healthy weight loss you’re going to want have good digestion and strong muscles, and that is what L-Glutamine does for you.

It cleans your intestinal lining which aids in absorbing the nutrients that your body need.

Your intestines also act as a sort of filter to keep out toxins that you don’t want in your body.  L-Glutamine can help your guts with that too.

Glutamine is the most important amino acid.  It is the major building blocks of muscles.

If you have a glutamine deficiency your body will cannibalize your muscles to provide the glutamine for other functions.

So if you would like to maintain  your muscle mass you are going to want to get some L-Glutamine.

Aloe Vera

I always thought that aloe vera was just something that you put on sunburns.  But it is more.

Diet-wise what aloe vera does is balance your body’s PH.  When your PH is messed up it causes inflammation.

Inflammation causes weight gain, and not the good kind.

Also one of the benefits of going Keto is that it reduces joint pain especially metabolic sorts and aloe vera can enhance help even more.

You can get an Aloe Vera Supplement, and if you have inflammation it may be worth the money.

Primrose Oil

This is a hormone balancing painkilling compound.

They are still working on just exactly how it works.  But what we do know is that it contains a fatty acid with tremendous healing and balancing properties.

Even if this is not the best thing for weight loss, the regulation and balancing of hormones will make you feel better.

Estrofactors

This one is just for the women.

Just like it sounds, Estrofactors will give you more protection for estrogen sensitive tissues and help with other estrogen related issues.

CoQ10

CoQ10 increases the amount of mitochondria in your cells.

And that increases the amount of fuel the cells can turn into energy for you.

CoQ10 will ramp up you metabolism and increase your energy.

5-HTP

So this is another hormonal thing.  5-HTP increases a hormone called serotonin.

Serotonin is fairly well known for it’s mood stabilizing.  It can make you have a sense of wellbeing which is good in any case.

There are also some less known benefits of serotonin.

It can increase and regulate your metabolism, and makes you happier and more energetic.

It can even act as an appetite suppressant so you will lose weight easier and faster.

Silymarin

Silymarin detoxes your liver and boosts liver function.

In the Keto diet you will be counting on your liver to metabolize body fat into ketones.

Your going to want your liver to be as healthy as possible.

Bifidobacteria

There is a ton of stuff out there these days about gut bacteria – also called gut flora – and if you want you can verify what I am telling you because I admit that it is a bit of an oversimplification..

Lactic acid – the stuff that makes your muscles sore when you get a good workout – you need lactic acid in your colon to stop parasites from taking hold and causing digestive problems.

Bifidobacteria is one of  a number of good bacteria that you need in your gut because it ferments food and produces lactic acid as a byproduct.  That lactic acid then kills the parasites that you don’t want.

Good digestion is very important to the Keto diet.  So you want to take care of your flora.

Collagen

I know that you have heard of collagen.  It has been all over makeup adds since the eighties because it is good for your skin and hair.

But what you probably didn’t know is that collagen is the most common protein in your body, and it has it is very important to muscle health and metabolism.

Collagen boosts metabolism, muscle mass and energy output.

It can reduce joint pain as well as help heal injured joints.

Collagen is like the maintenance worker/builder protein.

For Keto purposes what you need to know is that collagen is great for the health of your heart, your liver and your digestive track.

If you eat enough protein, Vitamin C and Zink, your body can make all of the Collagen it needs.

If you want a collagen supplement they are available.

Amino Acids/L-Lysine, L-Leucine and L-Carnatine

Lysine helps you body make carnitine Which I will tell you about in a minute.

You can take lysine supplements for energy because your body absorbs and burns it quickly.

If you have enough lysine it will be easier for you body to absorb calcium and your bones will stay strong.

Leucine is used in your body to maintain and increase lean muscle mass.  In weight loss you will need it to ensure that you don’t end up losing muscle.

But leucine is an essential amino acid which means that your body does not make it.  You can only get it by eating i

You can get  Leucine from eating animal protein – eggs, fish and meat and poultry.

You can also get it from plants, but they are the grains and legumes that you won’t be eating on the Keto diet.

L-Carnitine shuttles the fatty acids from the blood to the mitochondria of your cells.  Your body produces L-carnitine out of the amino acids lysine and methionine. 

Especially during the transition from being a sugar/carb burner to a fat burner you are probably going to want a little extra L-Carnitine.

Carnitine is great for weight because it is basically putting the fat in the fire.  But there’s more, one of the things it dies is clear the fat up around the hear and liver.

Here is a supplement that contains all three.

Alpha Lipoic Acid

Alpha Lipoic Acid is good stuff.  It is an anti-inflammatory that helps your body convert food into energy.

It isn’t common in food.  There is a little in Brussel sprouts, broccoli and spinach.  Most of us don’t want to eat enough Brussel sprouts the to get their alpha lipoic acid, so a supplement sounds pretty good.

Does the Keto diet work?

Yes it does.  And with the right Supplements it works better.

So do you absolutely need to get all these supplements for the Keto? Nope, if you figure your macros correctly and meet them everyday you will get results.

But if you want the best results you want to consider supplements.

If you would like to avoid the Keto flu salt and hydration is the best choice.

Supplements make the benefits easier, faster, healthier, and much more comfortable.

I have made this list for your consideration.  I admit that the explanations are simplified.  I encourage you to research anything that you’re uncomfortable with.  If you find something that I didn’t get quite right please let me know so I can fix it.