11 Best Ketogenic Supplements

The ketogenic diet has helped many people improve their health, and maintaining optimal nutrient reserves in a low-carbohydrate diet is crucial for the success of the ketogenic diet.

Discover eleven of the best ketone supplements and learn why ketone diet pills don't promote ketosis or help you lose weight.

Should I take supplements during a ketogenic diet?

Vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids play key roles in energy production, immune system function, and hormone synthesis, and maintaining optimal nutrient reserves is essential for overall health and well-being.

That’s why following Healthy Keto® is crucial, a nutrient-rich, low-carb diet plan that focuses on nutrient-rich organic vegetables, healthy fats, grass-fed beef, wild-caught fish and game, organic full-fat dairy products, and ranch-raised eggs.

Unfortunately, even a nutrient-rich, high-fat diet can lead to nutritional deficiencies in people with digestive problems, resulting in intestinal inflammation and malabsorption.

In addition, there are other factors that increase the risk of nutritional deficiencies:

• Chronic stress
• Some prescription drugs
• aging
• Smoking
• Frequent drinking
• Vegan or vegetarian diet
• sleep deprivation

Taking ketone supplements can conveniently meet daily nutritional needs, help prevent nutritional deficiencies, and support various important bodily functions.

It is worth noting that some dietary supplements may interact with prescription drugs or have adverse effects on people with pre-existing health conditions.

To minimize the risk of side effects, always consult your healthcare provider before incorporating ketone supplements into your daily life.

Watch the video below to learn about seven of the best ketogenic diet supplements.

Are ketone pills effective?

Many ketone pills claim to be supplements that enhance ketosis, raising blood ketone levels and helping you burn fat faster.

However, these claims must be taken with a grain of salt, as there are significant differences between natural ketones produced by a low-carbohydrate diet and synthetically produced ketone supplements (also known as exogenous ketones) .

Exogenous ketone supplements are becoming increasingly popular, and they come in various forms such as ketone salts, ketone esters, ketone drinks, and even ketone gummies.

While exogenous ketone bodies can temporarily increase blood ketone levels, they do not put you into a state of ketosis, which can only be achieved by getting most of your calories from fat and restricting carbohydrates.

"Kelp bodies produced in the body come from diet or the breakdown of stored body fat, which helps maintain a healthy weight," Dr. Berg explained . "In contrast, exogenous ketone bodies only raise blood ketone levels for a short period of time and do not promote fat burning."

Watch the video below to learn why people on a ketogenic diet don't need to take ketogenic diet pills.

11 Best Ketogenic Supplements

The profound health benefits of ketosis cannot be ignored. Supporting the body's ability to burn fat through proper nutrition can increase energy levels, improve mental clarity, and help suppress ketosis flu symptoms .

Here are 11 of the best ketone supplements you should consider adding to your daily life.

1. Mineral complex

Mineral complex supplements typically provide essential electrolytes, including calcium, magnesium, potassium, and chloride, as well as trace minerals such as zinc, iron, copper, chromium, iodine, and manganese.

Contrary to popular belief, trace minerals are not only beneficial for hair and skin, but also play a key role in various metabolic processes that support fat burning and ketosis.

A study published in the journal *Nutrition* highlights the importance of magnesium, selenium, chromium, and manganese for optimal blood sugar and insulin balance, key aspects of triggering and maintaining ketosis.

In addition, minerals have an alkalizing effect on the body, which can neutralize uric acid , a weak organic acid that increases the risk of gout and kidney stones.

2. Vitamin B1

Vitamin B1, also known as thiamine, is an often underestimated nutrient that is crucial for energy production because it promotes the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the body's primary energy currency.

Thiamine helps maintain a healthy nervous system and has stress-relieving properties, which can better regulate mood, improve cognitive function and overall nervous system health.

A study published in the *Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences* indicates that thiamine deficiency is more prevalent than previously thought and is associated with an increased risk of neurodegenerative diseases and cardiovascular disease.

3. Vitamin B3

Vitamin B3, or niacin, helps break down stored fat in the body, enabling the liver to convert fatty acids into energy. This explains why vitamin B3 combined with a ketogenic diet is an excellent weight loss supplement.

Because of its role in fat metabolism, vitamin B3 is especially important for overweight people and those with fatty liver disease, as niacin can enhance the elimination of fat stored in liver cells.

Vitamin B3 not only promotes weight loss, but also supports healthy liver function and is associated with better detoxification, hormonal balance, metabolic health, and overall health.

4. Vitamin B5

Vitamin B5, also known as pantothenic acid, is another B vitamin that is essential for the success of ketosis because it plays a key role in promoting the biochemical conversion of fat into energy.

Vitamin B5 is essential for people under chronic stress. Pantothenic acid is involved in the production of the adrenal stress hormone cortisol, and sustained cortisol release rapidly depletes vitamin B5.

Maintaining adequate vitamin B5 levels can promote adrenal health and restful sleep, and help support a balanced stress response.

In addition, due to the role of vitamin B5 in energy metabolism and stress recovery, it can reduce the risk of ketoflu symptoms such as irritability, brain fog, and fatigue.

5. Vitamin A

Vitamin A is an essential fat-soluble vitamin that is crucial for cell health, vision, immune function, and DNA synthesis.

Vitamin A is especially important for people following a ketogenic diet to control or reverse diabetes because it can reduce the risk of insulin resistance, a major cause of type 2 diabetes.

A study published in the journal Diabetes Management investigated the benefits of vitamin A for diabetes and concluded that: "The metabolic regulatory properties of vitamin A suggest that vitamin A deficiency may be an independent risk factor for diabetes."

Vitamin A is believed to help regulate balanced insulin production, thereby promoting stable blood sugar levels, improving metabolic health, and reducing the risk of weight gain.

Combining fat-soluble vitamins (such as vitamin A or D) with medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil (another popular ketone supplement) can enhance their intestinal absorption and improve their bioavailability.

6. Vitamin D

Vitamin D is an essential fat-soluble vitamin that plays a vital role in regulating various physiological functions. A study published in *Cell Reports* suggests that vitamin D may help extend lifespan.

Unfortunately, more than 40% of American adults are deficient in vitamin D, putting many at risk of depression, weight gain, metabolic syndrome, and chronic inflammatory diseases such as Crohn's disease, rheumatoid arthritis , and lupus.

Taking vitamin D supplements or cod liver oil (rich in vitamins A and D) is a simple and convenient way to prevent vitamin D deficiency and promote optimal body reserves.

However, choosing a vitamin D supplement containing vitamin D3 is crucial, as it is more effective than synthetic vitamin D2, which is commonly found in inexpensive dietary supplements and fortified foods.

Another important consideration is to always combine vitamin D3 with vitamin K2.

Vitamin D can increase calcium absorption in the intestines and raise blood calcium levels, while vitamin K2 can transfer calcium back to bone tissue, thereby promoting bone health and reducing the risk of soft tissue and artery calcification.

The optimal ratio of vitamin D3 to K2 is 1000:10 , which means that for every 1000 IU of vitamin D3, you should take 10 micrograms of vitamin K2.

7. Magnesium

Magnesium is an essential mineral that helps stabilize blood sugar levels and helps avoid insulin spikes, which can cause ketosis and prevent fat burning.

Despite the abundance of magnesium-rich ketone foods, magnesium deficiency remains prevalent, and taking magnesium supplements is an excellent strategy to promote health.

Magnesium can also effectively alleviate common symptoms of keto flu, such as muscle cramps, difficulty falling asleep, and headaches.

Magnesium has muscle-relaxing properties, and taking magnesium glycine ( one of the best types of magnesium) before bed can promote restful sleep and may help control insomnia and other sleep-related problems.

8. Choline

Choline contributes to liver health and regulates fat metabolism. A study published in the journal *Nutrition* highlights that choline deficiency significantly increases the risk of fatty liver disease.

Choline is converted into phosphatidylcholine, a compound that regulates fatty acid metabolism and requires the use of stored fat in the body to generate energy.

In addition, phosphatidylcholine is a component of bile acids, which require emulsification of dietary fats and promote their digestion and absorption, making choline an important supplement for people with high-fat diets.

9. Nutritional yeast

Switching to a ketogenic diet triggers various metabolic changes, leading to a temporary drop in B vitamin levels, which can cause common ketosis flu symptoms such as body aches, low energy, and sugar cravings.

Nutritional yeast is an excellent natural source of B vitamins and trace minerals, including zinc, selenium, magnesium, and iron, and is also an excellent supplement to support optimal energy levels and metabolic function, especially during ketosis.

10. Electrolyte powder

The ketogenic diet keeps insulin levels low, which stimulates urination and electrolyte loss, especially in the early stages of adapting to a low-carbohydrate diet.

Electrolytes are essential for muscle function and nerve signal transmission, and regulate the body's fluid balance.

Electrolyte imbalance during ketosis is the main cause of keto flu symptoms, which can be easily managed by taking sugar-free electrolyte supplements.

Potassium is the most important electrolyte needed to regulate blood pressure, maintain the body's acid-base balance, and regulate heart rate.

Unfortunately, many people do not consume the recommended 4,700 mg of potassium per day, so it is advisable to choose an electrolyte supplement that contains at least 1,000 mg of potassium per serving.

11. MCT oil

Medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) are fatty acids that are easily absorbed and directly converted into ketones. When combined with a ketogenic diet, they can help trigger and maintain ketosis.

Evidence published in the *European Journal of Clinical Nutrition* found that MCT has appetite-suppressing properties, making MCT oil an effective option for weight management.

In addition, MCT is easy to digest, making it an excellent source of energy for people with poor digestion and those with gastrointestinal diseases such as Crohn's disease and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Key points

The body’s nutritional reserves can be depleted by a variety of factors, including chronic stress, digestive problems, and certain prescription medications, and nutritional deficiencies can occur even when consuming a nutrient-rich, low-carbohydrate diet.

Supplementing with specific vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids can not only promote overall health and well-being, but also enhance the body's ability to burn fat and reduce the risk of keto flu symptoms.

Some of the best ketone supplements include B vitamins, vitamins A and D, choline, magnesium, high-potassium electrolyte powder, and MCT oil.