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Keto supplements are quickly growing in popularity as the Ketogenic Diet becomes more mainstream. The Ketogenic Diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet that has been linked to many health benefits, including mental clarity, preventing age related mental decline and of course, weight loss.
As the Keto Diet grows, the number of ketosis supplements available to consumers has also grown size and selection.
One of the most popular Keto supplements are exogenous ketones. These are man made ketones that are marketed for their ability to reduce appetite, boost athletic performance and increase energy levels.
However taking poor-quality ketosis supplements can do more harm than good.
Poor quality supplements can lead to side-effects such as constipation and increased levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in men. Women can also experience disruptions to the menstrual cycle or amenorrhea. That is why it's important for you to do you research and make sure to consult with a physician before starting any diet or before consuming any supplement.
Keto supplements is a broad term and there are many different things that fall under this spectrum. Some supplements you can get naturally by eating certain foods. Others supplements such as exogenous ketones and MCT Oil (see our best MCT Oil guide here)you may need to purchase in order to get them into your diet.
We are going to first take a look at my favourite Keto supplements in 2019 and then we will take a look at some of the science behind keto supplements and answer some frequently asked questions like if you even need a friggen' Keto supplement!
Best Ketogenic Supplements: A Review for 2018
| IMAGE | PRODUCT | DESCRIPTION | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Our Rating: 9/10  | Our Rating: 8.5/10 | Perfect Keto |
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Our Rating: 7.8/10  | Our Rating: 8/10 | Pruvit KETO OS |
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Our Rating: 8.5/10  | Our Rating: 8/10 | Keto Force |
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Our Rating: 7/10  | Our Rating: 7/10 | Core Basics |
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Our Rating: 8/10  | Our Rating: 9/10 | NutriGold 7 Keto Gold |
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Our Rating: 7/10  | Our Rating: 7/10 | Raspberry Ketones |
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Our Rating: 8.5/10  | Our Rating: 8.4/10 | Bulletproof KetoPrime |
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Our Favourite Keto Supplements
Perfect Keto
Although Perfect Keto is a relatively newcomer to the exogenous ketones market, it is definitely a top notch contender. Keto dieters out there who are really serious about dropping their carb intake love this product—we do too. It is one of the most affordable exogenous ketone drink supplements out there and it blends well with your morning cup of coffee, milk or chocolate.
What's great about Perfect Keto was developed by Dr. Anthony Gustin who made the formula for maximum efficiency to get into ketosis. As a bonus, Perfect Keto is also certified organic. Therefore ot does not use chemical flavourings but instead it uses stevia to add sweetness and added depth of flavor.
Perfect Keto is relatively cheaper than most exogenous ketone drink supplements. Each serving is great for suppressing the hunger and provides an extra amount of needed energy. The BHB or beta-Hydroxybutyric acid component works well in helping your body raise ketone levels—which in this case has been proven and tested to go up in an average of 0.8-1.4 mmol—giving your body that nice extra boost of energy. It really functions like endogenous ketones since it raises ketone levels to help your body enter ketosis quickly.
Perfect keto is also great for keto diet beginners since it helps in aiding your body to get familiar with burning body fat for energy. It also lessens keto flu symptoms and makes getting through the keto side-effects much easier.
Click here to read our full Perfect Keto Review
BulletProof Brain Octane
Brain Octane Oil is a supplement that serves the body better in keeping you alert and your brain fueled with energy. Made to be easily taken and digested at any point of the day, KetoPrime are actually oils that you put on your drinks. You can take it any time of the day, especially when you feel like your body is fatigued and drained of energy.
The main component of the oils is a chemical called oxaloacetate (OAA) which helps remove a dangerous compound called glutamate that often causes dizziness, mental fatigue, and reduced cognitive energy. Other than that, it significantly improves metabolic processes at a cellular rate. In simpler terms, it helps your body digest those carbs and stored fats quickly because it aids your body in producing mitochondria—the powerhouse of your cells. Newer mitochondria produce fresher, cleaner and longer lasting energy.
In effect to your keto diet, Bulletproof's KetoPrime gives your body a quick source of energy. The improved metabolism helps break down the carbs you take in and move its way into using up the fat reserves in your body. It also contains MCT Oil that is said to effectively help in the production of ketones in the body. MCT Oil helps in the release of ketones to fuel the body and the brain with energy. MCT Oil also helps highly active persons in keeping up with their high-protein diet; MCT prevents the loss of muscle growth.
One bottle of KetoPrime contains 30 oils per bottle. It falls on the more expensive side of our list but it already provides you with an entire month's supply. Read our full Bulletproof Brain Octane review here
Pruvit Keto//OS
Pruvit Keto/OS is one of the oldest, most established exogenous ketones supplements on the market. The main concept of Keto//OS is that drinking one packet in 16 ounces of water would immediately put your body into a state of ketosis where your body starts burning off the stored fats in your body. It may sound really too good to be true - but it really does what it’s supposed to do. It's like hacking your body into a state of ketosis.
Regarding the taste, it is rather 'funny' to some but you kind of expect that from a product that does not rely on added extra flavors to make a healthy drink. Drink it as it is; it still tastes better to me than juicing up some raw veggies.
The exogenous ketones in Keto//OS is highly effective in keeping your body energy levels boosted and it also increases mental alertness. When combined with standard ketogenic diet, Keto//OS gives your body better and lasting energy. It also effective in reducing inflammation.
For newbies to the keto diet, Keto//OS is recommended since it reduces the sluggish feeling most people undergo in the first few days starting a low carb diet. Low energy and slight dizziness are common side-effects of the "keto flu" - which is what happens when the body needs to adjust itself to a low-carb diet. It results in the body burning fat instead of carbs as the main source of energy. This is a dramatic change for your body and produces temporary flu-like side effects.
The energy boost in Keto//OS can be attributed to the caffeine - but there is also an option for a caffeine-free Keto//OS. Nonetheless, whether you drink with or without caffeine, you still get a powerful punch of energy and increased mental alertness letting you focus on other things even more. The downside biggest downside to Keto//OS is that it's a little expensive compared to other products on this list. Read our full Pruvit Keto//OS Review here
Keto Force
Keto Force literally helps force your body produce endogenous ketones with the help of sodium and potassium salt forms. Taking a maximum of 3 capfuls of Keto Force for every 24 hours is just enough to give you a daily boost of energy throughout the entire day. Your body reaches a state of ketosis much faster. It does have a change in intake for a keto diet. If you have just started a keto diet, it is recommended to take 3 capfuls of KetoForce to help achieve Ketosis faster but must be reduced to 1 capful once your body has already adjusted to your ketogenic diet.
It is a great companion to your keto diet because it really keeps the hunger at bay. It also reduces the symptoms of your keto diet and also helps in aiding you to keep up the energy boost to a maximum especially before your workout. The BHB component makes your keto diet easier especially in the beginning where you happen to feel like losing energy in the transition period of your keto diet. KetoForce is one of the most effective keto pre-workout supplements. It prevents your body from losing energy and helps keep your momentum up even after your workout.
On the downside, a 16-ounce bottle of KetoForce is quite pricey. Another issue is the taste; it tastes like dirt so you may want to add it to a cup of grapefruit, lime or lemon, or any citrus juice. Measurement using the cap is rather pedestrian and it can really get messy. But if you want to measure properly, one capful is equivalent to 10cc or 10mL. Check out our full KetoForce Review
Ketolabs Core Basics
No matter what type of diet you are on, whether it is Keto, Atkins, or Paleo, your body will well be sustained with Ketolabs' Core Basics. This multi-vitamin supplement is composed of naturally occurring ingredients that help keep the body at a great state of health. This supplement fills up any mineral deficiencies you may experience during your diet.
The main purpose of Core Basics is to fill-in the lacking vitamins and minerals that your may have during a low carb diet. Core Basic vitamins helps the body stay in shape without interfering with your body's diet. This is become some vitamins may contain sugars that can raise your insulin levels and kick you out of ketosis.
Core Basics prevents your body from losing muscle and bone mass that can occur from a keto diet. This is a great supplement for those who are into sports and working out and want to maintain their physique. Core Basics also contains probiotics which helps keep your gut bacteria healthy and ward off sickness.
The recommended dosage is to take in two tablets a day with at least an 8-hour difference—like once in the morning and once in the evening daily. This helps your body have a constant supply of vitamins and minerals. It may not directly aid you in entering ketosis but it does help help reduce the side effects of the keto flu.
That's why I think Core Basics is a must have to anyone worried about vitamin deficiencies from a Ketogenic diet.
NutriGold 7-Keto
NutriGold's 7-Keto Gold is a metabolism enhancer. It's primarily purpose is it aids weight loss by increasing the body's rate of metabolism allows the body to function better and utilize stored fats in your body. The 7-Keto Gold contains 7-keto-dehydroepiandrosterone acetate or simply known as 7-keto-DHEA. This is actually a chemical or a product of metabolism.
7-Keto Gold aids in activating three thermogenic enzymes that promote the use of stored body fat as a source of energy and heat production. In fact, these enzymes increase the metabolism of these fat stored more than burning the carbs taken in by the body.
The 7-Keto Gold has been shown to reverse the negative effects of muscle loss in a low-carb diet. So instead of losing muscle, it goes straight to burning stored fats and assists your body to build muscle tone after working out. 7-Keto Gold is a non-stimulant and does not show any cardiovascular or nervous system side effects.
Aside from being an effective weight loss agent, 7-Keto Gold helps the body enhance its immune system especially for the elderly. This means that as the body gets older and the immune system gets weaker it becomes more prone to infections and illnesses. 7-Keto Gold assists in preventing that from happening.
In a sense, although it designed to mainly help your body in its metabolic process, the 7-Keto Gold is highly effective in boosting your weight loss efforts. It is also relatively cheap since one bottle of capsules is equivalent to a 60-day or two months. That's why I recommend 7-Keto Gold for those who are looking to supplement their ketogenic diet to lose weight fast.
Raspberry Ketones Max
There has been many different opinions on the effectiveness of Raspberry Ketone supplements over the years. It has been said Raspberry Ketones may help in weight loss—but it is relative because it may not work on all people.
That is why we decided to do our homework and conducted our own research by trying the most popular products to see if they were as effective as other BHB supplements.
Rasberry Ketones helps in increasing your metabolism, regulating blood sugar and blood pressure. It also helps in aiding the body burn fat cells which release a chemical called adiponectin—a hormone that actively plays a role in increasing metabolism. Technically, people who are naturally thinner actually have higher adiponectin hormone levels and are less likely to be obese and less likely to have type 2 diabetes
Our results in research Rasberry Ketone supplements were somewhat surprising. We tested a number of different manufacturers and although most supplements didn't suppress appetites or block carbs, it did improve our metabolism. However one brand - Raspberry Ketone Max - specifically stood out. It was especially effective at this as we noticed a significant increase in fat burning. To see our full review on Raspberry Ketone Max you can find it right here.
What Are Keto Supplements?
Keto supplements can be broken down into 3 main categories:
Exogenous Ketone Supplements
Exogenous ketones are perhaps the most popular Keto supplements around. There are two forms of exogenous ketones:
- Ketone esters: This is used primarily in research and are not available to consumers at this time. This form consists of pure beta-hydroxybutyrate without anything else.
- Ketone salts: This is the most common exogenous ketone and is found in most ketone supplements available on the market. This form of ketone also consists of beta-hydroxybutyrate but it also includes other additives to help with intakes as well as taste.
MCT Oils
MCT stands for stands for “medium-chain triglycerides,” they’re a type of fat the body can use for energy right away instead of being stored as fat.
MCT Oils have been shown to have numerous positive health effects such as reducing appetite, increase energy, even mitigate some of the effects of aging.
MCT Oil is a useful supplement to take on a Ketogenic Diet because they produce ketones, which are necessary for your body to enter and stay in ketosis.
Electrolytes
Being on a low carb diet can mean that you might not be getting common electrolytes in your system. A lack of electrolytes can make you feel weak or sick. There are four main Electrolytes:
Magnesium
Magnesium helps maintain a healthy immunity, assists with muscle and nerve function and maintain a normal heart rhythm. It also works with calcium to keep your bones healthy and helps regular numerous functions in your body such as maintaining testosterone levels and regulating sleep.
Calcium
Calcium plays a central role to many functions including maintaining healthy bones. It is also responsible for muscle contraction and preventing blood clotting.
Potassium
Potassium helps your body maintain a regular heart rate, regulate blood pressure and balance your fluids It also helps break down carbs and proteins.
Sodium
Sodium received a bad name over the years, but it is a necessary mineral - especially on a Ketogenic Diet. The diet causes water loss which may cause your sodium levels to deplete. So having enough sodium is important, especially if you are just starting your diet.
Sodium's ability to retain water is crucial in helping your body maintain a balance of other electrolytes. It also helps maintain nerve and muscle functions.
Vitamins / Minerals
Everyone knows it's important to take vitamins because it is hard to get everything you need, like Vitamin D from eating alone. Even if your a cooking freak like me and have all the best Keto cookbooks. That's why there are vitamins pills and drinks to help make sure you get all your required vitamins.
Performance / Pre-Workouts
Most pre-workouts on the market today are loaded with artificial sweeteners and other junk that can knock your body out of ketosis. That's why there are now safe pre-workout products designed specifically for people on a Ketogenic Diet.
Do Keto Supplements Work?
Before you make a purchase, it's important to find Keto supplements that work. They can be pretty expensive, so by visiting this site you are on the right track for finding the right kind of Keto supplements.
All the Keto supplements on this site have been thoroughly researched and/or personally tested by myself or collages. It's of the utmost importance to me to give you real honest reviews that you can trust.
That being said it is important to keep realistic expectations about what Ketosis supplements can do and not do. If you are not maintaining a Ketogenic Diet there is not much a supplement can do to help with that. However, if you are really trying to get into Ketosis then these supplements can help.
What Are The Best Keto Supplements for Weight Loss?
While there are no Keto supplements designed specifically for weight loss, there are several products that have effects that can aid in weight loss.
Exogenous ketones such as Perfect Keto and Pruvit Keto//OS increase the amount of ketones in your body which helps you get into Ketosis. This makes your body burn fat instead of carbs which helps in weight loss. It also has the effect of controlling your appetite which also aids in losing weight.
MCT Oils like Bulletproof Brain Octane help your body produce Ketones and give you energy. It also is an appetite suppressant which can further assist weight loss.
What Happens If I Take Exogenous Ketones after Cheat Meal?
Taking exogenous ketones directly after a cheat mean is not recommended. Your body will not be use the ketones for fuel and will revert back to using carbs. However I personally found exogenous ketones to be most effective if I waited a day and took a serving in the morning on a empty stomach.
This allows your body to digest the carbs and let's your body "reset" so that it can go back into Ketosis.
Are Keto Supplements Safe, What Are The Side Effects?
Keto supplements are just like any other supplement, they need to be taken with caution and in consultation with a family doctor. That being said, it is important to know any Keto supplement side effects ahead of time.
Some Ketogenic supplements such as MCT Oil is notoriously known to have side effects such as "stomach distress" (aka diarrhea). Exogenous Ketones such as Perfect Keto and Pruvit Keto//OS also have similar side effect. A good way to reduce this effect is to start with a small dose instead of the recommended serving.
Ketone salts are usually made up of ketones bound to sodium, they can dangerous to people that have high blood pressure. Also ketone supplements can reduce blood sugar levels, which is why it is important for those with diabetes to consult their doctor before use.
Another potential side effect of ketone supplements is that it causes bad breath 
. This is an effect of elevated ketone levels in your body.
The long-term effects of exogenous ketone supplements are still unknown. There needs to be more research before potential risks and benefits of Keto supplements can be fully understood.
Research on exogenous ketone supplements is limited at this time, and studies on their potential risks and benefits are ongoing.
Do I really need a Ketogenic Supplement?
If you are already in Ketosis and you feel perfect, then adding a Keto supplement won't really do you any good. You could take a multivitamin just to make sure your getting all the vitamins you need, but that's about it.
However if you want to start a Ketogenic Diet, or you have trouble staying strict with one than I can see you benefiting the most from taking Keto supplements.
In my own personal experience, I found it tough getting into Ketosis at the beginning. But back when I first started, there wasn't really many products out there to help with that.
I personally think that if you are just starting out, you should give it a go without any Keto supplements to begin with - just to see how you feel. If you are one of those lucky people that can get into Ketosis with ease, then you just saved yourself a bunch of money and learned a new super power!
However, if you are like me and struggle getting into ketosis. Or perhaps you are one of those freaks that want to optimize their body performance then taking a Ketogenic supplement will help you a lot.
