When you begin the keto diet, your body will undergo some significant changes. The low-carbohydrate, high-fat regime will shift your body into ketosis. That nutritional state is noted by increased levels of ketone bodies in an individual’s bloodstream.
Anyone undertaking the keto diet may struggle early on with keto flu and bloating so may want to kick-start their ketosis by different means.
Exogenous ketone supplements, or keto pills, can help to reach the ketosis state but how do they work? In this guide, we will look at what keto pills are, how they work, and look at why they may not work that well.
What Keto Pills Are?
There are two forms of ketones, one is formed by the liver when your body enters a state of ketosis. These are called endogenous ketones and replace the glucose which is created by the carbohydrates that will be largely missing from your diet.
To help your body with ketosis, keto pills offer your body ketones in the form of exogenous ketones. These are ketones that are chemically stable and increase the blood’s ketone level to mimic the effect of ketosis.
How Do Keto Pills Work?
Reaching a state of ketosis typically takes around four days as the body reacts to the withdrawal of carbohydrates by producing more ketones in the blood.
Instead of carbohydrates, fat cells are sent to the liver where they are transformed into those ketones for fuel. The thinking behind those keto pills is similar in that they are designed to increase ketone levels but not by cutting out carbohydrates.
Keto pills contain medium-chain triglycerides, also known as MCT, which is a type of saturated fat typically found in palm and coconut oil.
The MCTs kick in when the body restricts the intake of carbohydrates and the liver breaks those MCTs down which will increase the ketone levels in the blood.
As MCTs have a lesser fatty acid chain than most unsaturated and saturated fats, the body can break them down quicker.
Keto pills also contain electrolytes including sodium and magnesium which are designed to release an increased amount of salt in a state of ketosis. That should be positive but those electrolytes can be found more organically in food.
You would have more control over the intake too and would likely save more money. Elevating your blood’s ketone levels after taking keto pills can help your body shift to a state of ketosis.
That means not strictly following the diet as the exogenous ketones are designed to suppress your appetite and should help an individual lose weight quicker. That’s another way keto pills are supposed to work in any case.
An Argument Against Taking Keto Pills
If you decide to take keto pills then you are effectively taking a shortcut instead of going the full distance with the keto diet.
There is a lot of research into why the keto diet can help an individual lose weight and it is not simply by replacing one type of food with another, but the end goal of reaching a higher metabolic state.
If you decide not to cut out the carbohydrates and take the keto pills then this can have an undesirable effect on how the body works to metabolize food.
There are also indications that an increased level of exogenous ketones in an individual’s bloodstream can even force the liver to reduce its production.
An internal balance exists inside the body and the pills would react with feedback mechanisms to act against those ketone levels that have the capacity to create excessively acidic blood.
If keto pills are used as ketone supplements, they may stop the body from using its own fat as fuel which would delay any shift into ketosis.
One of the main reasons for anyone to take up keto pills is that they are not quite ready to cut out carbohydrates from their diet. Those increased ketones are linked to a reduced appetite so you avoid the temptation for carbohydrates.
Keto pills and ketone supplements may not work as simply as that as they may only be worthwhile during a fasting period rather than kicking into action following the consumption of carbohydrates.
This may be down to the increased glucose from the carbohydrates that are already in the body which would then use fewer ketones to produce fuel.
The thinking behind a ketogenic diet remains the same in that it goes further than simply increasing ketone levels. By following a keto diet, you can lower the amount of circulating insulin and glucose which can have a more beneficial effect than simply altering the ketone levels.
Conclusion
When you are considering a new diet to lose some weight, you may feel that you need to up your efforts by taking keto pills.
Some would call that cheating and they are largely correct as it would defeat the purpose of undergoing an effective diet by ruling out certain foods.
Most diets work by an individual eating healthy meals that are well-rounded. It may take time for you and your body to adjust to the keto diet but it can be worth it in the long run after an initial struggle.
Frequently Asked Questions
While it may be tempting to just take keto pills to assist with weight loss, there is little evidence that’s a good idea.
Already, there is some doubt that keto pills can strongly assist anyone with the keto diet through additional weight loss or starting the keto burn. There is little, if any, evidence that individuals that take keto pills on their own have lost weight.
While you may be tempted to take keto pills to help kick-start your keto diet, there can be side effects.
These can include vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, and even constipation. If you are going to take keto pills, ensure that you get the advice of a physician before trying them.
Any dietary supplement can come with a safety issue.
