The ketogenic diet, often called the keto diet, has gained immense popularity as a weight loss strategy. This dietary approach involves drastically reducing carbohydrate intake and replacing it with fat, pushing the body into a metabolic state known as ketosis. In ketosis, the body starts using fat as its primary fuel source instead of glucose. While the keto diet has shown promise for weight loss and certain health conditions, it's notoriously difficult to adhere to due to its strict requirements.
Given the challenges of maintaining ketosis through diet alone, numerous keto supplements have emerged, promising to enhance energy, accelerate fat burning, and promote rapid weight loss. Among these supplements are keto pills, keto powders, and, more recently, keto gummies. This article delves into the science behind keto gummies, particularly those containing apple cider vinegar (ACV), and examines the evidence supporting their purported benefits.
Understanding the Keto Diet and Ketosis
The keto diet necessitates a significant shift in macronutrient ratios, typically requiring around 90% of calories from fat, 6% from protein, and only 4% from carbohydrates. A modified version allows for slightly more protein and carbs, but fat remains the dominant source of energy. Achieving and maintaining ketosis can be challenging, often leading to unpleasant side effects known as the "keto flu," characterized by flu-like symptoms during the initial adaptation phase.
Types of Keto Supplements
To assist individuals in their keto journey, manufacturers have developed various supplements, including:
- Keto Pills: These usually contain beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) salts or esters, aiming to elevate ketone levels in the blood.
- Keto Powders: Similar to pills, keto powders also contain BHB and often include electrolytes to support hydration and ketosis.
- Keto Gummies: A more recent addition to the market, keto gummies often contain apple cider vinegar (ACV) and claim to boost metabolism and promote weight loss. Some may include MCT oil and non-nutritive sweeteners like stevia.
The Allure of Keto Gummies
Keto gummies have gained popularity due to their convenient and palatable form. However, it's crucial to examine their ingredients and claims critically. Many keto gummies are marketed with the promise of boosting metabolism and aiding weight loss, but the active ingredients and scientific backing vary significantly.
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Ingredients in Keto Gummies
Most keto gummies contain medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), a type of saturated fat that helps give your body energy, in addition to exogenous ketones. Sometimes, keto gummies may contain gelatin or natural sweeteners like Stevia
Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) in Keto Gummies
Many keto gummies contain apple cider vinegar, which companies say boosts metabolism and, therefore, promotes weight loss. However, there’s not enough scientific evidence to support this claim.
Exogenous Ketones in Keto Gummies
Keto gummies are made with exogenous ketones, which is a fancy term for ketones you get from an outside source. “Your body makes ketones on its own through the foods you eat,” explains registered dietitian Beth Czerwony, RD, LD. “Keto gummies are a supplement that adds exogenous ketones into your body, which may help continue ketosis.”
It’s important to note that keto gummies (or any keto supplement, for that matter) don’t put you in ketosis. “Keto gummies may help the process of ketosis continue, but you need to be in ketosis first,” clarifies Czerwony.
Do Keto Gummies Work? Examining the Evidence
The effectiveness of keto gummies, particularly those containing ACV, is a subject of ongoing debate. While some studies suggest potential benefits of exogenous ketones, the overall evidence remains inconclusive.
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Limited Research on Efficacy
There’s limited research on the benefits of keto gummies. “There aren’t any studies that have shown the long-term effects of keto gummies and if they’re beneficial,” states Czerwony. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Potential Benefits
Czerwony says potential benefits include:
- Increase weight loss.
- Improve athletic performance.
- Decrease your appetite.
But, again, whether keto gummies or other keto supplements can actually keep you in ketosis has been inconclusive, according to research.
Concerns About Ketone Levels
One study explains that supplements may increase the amount of ketones too much. Ideally, your body wants to maintain an even level of ketones. And when this happens, your liver may not produce as many ketones naturally, making it harder to stay in ketosis.
The Body's Natural Regulation
One of the reasons why supplementation may not be all that effective is because the body seeks to maintain an even level of ketones to prevent a potentially toxic buildup of these chemicals in the bloodstream. When the body senses that ketone levels are high, the liver stops making its own and will try to flush out excess ketones in your urine, a process called ketonuria.
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Potential Risks and Side Effects
Before incorporating keto gummies into your diet, it's essential to be aware of the potential risks and side effects.
Common Side Effects
Czerwony says those potential risks include:
- Nausea and vomiting.
- Gastrointestinal issues, like diarrhea.
- Low blood sugar.
“You run the risk of GI issues if your keto gummies use sorbitol, which is known as a laxative,” warns Czerwony. “You should be cautious if you’re going try it. Slowly introduce keto gummies to see how you do because you don’t want to all sudden just kind of overdo it and have those side effects and not be very happy.”
Interactions with Medical Conditions
And while some people with Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and kidney issues may opt to go on the keto diet, Czerwony cautions against adding keto gummies to the mix.
“The keto diet - and the addition of a keto supplement like gummies - can potentially lower your blood sugar, leading to hypoglycemic responses,” she says. “And it can dehydrate you as well.”
Liver Strain
“Supplements are often expensive (urine) because, at best, you’ll just pee it out,” Guevara says. “At worst, it could be harmful for your liver because it does have to process everything you’re taking.”
Scams and Misleading Marketing
The supplement industry is not heavily regulated by the FDA, increasing the risk of encountering scams and misleading marketing tactics. Be wary of products that promise "quick fixes," "guaranteed results," or "scientific breakthroughs," as these are often red flags.
In July 2020, AARP reported that two women in their 80s had been scammed out of more than $200 each when they purchased keto diet pills.
Third-Party Testing and Ingredient Verification
To ensure product quality and accuracy, look for supplements that have undergone third-party testing by organizations like U.S. Pharmacopeia. These companies will test to make sure that what’s on the label is actually inside the bottle because a lot of times with supplements, it might not even contain what it claims to contain,” says Diana Guevara, a registered dietitian nutritionist with UTHealth Houston School of Public Health.
Keep in mind, however, that while third-party tests can check for ingredients, they do not check for efficacy.
Expert Opinions on the Keto Diet and Supplements
Registered dietitians and physicians generally advise caution when considering keto supplements.
“Truly, these are a waste of your money,” Holley emphasizes. “Do not fall for this gimmick.
Patel says he isn’t a fan of the keto diet, but he notes that instituting a water-only fast “for at least 24 hours and longer” would be one way to get into ketosis faster without spending money on supplements. “Obviously, you would want to consult with your doctor if you decide to do a prolonged fast based on your overall health and medications you take,” he adds.
Focusing on Sustainable Lifestyle Changes
Overall, there are few shortcuts to healthy and sustainable weight loss, and using a supplement to speed up the process could lead you to lose more money than weight.
Guevara encourages you to ask yourself why you’re doing it and if it’s really worth it. “Very restrictive diets are hard to follow, and they’re not sustainable,” she says. “With the keto diet specifically, when we look at it for weight loss, most of that weight you’re losing quickly at the beginning is water weight. You’re not losing fat. It’s very exciting to see that number drop, but it’s not going to be metabolically better for you.”
Should You Try Keto Gummies?
Before you hop on the keto gummy bandwagon, Czerwony suggests looking at your diet first if you’re struggling to stay in ketosis. “What is the reason that your body isn’t staying in ketosis? Are you overdoing it on carbohydrates? Is it because you’re getting bored? Is it because you’re still hungry?”
Consider making the necessary tweaks to your keto diet so you’re getting enough calories or fiber. Doing so can be a healthier option instead of turning to keto gummies. “But if you’re following the keto diet, everything seems to be running fine and you want to see a boost to your weight loss, then I think you could certainly try keto gummies,” says Czerwony.