Summer Keto ACV Gummies are marketed as a convenient dietary supplement designed to support a ketogenic lifestyle. These gummies claim to offer several benefits, including weight loss support by helping the body enter ketosis, where it burns fat for fuel instead of carbohydrates. While many customers appreciate their convenience and taste, it’s crucial to examine the ingredients, potential benefits, and risks associated with keto gummies to determine their effectiveness and safety.
Ingredients Found in Keto Gummies
Most keto gummies contain medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), a type of saturated fat that provides energy. They also include exogenous ketones, which are ketones from an outside source, intended to supplement the ketones your body produces naturally through diet. Registered dietitian Beth Czerwony, RD, LD, explains that these gummies may also contain gelatin or natural sweeteners like Stevia. Unlike traditional gummies, keto gummies avoid added sugars that could disrupt ketosis.
When choosing a keto gummy, Czerwony advises that many options are comparable, suggesting consumers opt for a product that fits their budget and start with a small batch to ensure they like it.
Potential Benefits of Keto Gummies
There is limited research on the long-term effects and benefits of keto gummies. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate these supplements, so it is important to approach claims with caution. Potential benefits suggested by some proponents include:
- Increased Weight Loss: Keto gummies are designed to support a ketogenic diet, known for promoting weight loss by helping the body burn fat instead of carbohydrates.
- Improved Athletic Performance: The MCTs in keto gummies can help give your body energy.
- Decreased Appetite: Some users have reported that keto gummies help reduce appetite and cravings, aiding in maintaining a calorie deficit.
However, research has been inconclusive about whether keto gummies or other keto supplements can effectively maintain ketosis. One study indicates that supplements may increase ketone levels too much, which can hinder the liver's natural ketone production and make it harder to stay in ketosis.
Read also: The Role of Cashews in a Weight Loss Diet
Potential Risks of Keto Gummies
Before trying keto gummies, it's important to understand the potential risks. These may include:
- Nausea and Vomiting: Some individuals may experience gastrointestinal distress.
- Gastrointestinal Issues: Diarrhea can occur, especially if the gummies contain sorbitol, a known laxative.
- Low Blood Sugar: Keto gummies can potentially lower blood sugar levels, leading to hypoglycemic responses, particularly concerning for those with Type 2 diabetes.
Czerwony advises caution when introducing keto gummies, suggesting a slow introduction to monitor for side effects. The keto diet itself, combined with keto gummies, can also lead to dehydration.
Dosage and Usage
The suggested dosage for Summer Keto ACV Gummies is typically one gummy in the morning and another in the evening to provide consistent support throughout the day. Exceeding the recommended dose is not advised and does not offer additional benefits.
It is important to note that keto gummies are intended to supplement a keto diet. Czerwony emphasizes that keto gummies may help continue the process of ketosis, but you need to be in ketosis first, and they don’t replace it.
Should You Try Keto Gummies?
If you are struggling to stay in ketosis, Czerwony suggests examining your diet first. Consider whether you are consuming too many carbohydrates, not getting enough calories or fiber, or simply becoming bored with the diet. Adjusting your diet may be a healthier option than relying on keto gummies.
Read also: Fat Macros for Keto Diet
However, if you are following the keto diet diligently and want to see a boost in weight loss, Czerwony suggests that trying keto gummies might be an option.
Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) Gummies
Apple cider vinegar (ACV) gummies are dietary supplements containing ACV concentrate and other ingredients like vitamins and fruit extracts. Companies claim that ACV gummies support immune function, promote weight loss, and enhance blood sugar regulation. However, many of these claims are exaggerated or unfounded.
ACV Gummies and Blood Sugar
A small, randomized control study published in 2020 found that vinegar supplements do not have the same effect on blood sugar as liquid vinegar. Liquid vinegar resulted in a 31% greater reduction in post-meal blood sugar compared with the control and whole vinegar tablets. Liquid vinegar also proved more effective than the vinegar tablets dissolved in water.
This suggests that ACV supplements, including gummies, may not have the same effect on blood sugar as drinking ACV. Additionally, ACV gummies often contain added sugar, which can impact your blood sugar levels. The studied ACV doses, ranging from 0.5 to 26 ounces (15-770 mL) per day, are not comparable to the 500 mg of ACV powder typically found in common ACV gummy supplements.
ACV Gummies and Weight Loss
A 2018 study suggests potential weight loss benefits for people who consume at least 1 ounce (30 ml) of organic liquid ACV - not ACV gummies. A 2020 review of 13 human and 12 animal studies concluded that there was not enough credible evidence to determine whether ACV has any beneficial effects on weight loss. More comprehensive research is needed before suggesting that ACV gummies offer any help in weight management.
Read also: Guidelines for Carnivore Diet Fat
Other Potential Benefits of ACV Gummies
Any supposed health benefits of ACV gummies may come from the added vitamins and minerals in the supplement. For example, if you’re low in vitamin B12 and consume B12 in the form of ACV gummies, this may help increase your body’s B12 levels. However, you’ll get similar or better results from taking a B complex vitamin every day. The same can be applied to the other vitamins and minerals that have been added to ACV gummies.
Claims that ACV gummies help your body detox or boost your immunity remain unfounded. Many ACV gummies advertise that added fruit extracts provide significant antioxidant effects. However, most ACV gummies contain trace amounts of these ingredients - likely too low to offer you any health benefits.
Some studies show that taking beetroot and pomegranate juices - ingredients in many ACV gummies - can help reduce markers of inflammation. However, to see any anti-inflammatory benefits, you would need to consume far more than the 40 mcg dose provided by many ACV gummies. For example, a 2020 review found that pomegranate supplements may be effective in reducing inflammatory markers like interleukin-6 (IL-6). Yet, the lowest dose used in the studies included in the review was 500 mg.
The scant vitamin and mineral contents in ACV gummies may contain the right compounds to support your health, but they contain a fraction of the necessary servings for you to see any obvious health benefits. Claims that these supplements offer support with your blood sugar levels, weight loss goals, inflammation, detoxification, and energy levels remain unfounded.