The ketogenic diet, commonly known as the keto diet, is characterized by its low-carbohydrate and high-fat composition. This dietary approach aims to induce a metabolic state called ketosis, where the body primarily utilizes fat for energy instead of carbohydrates. Keto gummies have emerged as supplements designed to support this ketogenic diet, with purported benefits ranging from weight loss to enhanced energy and metabolism. However, it's crucial to examine the ingredients, effectiveness, and potential side effects of these gummies before incorporating them into your health regimen.
What are Keto Gummies?
Keto gummies are supplements marketed to help support a ketogenic diet and assist with weight loss, energy, and metabolism, among other things. They resemble ordinary chewable vitamins but offer a different purported health benefit. Dietary supplements are not approved for safety or efficacy by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and ingredients and their amounts may vary.
In general, the body uses carbohydrates for fuel, but when there aren’t sufficient amounts of carbohydrates, the body enters what’s known as “nutritional ketosis” and starts to break down fat for energy instead. “It typically takes a few days of strict carbohydrate restriction to enter this state,” explains Katie Schwartz, a registered dietitian based in Asheville, North Carolina. But once the body enters a state of ketosis, it begins producing ketones, which are then used for fuel.
They’re marketed as a way to help boost ketone levels in the blood.
How do Keto Gummies Work?
The primary goal of a ketogenic diet is to shift the body into a state of ketosis. Normally, the body relies on carbohydrates for fuel. However, when carbohydrate intake is drastically reduced (typically to 50 grams or less per day on a 2,000-calorie diet), the body begins to break down fat for energy, producing ketones as a byproduct. Keto gummies often contain ingredients that are believed to support or enhance this process.
Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers
Medium-Chain Triglycerides (MCTs): MCT oil may provide a quick source of energy. MCTs are fatty acids that contain six to 12 carbon molecules. Unlike long-chain triglycerides, the liver absorbs MCTs and breaks them down quickly. MCTs induce the process of making ketones for energy (ketogenesis) with lower fat intake and without requiring carbohydrate restriction. For its ketogenic benefits, it is recommended to start MCT supplementation at a dose of 5 grams daily and gradually increase it to 20 grams daily.
Exogenous Ketones: Exogenous ketones are produced outside of the body and consumed orally (as opposed to endogenous ketones that are produced inside the body). Exogenous ketones include ketone salts and ketone esters, which have different chemical structures and potencies, with esters considered more potent. Doses of 395 mg per kilogram of body weight significantly increase BHB levels. A form of ketones that combines ketone acids with sodium or other electrolytes to enhance their effectiveness.
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.
Ingredients in Keto Gummies
Keto gummy products exist with varying ingredients that push the boundaries of what "keto" means.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: Many keto gummies contain apple cider vinegar, an ingredient popularized for its effect on blood sugar levels. Small studies show the potential benefits of apple cider vinegar on weight loss, but not all research agrees.
- Sugar Alcohols: Low-calorie sugar alcohols like mannitol, sorbitol, and xylitol contain about half of the calories of sugar. The body absorbs sugar alcohols more slowly than sugar.
- Gelatin and/or Pectin: Gelatin is an animal-derived compound that gives gummies their chewy, rubbery texture. Pectin is a plant-based compound used to make vegan gummy products.
- Some keto gummies even contain glucose syrup and glucose-carbohydrates that act counter to ketosis.
Combining ketone salts with MCT may be a promising supplement preparation because it provides ketones and induces ketogenesis at lower ingredient levels.
Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide
Potential Benefits of Keto Gummies
Keto gummies may offer the following potential benefits that might support a ketogenic lifestyle. However, the evidence supporting this is relatively limited and inconsistent.
- Appetite Suppression: There isn’t much data specifically on how keto gummies may impact appetite. A ketogenic diet may be higher in protein, depending on how you do it. Drinking a ketone ester supplement raises levels of the ketone beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), suppressing appetite and reducing hunger levels and the desire to eat.
- Muscle Protein Synthesis: Other lab research suggests that ketone supplementation may improve muscle protein synthesis. Ketone esters may enhance muscle-building with exercise and a high-protein diet. A high-protein diet-at least 0.73 grams of protein per pound of body weight daily-supports muscle gain. A ketogenic diet may be higher in protein than a carbohydrate-containing eating pattern.
- Energy Boost: Some keto gummies may contain ingredients, such as ketones or MCT oil, that may give you an energy boost to an extent. Ketones may provide an alternate energy source when you are keeping carbohydrate intake low.
- Weight Loss: Some research suggests that a keto diet may lead to greater fat loss than a carbohydrate-containing control diet.
- Glycogen Reduction: Supplementing with ketones during exercise is thought to reduce how much stored glucose (glycogen) the body uses for energy.
Potential benefits include increase weight loss, improve athletic performance and decrease your appetite.
Potential Risks and Side Effects
Before you decide to try keto gummies, it’s also worth understanding the potential risks. Potential keto gummy side effects include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal discomfort.
- Gastrointestinal Issues: The sugar alcohol content of keto gummies may cause stomach issues in people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
- Blood Sugar Levels: Although evidence yields mixed results, the apple cider vinegar in keto gummies may affect blood sugar levels in people with diabetes.
- Medication Interactions: Minimal research exists on keto gummies and their potential interactions with other medications. Consuming a meal or a carb-containing meal with keto supplements may attenuate their effects.
- Inhibition of Natural Ketone Production: Keto gummies and supplements increase blood BHB levels but are not ketogenic and may inhibit some of the body’s natural ketone production.
You run the risk of GI issues if your keto gummies use sorbitol, which is known as a laxative. 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.
The keto diet - and the addition of a keto supplement like gummies - can potentially lower your blood sugar, leading to hypoglycemic responses, and it can dehydrate you as well.
Read also: Magnesium Supplements for Keto
Keto Gummies vs. Keto Diet
Keto gummies are unlikely to provide the same benefits as a ketogenic diet. They may have little effect on individuals looking for the benefits of keto without following the strict diet.
Keto gummies and keto supplements may be similar depending on the product. Keto supplements, including capsules, powders, and liquids, are more likely to contain ketone esters or salts. Oral ketone ester supplements can significantly increase circulating levels of BHB regardless of overall diet. Keto gummies are less likely to contain ketone esters or ketone salts. Instead, keto gummies rely on MCT oil that may enhance ketosis. Whether MCT oil in the amount present in keto gummies has a ketogenic effect is unclear.
A ketogenic diet increases blood ketone levels within seven days compared to ketone supplements that raise levels immediately following ingestion.
Risks Associated with the Ketogenic Diet
Following a keto diet can be good for you, though the diet emphasizes high-fat and low-carb foods, it allows for moderate-protein foods. However, following the keto diet can be bad for you due to its focus on high-fat content. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels increase with increased consumption of foods with saturated fats like beef, pork, cheese, and butter. Some keto side effects include dehydration, ketoacidosis, and the keto flu. The diet is not safe for everyone, such as those with kidney or liver problems. Possible benefits beyond weight loss may be improvements in blood sugar, good cholesterol, or mood. However, there is a lack of long-term studies to confirm these benefits.
Ketogenic, or keto, diet side effects and complications can include dehydration, diarrhea, nutrient deficiencies, kidney stones, and reduced athletic performance. You can experience these effects as the body achieves a state of ketosis by decreasing carbohydrate intake to 50 grams or less daily on a 2,000-calorie diet. This type of diet can cause individuals to have water loss before fat loss. Kidney stones are more likely to occur in people without kidney disease following keto because of the focus on animal-based and high-fat foods.
Ketosis can trigger ketoacidosis in individuals with type 1 diabetes. The condition can be fatal if left untreated, so seek immediate medical attention for signs of ketoacidosis. Athletes may consider the ketogenic diet helpful for weight loss and improved sports performance. For some people, going on the keto diet can lead to the keto flu. You may minimize the effects of keto flu by drinking plenty of water and increasing electrolyte intake.
Many fruits and vegetables may be limited or eliminated to keep carb intake low on the keto diet. Due to the keto diet's strict restrictions, people may regain any lost weight when they return to typical eating patterns. The keto diet can be helpful for weight loss. The initial weight loss is water weight, but after that, you may begin to lose fat. You may eat fewer calories because following the keto diet impacts appetite regulation by affecting ghrelin. Ghrelin is the hormone that tells you you're hungry. During the initial six to 12 months of the diet, individuals may experience blood pressure, blood sugar, and triglyceride decreases. Some research has shown the keto diet to be helpful for some specific mental health and cognitive conditions.
Alternatives to Keto Gummies
There is no magic bullet for enhancing athletic performance or altering body composition, and keto gummies are no exception.
- Diet: Protein recommendations vary for body composition depending on your activity level and goals. A healthy eating plan with fruit, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and low-fat dairy supports body composition. Diets high in saturated fat and added sugar make it harder to maintain. Aim for a balanced plate in which half is non-starchy vegetables, a quarter is protein, and a quarter is whole-grain carbohydrates or starchy vegetables.
- Exercise: A mix of aerobic and resistance training supports a healthy body composition. Physical Activity Guidelines recommend 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise plus two sessions of strength training each week.
- Sleep: Not sleeping enough can influence appetite and increase insulin levels, inflammation, and body weight. Sleeping seven to nine hours every night supports a healthy body composition.
- Support: Healthy group support-either via apps and/or in-person interventions-may greatly enhance your exercise and nutrition journey. A registered dietitian nutritionist can also provide more specific recommendations about your nutrition, movement goals, and more.
Precautions and Considerations
- Consult a Healthcare Provider: If you've been diagnosed with diabetes and prescribed insulin or hypoglycemic medications, talk with a healthcare provider before starting this diet.
- Underlying Health Conditions: People with underlying health conditions like kidney disease or diabetes, people who are pregnant or nursing, children, or anyone on medications affecting blood sugar shouldn’t use keto gummies
- FDA Approval: Dietary supplements are not approved for safety or efficacy by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and ingredients and their amounts may vary.
- Look at your diet first: 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.
- Slowly introduce keto gummies: 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.