The ketogenic diet has gained significant popularity as a weight-loss strategy. It's a high-fat, very low-carb diet that forces the body to break down fat for energy, producing molecules called ketone bodies. While some embrace this dietary approach, others seek supplementary aids like "keto pills" to enhance or mimic its effects. This article delves into the ingredients and side effects of keto advanced fat burners, examining their effectiveness and potential risks.
Understanding the Ketogenic Diet
The ketogenic diet typically limits carbohydrate intake to 20-50 grams daily. This restriction prompts the body to enter a state of ketosis, where it breaks down fat for fuel. The classic ketogenic diet, often used to manage seizures in children, requires a high ratio of fat to carbohydrate and protein, sometimes as much as 4:1. Less strict versions are employed for obesity and diabetes management. The ketogenic diet has also been explored for other conditions like migraine headaches, Parkinson's disease, and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), though scientific evidence supporting these uses is limited.
It's crucial to differentiate between the Modified Atkins Diet (a ketogenic diet variant) and the Atkins diet, as well as between the ketogenic diet itself and "keto diet pills," which have distinct effects.
Uses and Effectiveness of the Ketogenic Diet
The ketogenic diet has demonstrated potential benefits in specific areas:
- Diabetes: Studies suggest that following a ketogenic diet can improve blood sugar control in individuals with type 2 diabetes.
- Seizure Disorder (Epilepsy): A strict, high-fat, very low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet can reduce seizures in some people with hard-to-treat epilepsy.
- Obesity: Ketogenic diets that limit carbohydrate intake to less than 50 grams daily have been shown to reduce body weight by 10% to 30% within a year. However, it remains unclear whether this approach is superior to other calorie-restricted diets.
What are Keto Weight Loss Pills?
Keto weight loss pills are nutritional supplements designed to help your body achieve or stay in ketosis. And, while this may sound like the answer for those struggling to achieve ketosis to lose weight, there are questions about the legitimacy of keto weight loss pills.
Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers
Remember also that the safety and efficacy of supplements, including keto weight loss pills, aren’t FDA-approved. The ingredients can also vary widely from one brand to the next.
Ketosis Explained
Ketosis happens when your body burns fat. When in ketosis, your liver produces three types of ketones to replace the energy it’s not getting from carbohydrates.
Ketones are chemicals produced by the liver when it breaks down fats that can be used for energy. When the body produces too many ketones, for example during periods of starvation or during uncontrolled diabetes, it can cause dangerously high acid levels in the blood, known as ketoacidosis. During ketosis, acetoacetate and beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) are the most abundant ketones produced, while acetone is the least abundant.
Along with a ketogenic diet and/or keto weight loss pills, other things induce a temporary state of ketosis, such as intense exercise or overnight fasting. But are keto weight loss pills worth it?
Common Ingredients in Keto Advanced Fat Burners
Keto gummies typically contain medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), a type of saturated fat that help give your body energy, in addition to exogenous ketones. Sometimes, keto gummies may contain gelatin or natural sweeteners like Stevia.
Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide
Several ingredients are commonly found in keto advanced fat burners, each with its purported mechanism of action:
- Exogenous Ketones: These are ketones derived from an external source, such as supplements. They come in two primary forms: ketone salts and ketone esters. Ketone salts are synthetic ketones bound to an electrolyte and are more readily available. Ketone esters, containing beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), are considered more potent but are more expensive and may have an unpalatable taste. Exogenous ketones have been shown in studies to increase blood ketone levels by up to 300%, they have not been shown to result in weight loss.
- MCT Oil: Medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil is a type of saturated fat that the liver quickly converts into ketones, boosting the body’s endogenous ketone production. MCT traditionally comes in an oil form, but there are also powdered products on the market and even MCT oil coffee creamers.
- Raspberry Ketones: Raspberry ketones are the organic compound that gives raspberries their distinct smell.
- Usnic Acid: This is a component of nutritional supplements promoted for weight loss and has been associated with liver-related adverse events.
- Green Tea Extract: Marketed as a weight-loss supplement, green tea extract has been linked to serious side effects, including acute liver failure.
- Gum Guggul: Derived from the oleoresin of Commiphora mukul, gum guggul contains compounds known for their hypolipidemic properties.
Other ingredients may include:
- Electrolytes (sodium, potassium, magnesium)
- Caffeine
- Vitamins and minerals
Potential Benefits of Keto Gummies
There’s limited research on the benefits of keto gummies. Potential benefits include:
- Increase weight loss.
- Improve athletic performance.
- Decrease your appetite.
Why Keto Supplements Don’t Cause Weight Loss
Forcefully elevating your blood ketone levels by taking a supplement isn’t the same as producing ketones naturally or being in a state of ketosis.
When your body produces ketones in a state of ketosis in response to a ketogenic or low calorie diet, it’s reacting to a lack of available carbs to burn for energy. As a byproduct of your body breaking down fat, it produces ketones, which can then be used for energy. This is why ketones are associated with weight loss, but ketones have not been shown to directly cause weight loss in human studies - and only a small amount in mice possibly. The majority of studies that report a link between ketones and weight loss are referring to a ketogenic diet, but supplement companies extrapolate this to include ketone supplements. However, studies don’t support that ketone supplements cause weight loss in humans, at least not directly. They may help indirectly, such as by reducing appetite. On the converse, when you’re consuming plenty of calories and carbs, ketone-boosting supplements just raise your blood ketone levels without burning additional fat because artificially raising ketones in your blood isn’t the same as genuine ketosis brought on by carbohydrate restriction.
Read also: Magnesium Supplements for Keto
Side Effects and Risks of Keto Advanced Fat Burners
While the ketogenic diet is considered safe for most adults for up to one year, it can cause side effects, including constipation, fatigue, dizziness, headache, weakness, nausea, diarrhea, and stomach pain. The long-term safety remains unknown.
Keto gummies also have potential risks including:
- Nausea and vomiting.
- Gastrointestinal issues, like diarrhea.
- Low blood sugar.
Specific ingredients in keto advanced fat burners carry their own risks:
- Usnic Acid: This ingredient has been associated with liver-related adverse events, including mild hepatic toxicity, chemical hepatitis, and liver failure requiring liver transplantation.
- Green Tea Extract: Serious side effects, including acute liver failure, have been reported with green tea extract consumption.
- Ketone Salts: Ketone salts contain a lot of salt and may pose a risk to those with conditions like high blood pressure or kidney disease.
- MCT Oil: MCT though may pose some of the same risks as LCTs, like causing a small increase in triglyceride levels, which may lead to arterial and heart disease later.
Other potential risks associated with keto supplements include:
- Metabolic Disruption: Supplemental ketones may decrease appetite initially, but once off the keto diet, appetite-suppressing hormones may increase significantly, leading to increased hunger.
- Digestive Issues: MCT oil can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and constipation.
- Nutrient Deficiencies: The keto diet limits fruits and vegetables, potentially leading to deficiencies in essential vitamins and minerals.
- Lack of Regulation: Dietary supplements are not overseen by the FDA, meaning that they’re not evaluated for safety and efficacy.
Special Precautions and Warnings
Certain individuals should exercise caution or avoid the ketogenic diet altogether:
- Pregnancy: There is insufficient reliable information on the safety of the ketogenic diet during pregnancy.
- Breast-feeding: The ketogenic diet is possibly unsafe during breast-feeding, as it may increase the risk for ketoacidosis.
- Children: While potentially safe short-term under medical supervision, long-term use of the ketogenic diet in children has been linked to slowed growth, fractures, and kidney stones.
- Heart Conditions: The ketogenic diet might worsen certain heart conditions.
- Diabetes: Individuals with diabetes should consult a healthcare professional before starting the ketogenic diet due to the risk of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA).
- Acid Reflux: High-fat ketogenic diets can worsen symptoms of acid reflux.
- High Levels of Fat in the Blood: Ketogenic diets can increase cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
- Liver Disease: The ketogenic diet might cause liver injury and worsen symptoms of liver disease.
- Problems Breaking Down Fats: Individuals unable to break down fat may experience serious adverse effects, including coma or death, on the ketogenic diet.
- Kidney Disease: The ketogenic diet may worsen kidney disease and has been linked to kidney stone development.
- Osteoporosis: Long-term use of the ketogenic diet may weaken bones.
- Pancreatitis: The ketogenic diet may increase the risk of developing pancreatitis.
- Surgery: Individuals using the ketogenic diet should inform their healthcare provider before any surgery, as changes to some medications may be needed.
Interactions with Medications
The ketogenic diet and its supplements can interact with certain medications:
- Diabetes Medications: The ketogenic diet might lower blood sugar levels, potentially causing hypoglycemia when combined with diabetes medications.
- Blood-Clotting Medications: The ketogenic diet might slow blood clotting, increasing the risk of bruising and bleeding when taken with blood-thinning medications.
- Seizure Medications: The ketogenic diet might reduce blood levels of some seizure medications, potentially increasing the risk of seizures.
- Medications that Increase Kidney Stone Risk: Combining the ketogenic diet with medications that increase the risk of kidney stones may further elevate the risk.
- Valproate: Taking valproate with the ketogenic diet might increase the risk of side effects.
- SGLT2 Inhibitors: Following the ketogenic diet while taking an SGLT2 inhibitor (a type of diabetes medication) increases the risk of ketoacidosis.
Dosage and Variations
The classic ketogenic diet requires 90% of daily calories to come from fat. Less restrictive versions typically allow 20-50 grams of carbs daily. Variations include the medium-chain triglyceride diet, modified Atkins diet, modified Mediterranean diet, and low glycemic index treatment. Consulting a healthcare provider is essential to determine the most suitable ketogenic diet variation for a specific condition.
Alternatives to Keto Pills
Other proven effective options for weight loss include obesity counseling or cognitive behavioral therapy, such as through a therapist. A therapist can help you identify emotional and mental triggers that lead to overeating. There are also a variety of other medical weight loss programs and medications. These programs and medications include the guidance of a healthcare provider and are proven to help people lose weight. And prescription weight loss pills are safer than supplements because any prescription medication your doctor prescribes is tested and FDA-approved for safety and effectiveness.