The ketogenic diet has gained immense popularity as a high-fat, low-carbohydrate approach to weight loss and overall health improvement. Keto gummies have emerged as a convenient way to support this dietary approach. This article delves into the world of keto ripped ACV gummies, examining their ingredients, potential benefits, risks, and scientific evidence to help you make an informed decision.
What are Keto Gummies?
Keto gummies are dietary supplements designed to mimic the effects of the ketogenic diet. The keto diet is a high-fat diet that keeps your body in a state of ketosis. It can help your metabolism speed up, increase your muscle mass and improve your blood pressure - all while helping you lose fat. This metabolic state forces the body to burn fat for fuel instead of carbohydrates. Keto gummies typically contain ingredients like exogenous ketones, medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), and other compounds that are believed to enhance ketosis and provide additional health benefits.
How Do Keto Gummies Work?
The primary goal of keto gummies is to elevate ketone levels in the bloodstream, thus supporting the body's transition into and maintenance of ketosis. 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. Ketones are produced when the body breaks down fat, serving as an alternative energy source when glucose from carbohydrates is limited.
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.
Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers
Key Ingredients in Keto Gummies
Most keto gummies typically contain medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), a type of saturated fat that help give your body energy, in addition to exogenous ketones. Medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil may provide a quick source of energy, explains Rancourt. 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.
“Sometimes, keto gummies may contain gelatin or natural sweeteners like Stevia,” notes Czerwony. “It’s not like eating a traditional gummy. It’s not going to have any additional sugars because if it did, then it would throw you out of ketosis.”
So, what should you look for in a keto gummy?“There are a lot of options available and they all seem comparable,” says Czerwony. “I would suggest opting for something that fits in your budget and buy a small batch at first to make sure you like it.”
Potential Benefits of Keto Gummies
While the marketing claims surrounding keto gummies are often enticing, it's essential to examine the scientific evidence supporting these assertions.
Do keto gummies work? 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).
Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide
Czerwony says potential benefits include:
- Increase weight loss. The keto diet - a high-fat diet that keeps your body in a state of ketosis - has its perks. It can help your metabolism speed up, increase your muscle mass and improve your blood pressure - all while helping you lose fat.
- 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.
In fact, 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.
Potential Risks and Side Effects
Before incorporating keto gummies into your routine, it's crucial to be aware of the potential risks and side effects associated with their use.
Are keto gummies safe? Before you decide to try keto gummies, it’s also worth understanding the potential risks.
Read also: Magnesium Supplements for Keto
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.”
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.”
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, notes Rancourt.
Scientific Evidence and Research
Research is sparse when it comes to determining whether keto gummies and supplements support losing weight. “There’s no credible evidence that keto gummies can reliably initiate or maintain ketosis,” says Schwartz. Noom's 5-minute quiz unlocks a weight loss program customized for you so you can manage your health and form habits that last. “These products are not evidence-based and often rely on misleading marketing,” says Schwartz. It’s important to note that being in ketosis, however, is generally considered safe.
Regulatory Considerations
Dietary supplements are not approved for safety or efficacy by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and ingredients and their amounts may vary. As a matter of policy, BBB does not endorse any product, service or business. Businesses are under no obligation to seek BBB accreditation, and some businesses are not accredited because they have not sought BBB accreditation. BBB charges a fee for BBB Accreditation.
Recommendations
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.