The keto diet has gained immense popularity for its potential to accelerate metabolism, increase muscle mass, improve blood pressure, and promote fat loss. This is achieved through ketosis, a metabolic state where the body utilizes ketones, derived from fatty acids, instead of glucose for energy. However, maintaining ketosis can be challenging, requiring strict adherence to a diet rich in meat, eggs, nuts, and fish, while avoiding fruits, sugar, beans, and high-carb vegetables. This has led to the proliferation of keto products, including keto pills, oils, powders, and gummies, all claiming to support ketosis.
What are Keto Gummies?
Keto gummies contain exogenous ketones, which are ketones sourced externally. "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 crucial to understand that keto gummies, like other keto supplements, do not initiate ketosis. "Keto gummies may help the process of ketosis continue, but you need to be in ketosis first," clarifies Czerwony.
Ingredients in Keto Gummies
Most keto gummies contain medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), a type of saturated fat that provides energy. "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." When choosing a keto gummy, Czerwony advises, "There are a lot of options available and they all seem comparable. 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
Research on the benefits of keto gummies is limited. "There aren’t any studies that have shown the long-term effects of keto gummies and if they’re beneficial," states Czerwony. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate keto gummies, so it's important to be aware of this.
Potential benefits include:
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- Increase weight loss.
- Improve athletic performance.
- Decrease your appetite.
However, studies on whether keto gummies or other keto supplements can effectively maintain ketosis have been inconclusive. One study suggests that supplements may elevate ketone levels excessively, potentially hindering the liver's natural ketone production and making it harder to sustain ketosis. 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 of Keto Gummies
Before using keto gummies, it's essential to understand the potential risks. 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."
Individuals with Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and kidney issues who are considering the keto diet should exercise caution when adding keto gummies. "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."
Should You Try Keto Gummies?
Before incorporating keto gummies, Czerwony recommends evaluating your diet 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?"
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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.