I get a lot of questions about different types of exogenous ketones and which ones will help, which ones don’t, and can you tell by looking at the ingredients? I will try to answer most of the questions I get in this post. Let me know if you find it helpful?
Q: Do you need exogenous ketones to be successful?
A: This question is really hard to answer. Of course you can get all kinds of benefits by following the diet. For a lot of people this is all that’s needed and time. If you know my story, I followed the ketogenic way of eating for almost 7 years. I felt really good. I had lost some weight and I knew it was the best diet for me. At the time I didn’t think Exogenous Ketones would benefit me in anyway shape or form. I honestly tried them to prove that they wouldn’t help. I saw tremendous improvements in sleep quality, energy, focus, and body composition changes. The question I had was why? Although I don’t know all the reasons, I do believe the main difference is I never got into a therapeutic range of ketosis through diet alone. 0.5 – 0.7 mmol was the most I really ever achieved. That all changed with the right drinkable ketones. So do you need them? That depends on how you do with the diet. Or if you’re not able to do the diet and want the benefits of using ketones for energy, then absolutely yes! They can be great for energy, focus, sleep, mood, body composition changes.
Q: I want to try Exogenous ketones, what should I look for?
A: We are starting to see BHB and other ketones all over the place! Marketing sites will tell you to look for this or that and why their products are what you need. Yes, I promote a ketone brand, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t others that may help out there. First thing to look for is if the product is made with exactly what your body can use. Look for R or (D) isomer BHB (Same ketone, just different labels depending on who is naming them. Some will list as R(D)BHB). If it doesn’t specifically say, it is a blend of L BHB and R BHB. THIS IS IMPORTANT. Your body can not uptake the L BHB and will have to process it into something else to excrete it. Look at the sweeteners. A lot will use sweeteners and ingredients that cause blood glucose or insulin responses. Look for the keto approved sweeteners like Stevia, Erythritol, or allulose. Monk fruit may be a good option too, I haven’t found a BHB sweetened with Monk Fruit yet.
Look for excessive amounts of stimulants. The energy you get from BHB should be from the BHB and not stimulants. Your body utilizes bio identical ketones to create cellular energy. If they have a small amount of caffeine (60 to 120mg) it is probably to help with uptake. Some brands have 250 to 500mg of caffeine and most likely will make you feel wired or jittery. Some of the great manufactures offer caffeine free versions.
Amounts needed. Most adults will need 10 to 20 grams of BHB in order to get into a therapeutic level of ketosis. If it is a racemic blend, divide BHB amount in half to get a effective dose or to compare brands.
BHB pills: So far, there isn’t a pill made that will deliver enough of the R or D BHB to be beneficial. Most of the time you would need to take an entire bottle (Don’t do this!!!) to get an effective amount of BHB. Most are a racemic blend and contain 800mg to 2000mg and most contain stimulants to give you “energy”.
Free Cell or esters ketones: These are much harder to find. Again, make sure they are R or D isomer if BHB. These are not attached to minerals or salts. They are rapidly adsorbed and can deliver a punch (in a good way)! These can be pretty expensive to use, but may be worth it depending on your goals or application. Some are over a $100 a serving, but cost are coming down as technology improves.
Hopefully this answers a lot of your question when it comes to exogenous ketones. The right products can help in many ways. If you have any questions, I am always willing to answer specific questions, feel free to email me at curt@ketosisforfatloss.com
Do I promote a specific brand or company? YES. However I do understand some people are not a fan of the business model, and that is cool with me. Although I can show people how they will save money per effective ketone with my product, there are a few other products out there than can be useful. Find what works best for you, with or without adding consumable ketones.
ketosis4fatloss.com 