13 Best Exogenous Ketone Supplements – 2018 Buying Guide

The benefits of ketosis for weight loss are explosive. However, going keto is not exactly a walk in the park. The modern diet is ridiculously high carb, and many people find it difficult to make the transition. This is where exogenous ketones for weight loss could come in handy.

What Are Ketones?

Going Keto is especially important if you suffer from chronically high sugar levels. With the ketogenic diet, your goal is to achieve ketosis, a state where your body produces an increased number of ketones.

The body uses ketones to generate energy. When you have a low carb diet, your body tends to use up stored fat as energy, instead of relying on glucose. As a result, you get to manage your sugar levels, AND burn fat.​

What Are Exogenous Ketones Supplements?

The body naturally produces ketones. Exogenous ketones are merely in reference to ketone bodies that are ingested by taking supplements.

The supplements on the market these days are usually in the form of beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB). That’s why when you look up exogenous ketones, you’d probably end up seeing beta-hydroxybutyrate supplements, or BHB salts.

Sodium and potassium are added to the formula to make the substances easier to absorb. Some supplements come with MCT oil (medium-chain triglycerides or medium-chain fatty acids. MCT are saturated fats that can be easily digested by the liver. They help boost metabolism and are used up for energy instead of being stored as fat.​ A diet high in fat is also beneficial for boosting testosterone levels.

A Quick Look at The Best Exogenous Ketones Supplements

There are many types of exogenous ketone supplements out on the market, and if you’re new to going keto, you’ll need all the help you can get to choose the best one. We did the legwork and came up with this list of the 10 best exogenous ketone supplements sold on Amazon.

•  KetoSports KetoCaNa Dietary Ketone Supplement For Physical and Mental Performance, 10.75 oz is easy to prepare and carry around because it’s in powder form. It also has energizing properties.​

•  Nutricost Calcium BHB Salts, Exogenous Ketone Supplement, 250 g is good for the bones as it has 1.6 g of calcium.​

•  Perfect Keto Base, Exogenous Ketone Supplement, Beta-Hydroxybutyrate (BHB), 211 g can increase blood ketone levels up to 1.5mmol.

•  KetoSports KetoForce The Original Exogenous Ketone Product (16 fl oz) helps your electrolytes stay in check as it has sodium and potassium.

•  InstaKetones® +Organic Caffeine (Orange Burst) can raise your blood ketone levels to 2 points+ within 1 hour from time of ingestion.

•  Kegenix KGX Boost - BHB - MCT - Pre workout Spray, Keto Spray is fast-acting and the first of its kind to contain medium chain triglyceride (MCT) and betahydroxybutyrate (BHB) salt.​

•  Kegenix Orange Blast has natural ingredients and it rapidly increases blood ketones levels.

•  Keto//os Pruvit Pure Therapeutic Ketones has 100% natural ingredients.​

•  Pruvit KETO//OS Bio MAX Pure Therapeutic Ketones Drink Mix 20 Packets Maui Punch Flavor Charged is Kosher-certified, lactose-free, and dairy-free.​

•  Keto // OS 3.0 CHOCOLATE by Pruvit is fast-absorbing and longer-acting.​

• BPI Sports Best Pre Workout contains no amino acids and rather focus on energy by including caffeine and other stimulants.

• BPI Sports Keto Aminos™ is the first essential amino acid (EAAS) formula with exogenous ketones ever created.
  

• BPI Sports Keto Weight Loss strictly focuses on stimulants that help burn fat.

In these reviews, we took note of not only the upsides but also the drawbacks of the top exogenous supplements on the market.

The Benefits of Exogenous Ketones

These kinds of supplements are new to the market, so we understand your need to fully understand what you’re getting into. So let’s take a look at what exogenous ketones can do for you.

Weight Loss

Exogenous ketone supplements help you reduce weight by suppressing appetite. Weight gain is less likely to happen since the kidneys excrete excess ketones preventing these from being converted and stored in the body in the form of fats.

It is noteworthy to mention that exogenous ketone supplements work better with MCT oil in delivering faster weight loss results.

Improved Athletic Performance

Intake of a high ketogenic diet leads the body into ketosis, a metabolic process which results from burning fats.

A study supports that consuming a ketogenic diet while on a high-volume training schedule increases metabolism of fats, reduction of fat content and body mass and lessens muscle damage after exercise.

Cancer Prevention

Evidence suggests that exogenous ketone supplements protect against cancer since it contains anti-carcinogenic properties.

Ketone bodies are used as energy source of healthy tissues whilst cancer cells do not.​

Neuroprotection

Aging poses a great risk to acquiring neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

Exogenous ketone supplementation seems to help improve the expected decline in cognitive function which comes with aging.

Approaches involving intake of ketone bodies by animal models and humans with Alzheimer’s disease in clinical trial showed effective results.​

Anti-Inflammatory

There is evidence which suggests that ketone bodies help reduce inflammation by inhibiting the production of a protein called inflammasomes.

A study supports that calorie restriction and consumption of a ketogenic diet can improve mitochondrial functions or energy productions, decrease production​ of apoptotic and inflammatory mediators and increase production of neurotrophic factors which supports growth and protects neurons.

Known Side-Effects of Exogenous Ketones

Exogenous ketone supplements may cause the following:

Why You Should Care About Ketones

Before we delve into the topic of exogenous ketones, there’s something you should know – the proportion of macronutrients that we consume directly determines the speed and effectiveness of ketogenic diets.

On one end, having more carbohydrates means that the body produces excess amounts of glucose and glycogen. When this happens, the extra glucose is turned into glycogen to be stored in our muscles and liver.​

This is actually a problem since only about 50% of our daily energy intake can be stored in the liver and muscles. The process of lipogenesis will turn the excess glucose into fat, literally adding to the weight that must be carried around.​

On the other hand, when we go on a low-carb high-fat ketogenic diet, our body turns the metabolic process around. The body is suddenly starved of glucose and glycogen, and we’re really “starving” our body of food.

In response, the body will start digging into its fat stores, and in the process it creates compounds called ketones. Our liver uses our body’s fatty acids to manufacture these ketones, which will be burned for fuel (serving as a substitute to glycogen).​

The ketones themselves do not cause weight loss, but they’re essential in bringing ketosis. As you may already know, ketosis is a metabolic state where your body is using fatty acids as its primary source of energy.​

How to Choose Exogenous Ketones For Weight Loss

Exogenous ketone supplements are effective in losing weight. It is natural although these do not taste that good. If taste is important to you, check the flavors.

Exogenous ketone supplements also come in different forms. If you want those that are portable, choose powdered as opposed to liquid-based supplements.

If you want to rapidly increase your blood ketone levels, choose products which are fast-acting.

Raspberry ketone products are different from exogenous ketone supplements. Be sure to read product labels first.

Also remember that eating a proper low carb high fat diet is crucial for success with ketone supplements.​

Quick History Lesson on Consumption

Humanity has relied on carbohydrates for thousands of years, but it’s possible that our body isn’t really designed to be fed that way. After all, hunter-gatherers, our ancestors, couldn’t have had much carbs daily.

It’s logical to assume that fats, not carbohydrates, may very well be the body’s original source of energy. Proteins are, of course, needed as well – getting them in sufficient amounts prevents muscle wasting and stops cravings in their tracks.​

Amazingly, we can think of our body going into a fasting state when we are in ketosis. As in fasting, our body, used to burning carbs and glucose for energy, now directly uses its fat stores.

Ketosis, aside from burning energy stores much more efficiently, has been known to produce a wide range of health benefits, not just weight loss. These perks include a healthier nervous system and better aerobic performance.​

Also, during ketosis, the body produces hormones that stimulate the digestion of both protein and fat, and blocks the emptying of our stomach. This feeling of fullness further helps in suppressing appetite.​

The significant drop in the consumption of carbohydrates helps stabilize blood sugar levels, which in effect cuts diabetes risk. The pancreas won’t have to push more insulin into the bloodstream, leading to a normal rate of glucose absorption.​

Good cholesterol or high-density lipoprotein (HDL) also gets a boost from ketosis. HDL serves an important role in the body, removing bad cholesterol or low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and having them reprocessed in the liver.​

Surprisingly enough, the fat-burning state further protects against risks associated with bad cholesterol by reducing the size of LDL. This soluble protein isn’t really bad but its tendency to form plaques can be a problem.​

Ketosis Comes With Certain Downsides

Despite providing all sorts of benefits, the path towards ketosis can be challenging. This shouldn’t be surprising though, given that most have lived their entire lives in a carb-filled world.

We wolf down cakes, chips, and sugared drinks almost as second nature, and it is usually very difficult to wean ourselves from the carb habit. So, it’s true that beginners tend to have a tough time with this diet.

It takes at least a couple of weeks of eating strange low-carb meals before the benefits of ketosis can actually manifest. This makes it even harder for beginners to stick it out, particularly those accustomed to quick results.​

Even non-beginners experience difficulty since they end up getting the keto flu. This isn’t actual flu though, being something caused by the bodily changes that occur during the shift from carbohydrates to ketones.​

These physical changes include a general feeling of listlessness and fatigue, worsened by bloating, headaches, irritability, and even anxiety. The transition causes these until the body is efficient enough in using ketones.​

​The keto flu is a big reason why people eventually choose to give up on the ketogenic diet. Many drop out of the low-carb lifestyle even before they start experiencing the fruits of ketosis.

Getting Ketones From External Sources

A great way to address these problems is to ingest ketones that are not produced in the normal course of your body’s metabolic processes. Yes, you’ll need a bit of help from exogenous ketones.

Exogenous ketones can be extremely beneficial to your weight loss efforts. After all, they can help propel your body into ketosis much faster than if it were left to its own devices.​

​This is how we avoid one of the biggest hurdles of ketogenic diets, which is having to deprive ourselves of what we perceive as tasty food. With exogenous ketones, we can eat relatively carb-heavy meals while still being able to reach and maintain ketosis.

Taking a serving or two of exogenous ketones will put you in a ketotic state. This doesn’t mean, however, that you can just simply go out and dig into a cheesecake or a tub of ice cream.

Remember that even when taking exogenous ketones, you still have to consume mostly fat in your diet – otherwise your body will quickly shift back to burning carbohydrates as fuel.

The longer you take these supplements though, the slower your body gets when it comes to shifting back to its carb-burning ways. The pace at which you get the rewards of ketosis should also become faster.

Avoidance of metabolic diseases, boost in mood and concentration, sustained energy, decreased anxiety, and of course, weight loss are just a few examples of the things enjoyed by those who choose to go the exogenous route.​

Exogenous ketones are generally safe, and can be taken in a wide variety of formulations. Simply put, following ketogenic diets doesn’t have to be a slow and painful endeavour anymore.​

Our Recommendation

Product Image credits: Amazon.com