Ketone Supplements, Do They Work?

Dr. D DOES NOT ENDORSED ANY OF THESE BRANDS AS HE IS NOT FAMILAR WITH THEM. Do your own research before you buy…

As the Ketongenic Diet sweeps the world and for the most part in short term bursts is a good way to lose weight and get in shape, new supplements are emerging on the market and many have questions. Exogenous Ketones are how they are named in the scientific world which means “from the outisde” or not made in the body. These new supplements are gaining some fast popularity and new research is being done but longer term effects have not been established so don’t get caught up in the hype that many supplement companies will put out in their advertising. Making unsubstaniated claims and so on. Read and research first don’t just buy from an online advertisment.

Historically only participants in research studies had access to these products but now they are now commercially available and come in two main forms: beta-hydroxybutyrate with sodium, potassium, and magnesium (ketone salts), or ketone esters. The esters should be more potent, as they typically contain only D-beta-hydroxybutyrate, while most ketone salts are a mix of the D and L forms. (The D form is what our bodies’ make and only the D form can be used for generating ATP for cellular energy.)

The researchers themselves in their recently published paper, the Experimental Physiology paper made the following statement on the commercialization of these ketone products which was very cautious with respect to their study being misquoted to sell new supplements.

“Ketone supplements are now commercially available to the general public, being marketed for performance-enhancing properties such as increased mental clarity, enhanced athletic performance, appetite control and others. However, research on the physiological effects of exogenous ketone ingestion – especially repeated consumption over prolonged periods of time – is still in its infancy and claims such as the above are often unsubstantiated, extrapolated, or even in conflict with existing research and the underlying physiology. Although exogenous ketones can serve as a valuable research tool and hold promise in certain settings, it is important to retain nuance and transparency in scientific discourse and general (e.g., advertising, podcast, etc.) discussions.”

As always we can do Nutrition Response Testing proceedures to see how your body reacts to any new supplement you are considering so call use for an appointment, 434-481-2012

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.