Keto Go Pills: Do They Work For Weight Loss?

The keto diet is a popular, low-carb, high-fat approach to weight loss. It involves eliminating nearly all carbohydrates and relying on calories from fat for fuel, a process called ketosis. Getting into and staying in ketosis can be challenging, so some people turn to keto pills and supplements to help them stay in this fat-burning state. However, the effectiveness of keto pills is questionable, and they may even be harmful in the long run. While some claim that keto pills can boost energy, burn fat, and lead to rapid weight loss, there is limited scientific evidence to support these assertions. Furthermore, the lack of regulation in the supplement market means that consumers may be ingesting unknown or harmful substances.

Keto pills are unlikely to stimulate fat loss

Keto diet pills claim to help you sustain ketosis and lose weight. However, there is little evidence to support these claims, and in some cases, keto pills may even hinder weight loss.

Keto pills, or exogenous ketones, are ketones that originate outside your body and come in pill, powder, or liquid form. When you consume exogenous ketones, you are consuming molecules of beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), the main energy ketone produced by your body on a keto diet.

Nutritional Ketosis vs. Artificial Ketosis

On a keto diet, you limit your carbohydrate intake and focus on high-fat foods. This forces your body to look for alternative fuel sources, so it turns to fat for fuel, producing ketone bodies when broken down in excess. This shift in metabolism puts your body in a state of nutritional ketosis, where you have lower blood sugar and increased free fatty acids to use for energy.

However, taking exogenous ketones decreases free fatty acids, meaning less fat is available for burning. This is because rapidly elevating your ketone levels triggers a safety mechanism that tells your body to stop burning fat and producing ketones to protect you from unnaturally high levels of ketones, which can result in a dangerous condition called ketoacidosis.

Problems with Keto Pills

There are several downsides to relying on artificial ketosis attained through pills rather than nutritional ketosis:

• Impaired fat-adaptation: Your body needs time to get "fat-adapted" when you start a keto diet. Taking exogenous ketones decreases lipolysis, making it unlikely to speed up fat adaptation and lessen the amount of fat burned to achieve and maintain ketosis.
• Low dosage results in less effective ketosis levels: Clinically tested doses of exogenous ketones range from 10 to 25 grams of BHB, while a typical keto pill only contains about 400 milligrams. To achieve clinical doses, you would need to take 25 keto pills per day, which would be very expensive.
• The supplement market is not tightly regulated: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate dietary supplements, including keto pills. There is a risk of consuming adulterated products that may be harmful to your health in the long run.
• Side effects: Side effects from keto supplements include GI distress, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea.

The Bottom Line

Ketone supplements may decrease appetite

Ketone supplements have been shown to decrease appetite, which may help you lose weight by eating less. In a study conducted on 15 people of normal weight, those who drank a beverage containing ketone esters experienced 50% less hunger after an overnight fast than those drinking a sugary beverage. This appetite-suppressing effect was attributed to lower levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin between two and four hours after drinking the ketone ester drink.

However, ketone supplements may not affect appetite as much in people who have had a meal beforehand. Studies have observed higher blood ketone levels in those who didn’t eat a meal before taking a ketone supplement compared to those who did. Since it’s the elevated ketones that are associated with reduced appetite and lower ghrelin levels, ketone supplements may only be beneficial during a fast, such as upon rising in the morning, rather than after a meal that contains carbs.

In other words, taking a ketone supplement after a carb-containing meal will still raise blood ketone levels but not as high as if you fasted, suggesting that your body is using fewer ketones as fuel since there is more available glucose from the carbs. One small study found that exogenous ketone supplements reduced appetite for over four hours, which may be promising for weight loss. However, additional studies are needed before ketone supplements can be recommended for appetite control.

Exogenous ketones may hinder weight loss

Exogenous ketones are ketones that originate outside your body and come packaged in pill, powder, and liquid forms. They are often marketed as keto pills and are claimed to increase ketone levels, help achieve ketosis faster, and ultimately, lose weight. However, evidence suggests that exogenous ketones may hinder weight loss efforts. Here's why:

Ketones Inhibit Fat Breakdown

The purpose of the ketogenic diet for weight loss is to produce ketones from stored fat as an alternative fuel source. However, if your ketone blood levels become too high, your blood can become dangerously acidic. To prevent this, the body has a feedback mechanism that slows down the production of ketones. As a result, taking ketone supplements may prevent body fat from being used as fuel, at least in the short term.

Ketones Contain Calories

Exogenous ketone supplements are not ketogenic because they prevent the body from producing its own ketones. Additionally, ketone supplements provide calories (about four calories per gram, the same as carbs or protein). To maintain a state of ketosis, you need to consume multiple servings per day, which can be costly. Therefore, depending on the number of servings, exogenous ketones may not be beneficial for weight loss.

Impaired Fat-Adaptation

The keto diet relies on the body getting "fat-adapted," which means it transitions from running on glucose (sugar) to burning fatty acids for fuel. However, since taking exogenous ketones decreases lipolysis (the breakdown of body fat), it is unlikely to speed up fat adaptation and may even lessen the amount of fat burned to achieve and maintain ketosis.

Low Dosage, High Cost

The clinically tested doses of exogenous ketones range from 10 to 25 grams of BHB (beta-hydroxybutyrate), which has been shown to effectively raise ketone levels. However, a typical keto pill contains only about 400 milligrams of exogenous ketones, which is a much lower dosage. To achieve the desired effects, you would need to consume a large number of pills, which would be expensive and inconvenient.

While exogenous ketones may provide certain benefits, such as lowering blood glucose levels and improving cognition, the evidence suggests that they may hinder weight loss rather than effectively promote it. More research is needed to fully understand the effects of exogenous ketones on weight loss.

Ketone supplements are not a substitute for a keto diet

Ketone supplements can be beneficial for people who want to transition into ketosis without following a keto diet. They can also be taken alongside a keto diet, especially when first starting the diet, to reduce the time it takes to reach ketosis and lessen the unpleasant effects that may come from transitioning from a standard, higher-carb diet. However, the supplements are not a substitute for the keto diet and cannot provide the same benefits.

The keto diet is a very low-carb, high-fat diet that puts your body into a state of ketosis, where it burns fat for fuel instead of carbohydrates. This shift in metabolism can lead to weight loss and provide other health benefits. On the other hand, ketone supplements only increase ketone levels in the blood, mimicking what happens during ketosis. The supplements do not produce the same metabolic and physiologic outcomes as the keto diet and are not a substitute for achieving those outcomes.

Additionally, ketone supplements may not be safe or effective for everyone. The supplements are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), so there is a chance that they could be contaminated or contain heavy metals and other contaminants. They can also be expensive, costing upwards of $3 per serving, and may have side effects such as nausea, diarrhea, and stomach discomfort.

In conclusion, while ketone supplements can be useful in certain situations, they are not a substitute for a keto diet and cannot provide the same benefits. The keto diet is a more effective way to achieve ketosis, burn fat, and obtain the associated health benefits.

Keto pills are not regulated by the FDA

Keto pills are dietary supplements that claim to help consumers sustain ketosis and lose weight. However, it is important to note that these products are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA does not approve dietary supplements, including vitamins, minerals, herbs, and keto products. As a result, there is a risk that the contents of keto pill bottles may differ from what is listed on the label, and they may even contain heavy metals and other contaminants.

The lack of FDA regulation means that consumers cannot be certain of the safety and efficacy of keto pills. In fact, experts do not recommend keto pills or any diet pills. While they are generally considered safe, there is a chance for contamination, and they may be expensive and ineffective. Additionally, there is limited research on the effectiveness of keto supplements, and some evidence suggests that they may hinder weight loss rather than promote it.

The FDA has recently warned that certain keto supplements labelled as gluten-free were found to contain gluten, which could cause severe reactions in people with gluten intolerance. This incident highlights the potential risks associated with taking unregulated keto supplements.

If you are considering taking keto supplements, it is advisable to consult a healthcare professional first. It is also recommended to look for products that have been tested and certified by third-party organizations, such as the National Sanitation Foundation, ConsumerLab.com, and U.S. Pharmacopeia, to ensure their safety and accuracy.

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