The keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet that can be effective for weight loss and certain health conditions. It involves drastically reducing your carbohydrate intake and replacing it with fat, which puts your body into a metabolic state called ketosis. When in ketosis, your body uses fat (from your body and diet) as its main fuel source instead of glucose. To enter and stay in ketosis, you need to consume a specific amount of macronutrients, typically 90% fat, 6% protein, and 4% carbs. Keto diet pills claim to help boost energy, burn fat, and lose weight fast, but it is unclear whether they work. This raises the question: how many keto tablets should you take per day?
Characteristics | Values |
---|---|
Number of tablets per day | 2 |
When to take the tablets | 30 minutes before meals |
How to take the tablets | With water |
What You'll Learn
Keto diet pills: Do they work?
The keto diet is a 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. Ketosis is a metabolic state that occurs when your body burns fat for energy instead of glucose.
Given the challenging nature of the keto diet, manufacturers have created keto supplements that claim to help boost energy, burn fat, and lose weight fast. These include keto pills, which are supposed to help your body transition to ketosis without having to follow a strict diet.
Keto pills are a type of exogenous ketone supplement, which means they provide your body with ketones from an external source. These chemically stable molecules increase the level of ketones in your blood and mimic the effect of ketosis.
However, there is limited research on the effectiveness of keto pills. While some studies suggest that they can enhance ketosis, there is no evidence that they lead to weight loss. For example, a small 2021 study found that while taking a keto pill supplement boosted ketosis, it did not result in measurable health improvements or weight loss compared to those following a ketogenic diet without the supplement.
Additionally, it is important to note that keto pills are not the same as the full keto diet. Taking these shortcuts can affect how your body metabolizes food for fuel and may even prevent your body from using fat as fuel, delaying the transition into ketosis.
Furthermore, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not approve dietary supplements, including keto products. This means there is a chance that what is listed on the label may not accurately reflect what is in the bottle, and there may even be contaminants.
In conclusion, while keto diet pills may enhance ketosis, there is currently insufficient evidence to support claims of weight loss or improved health. Experts generally do not recommend keto pills or any diet pills, and it is always best to consult with a healthcare professional before taking any supplements.
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What are the benefits of ketosis?
Ketosis is a metabolic state in which the body uses fat as its main fuel source instead of glucose. The keto diet, which induces ketosis, has many possible benefits, including:
- Weight loss: Ketosis can help you feel less hungry, which may lead to eating less food and losing weight. It can help you lose belly fat while maintaining lean mass.
- Increased energy: Ketosis delivers the body's energy needs in a way that reduces inflammation. Research suggests that the brain works more efficiently on ketones than on glucose.
- Treating chronic illness: The keto diet may help treat and manage diseases such as epilepsy, Alzheimer's disease, autism, brain cancers, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and metabolic syndrome.
However, it is important to note that the keto diet can be difficult to follow and may produce side effects such as "keto" breath, constipation, and "keto" flu, which includes symptoms like upset stomach, headache, and fatigue.
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What are the side effects of ketosis?
Ketosis is a metabolic state that occurs when your body burns fat for energy instead of glucose. While it can have many benefits, such as weight loss, increased energy, and treating chronic illnesses, there are also some side effects to be aware of.
One of the most common side effects of ketosis is "keto flu," which includes symptoms such as an upset stomach, headache, fatigue, decreased physical performance, and dizziness. These symptoms typically occur during the initial stages of ketosis and usually resolve within a few days to weeks as your body adjusts to burning fat and ketones instead of carbohydrates for fuel.
Another common side effect of ketosis is bad breath, often described as fruity or slightly sweet. This is caused by acetone, a ketone that is a byproduct of fat metabolism. Blood acetone levels rise during ketosis, and your body eliminates some of it through your breath, sweat, and urine.
Leg cramps are also common in ketosis, especially if you are dehydrated or have a deficiency in certain minerals. This is because ketosis causes a reduction in water weight, which can lead to dehydration and changes in electrolyte balance.
Digestive issues, such as constipation and, less commonly, diarrhea, are also frequent side effects of ketosis. This is often due to a lack of fiber and fluids in the diet.
Some people may also experience an increased heart rate, or heart palpitations, during the first few weeks of ketosis. Staying hydrated and increasing salt intake may help alleviate this symptom.
Other, less common side effects of ketosis include ketoacidosis, kidney stones, raised cholesterol levels, fatty liver, and hypoglycemia.
It is important to note that ketosis may not be suitable for everyone, and it is always recommended to consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new diet, especially one as restrictive as the keto diet.
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What foods can you eat on the keto diet?
The keto diet is a high-fat, very low-carbohydrate, and moderate-protein diet. It's important to make sure you get enough fibre and B vitamins on the keto diet.
- Fish and seafood, such as salmon, shrimp, lobster, flounder, and crab.
- Meat and poultry, including turkey, beef, chicken, and sausages.
- Non-starchy vegetables like bell peppers, broccoli, zucchini, cauliflower, and spinach.
- Avocados
- Berries, such as strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries.
- Nuts and seeds, such as pumpkin seeds, almonds, cashews, chia seeds, and flaxseeds.
- Eggs
- High-fat dairy products, such as Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, butter, and cream.
- Olive oil and other oils, such as avocado, canola, nut, and seed oils like flax and hemp oil.
- High-cocoa chocolate (70% cocoa or more)
- Unsweetened coffee and tea
Some foods that are limited on the keto diet include starchy vegetables (potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn), high-sugar fruits (bananas, raisins, mangoes), honey, syrup, sugar, baked goods, cereal, crackers, rice, pasta, and bread.
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How do you get into ketosis?
Ketosis is a metabolic state in which your body uses fat for fuel instead of carbohydrates. The body achieves this state by following a ketogenic (keto) diet, which involves drastically reducing your carbohydrate intake and replacing it with healthy fats.
Reducing Carbohydrate Intake
To enter ketosis, you need to limit your carbohydrate consumption to around 20 to 50 grams per day. This will cause your glucose stores to deplete, forcing your body to burn fat for energy instead. The types of foods that contain carbohydrates and should be limited or avoided include sugary foods, grains or starches, fruits, beans or legumes, root vegetables, alcohol, and diet products.
Increasing Healthy Fat Intake
On the keto diet, fat should make up a large percentage of your daily calories. You can include both unsaturated and saturated fats in your diet. Healthy unsaturated fat sources include nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, and olive oil. Saturated fats are encouraged in high amounts and can come from oils (palm and coconut), lard, butter, and cocoa butter.
Moderate Protein Consumption
It is important to moderate your protein consumption because consuming too much can interfere with ketosis. When protein is consumed in high amounts, it can be converted into glucose, which may slow down your transition into ketosis.
Intermittent Fasting
Practising intermittent fasting can help you enter ketosis faster. A common method involves limiting food intake to an eight-hour window during the day and fasting for the remaining 16 hours.
Testing for Ketosis
You can use blood, urine, and breath tests to determine whether you have entered ketosis by measuring the amount of ketones produced by your body. Certain symptoms may also indicate that you are in ketosis, such as increased thirst, dry mouth, frequent urination, and decreased hunger or appetite.
Potential Risks and Side Effects
The keto diet comes with some potential risks and side effects, including nutrient deficiency, liver and kidney problems, constipation, and fuzzy thinking or mood swings. Therefore, it is important to consult a doctor and a registered dietitian before starting a ketogenic diet.
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Frequently asked questions
It is recommended to take two capsules per day for the best results.
It is recommended to take the keto tablets 30 minutes before meals once a day.
You will start noticing the results in just eight weeks.
Yes, keto tablets are safe for use. They are fully tested for effectiveness and safety.
There are no major side effects. It helps to minimize the side effects experienced while starting a keto diet, such as keto flu.