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Chances are you’ve heard about – or possibly even tried – the keto diet, a low-carb, high-fat approach to weight loss that is widely popular but not the easiest or most sustainable diet to follow.

The keto diet eliminates nearly all carbohydrates and relies on calories from fat for fuel, a process called ketosis. However, getting into and staying in ketosis can be tricky because you need a specific amount of macronutrients: 90% fat, 6% protein and 4% carbs, traditionally. (A modified keto diet clocks in at around 82% fat, 12% protein and 6% carbs.)

Given how challenging the keto diet can be, it’s no surprise that manufacturers have created keto supplements claiming to help you boost energy, burn fat and lose weight fast.

For those looking to shed pounds, it’s hard not to be intrigued by these claims. But it raises the question: Do keto supplements actually work, or is it simply clever marketing?

While the human body naturally produces ketones when it breaks down fat for fuel, keto supplements claim to increase ketone levels, help you achieve ketosis faster and, ultimately, lose weight.

Keto supplements typically contain two active ingredients:

“In theory, taking extra ketones in the diet may help the body lose weight by using ketones for energy and, therefore, burn fat,” explains Erin Holley, a registered dietitian at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus. “The claim is that you can take these keto diet pills and not have to follow a low-carb diet.”

Such supplements are also marketed to help ameliorate the so-called “keto flu,” an unofficial term that refers to a group of flu-like symptoms that can develop within about a week of switching to a keto diet.

Symptoms include:

However, there’s no evidence to support that keto pills can help prevent keto flu. While the exact causes of the keto flu are unclear, symptoms typically resolve within a few days as your body adjusts.

See:

The three most common types of keto diet supplements are:

Many keto pills contain BHB salts or BHB esters and are promoted as a natural weight loss supplement.

Similar to keto pills, keto........

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