If you’re on a ketogenic diet or are researching the keto lifestyle, you have no doubt come across a so-called miracle product known as exogenous ketones. There are many variations out there, but the two most popular seem to be KetoOS from a company called Pruvit and Julian Bakery’s InstaKetones.Now, the fact that Pruvit is a multi-level marking (MLM) company should be enough to scare people away, but they’ve been around a long time and are really, really good at making their sales pitch sound convincing, which is what draws people to their products.So what is the pitch? According to Pruvit, dissolving one heaping scoop into 12 to 16 ounces of cold water twice a day provides you with exogenous ketones, which allows you to experience ketosis without having to follow a restrictive diet. As a matter of fact, they even claim that you can experience ketosis without making any modifications whatsoever.Sounds great right? Well, for anyone who has ever been in true nutritional ketosis, you already know that these claims don’t quite add up. In situations like this, I like to turn to one of my favorite quotes from Judge Judy.
"If it doesn't make sense, it must not be true"
So What Are Ketones Anyway?
According to The Diet Doctor, Ketones are simply produced by your body when it is in a carbohydrate restricted state. The ketones are used by your body (and brain) as fuel when there isn’t any glucose in your blood.Whether you’re looking on their websites or getting your social media inboxes flooded with sales pitches (remember, Pruvit is an MLM company), you’re going to hear the same thing. Not only will these products put your body into ketosis, it will do so without you having to make any modification to your diet. Yes, you read that right. These snake oil salespeople will tell you that you can eat anything you want and this drink, which provides you with exogenous ketones, will give you the same benefits as being in nutritional ketosis.Do you see the problem here?
Aren’t Exogenous Ketones Good For Ketosis?
This is where the people selling these products reel you in. Anyone who has ever researched ketosis and the keto diet will have read that you need ketones in order to be in ketosis. The thing is, while these supplements do provide you with exogenous ketones, they don’t actually do anything. When you get your body into ketosis, your body will make what is know as endogenous ketones, which is a whole different ballgame.The ketones that are found in these products may help suppress your hunger and give you the energy boost that it promises, but if your goal is to burn fat and lose weight, using one of these products will actually work against you. Not only do they have no effect on your metabolism whatsoever, but they also provide you with no nourishment at all other than the trace amount of vitamins and minerals.Exogenous ketones have the same effect on ketosis as drinking alcoholic beverages. As long as they’re in your system, the fat burning process comes to an immediate stop, fatty acids and glucose are immediately stored and the ketones are what your body burns until there is no more left in your system.As if that wasn’t bad enough, these ketones actually cause your insulin to spike, which is the last thing you want on a ketogenic diet.So what’s your goal? That’s an important question to ask yourself if you’re trying to lose weight. If the label said that the product causes you to secrete insulin, exit fat burning mode and store fat and carbohydrates, would you still take it? Because that’s exactly what you’re doing by taking these supplements.
What to Do Instead
You don’t need a magic pill, or in this case, a drink in order to get the amazing benefits from being in ketosis. You can get there easily by getting your diet in check. Limit your carbs, cut your sugar, drink lots of water, and get yourself into nutritional ketosis.Need more information on starting a ketogenic the right way? Check out our Keto 101 article