Three Supplements that Enhance Ketosis
Low-carb, high-fat diets owe much of their popularity and effectiveness to the fact that they place a greater emphasis on unprocessed whole foods. In addition to enjoying more flavorful meals, dieters are able to obtain good sources of important nutrients directly from food sources, like certain vitamins, which are more bioavailable in fats. As a result, this reduces the need to supplement when consuming low-carb, high-fat diets. Having said that, there are certain supplements that can enhance the effects of low-carb, high-fat diets by enhancing the positive effects of ketosis.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Omega-3 fatty acids can help enhance the effects of a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet by helping increase insulin sensitivity and reducing inflammation. Another major benefit of omega-3s is that they can help balance out your intake of omega-6s. When someone’s eating a high-fat diet, it’s ideal that their saturated fat sources be grass-fed if they’re from animal sources. Otherwise, commercially farmed animal products typically have higher omega-6 to omega-3 ratios. Fortunately, by supplementing with omega-3s, you’re able to help counteract some of this effect.
A group of 34 overweight male subjects between the ages of 25 and 65 were analyzed. The subjects followed a ketogenic diet for four weeks and were divided into two groups (one that was supplemented with omega-3s and a control group). [1] All of the subjects experienced significant body weight and body fat losses. Triglycerides and insulin levels decreased more in the ketogenic diet group that supplemented with omega-3s (although levels decreased for both groups). The omega-3 group saw significant decreases across various measures of inflammatory biomarkers.
Caffeine
Coffee is a morning wonder drug for most people because of its ability to increase alertness and thermogenesis. Much of these benefits are due to the caffeine content found in a typical cup of joe.
A study aimed to evaluate the ketogenic effect of two doses of caffeine (2.5 mg/kg and 5.0 mg/kg) in 10 healthy adults. [2] Caffeine was given at breakfast and found to significantly stimulate ketone production in a dose-dependent manner (88% and 116%, respectively, for the two doses). The caffeine administration also raised plasma-free fatty acid levels.
This study highlights how caffeine can assist a typical low-carbohydrate diet by increasing the production of ketone bodies and elevating free fatty acid levels for greater fat oxidation (fat burning).
Exogenous Ketones
Exogenous ketone supplementation like PrimaForce BHB can be a major help for individuals trying low-carb, high-fat diets because it can induce a state of ketosis.
A test was done on male rats being administered exogenous ketone supplementation for 28 days. Weekly whole-blood samples were analyzed to measure levels of glucose and serum BHB. The exogenous ketone supplementation caused a rapid and sustained elevation of serum BHB levels and a reduction of glucose, which demonstrated the efficacy of exogenous ketone supplementation for inducing ketosis independent of dietary restrictions. [3]
This makes exogenous ketone supplementation a major luxury for individuals following a low-carb diet because they can help you get into a state of ketosis even when you’re not strictly adhering to a ketogenic diet. This can be a major convenience for busy people as it becomes difficult to follow a diet as closely when schedules become hectic.
References
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4344614/
