Ketogenic diet is a popular diet and is consumed by a different range of people like athletics, bodybuilders, diabetics, people with epilepsy and the ones looking forward to reduce weight.
Keto supplements are not mandatory if you are following the keto diet but taking them makes things much easier. It can also help in boosting workout results and improves the health.
It also increases your odds of staying in ketosis. Some of the supplements help to get rid of the symptoms of Keto flu which others prevents the body from nutrient deficiencies.
Best Supplements for your keto diet are:
L-Glutamine
It is an amino acid which acts as an antioxidant. This is recommended to the people who are very active as intense workout exhausts the natural stored glutamine and produces toxins.
When you are cutting carbs, you are avoiding fruits and vegetables so taking glutamine prevents the cellular damage. It also boosts immunity and improves the recovery time of muscles between the workouts.
7 Keto Dhea
This is a keto diet supplement which is also produced naturally by your body. It is a metabolite of dehydroepiandrosterone, which is produced by the adrenal glands and the brain.
It acts as a growth hormone which helps in triggering the production of other hormones that are involved in burning fat and increasing lean muscle mass. According to a few studies, it also helps to boost the activity of thermogenic liver enzymes.
Melatonin
This supplement induces sleep and regulates it. It is a hormone that is naturally produced in our body and can also be found in the market as a dietary supplement. Taking it will help you fall asleep faster and better.
Chromium and ALA
Chromium and Alpha lipoic acid (ALA) work to metabolize glucose in our blood. Glucose is stored in our body to be used as fuel.
When you increase your intake, it burns calories faster and helps to move into ketosis quicker. ALA improves insulin sensitivity, optimizes the glucose levels and protects mitochondria in the cells.
Tribulus
This supplement is taken to boost testosterone levels in the body. Healthy fats, usually increase the testosterone and taking Tribulus helps to boost this effect much further. It can help you give better result with each workout session.
ECA Stack
This is a kind of keto cocktail that helps to boost your energy, metabolism and gain fat reduction in a short time. If you have cardiac issues, please don’t opt for this supplement as it can cause serious complications.
MCT Oil
Medium-chain triglycerides are fats that are considered to be a superior source as it can produce more ketones than any other dietary fat.
MCTs are broken down by the liver and enter the bloodstream as a fuel source for the brain and muscles. It is clear and tasteless oil of a unique kind. Coconut oil is rich in natural source of MCT.
Doctors prescribe it to treat seizures, digestive system disorders and other illnesses. It is always wise to start with a small dose to see how it reacts to your body and then increase the dosage. It does have side effects which include nausea and diarrhea.
You can add it in shakes, coffees or smoothies or have one spoon of it to get your fat boost. You can also mix with yogurt, use it to make salad dressing or add it into a muffin.
Magnesium
This mineral gives a boost of energy, controls blood sugar levels, heart rate and supports the immune system. Your body needs more magnesium to balance the sodium and potassium levels.
Deficiencies of magnesium can cause fatigue, numbness, insomnia and muscle spasms. If you have healthy kidneys, there is no problem if your body is getting more magnesium because the excess magnesium usually gets flushed out from the body in the form of urine.
If you are on a keto diet, you should take 200 – 400 mg of magnesium per day. Leafy greens, nuts, spinach, avocados, swiss chard, pumpkin seeds, Mackerel and mineral water containing magnesium are sources for your magnesium intake.
Omega-3 fatty Acids
Omega-3 fatty acids are essential fatty acids which cannot be produced by the body but obtained from the food.
Your body needs them to make cell membrane and for producing energy. It also helps to control the inflammation and protects the brain. They can be obtained from fish oil or krill oil.
Vitamin D
Having proper levels of vitamin D is important when you are on a ketogenic diet. Vitamin D plays a vital role in cellular growth, boosting bone strength, lowering inflammation and absorbing calcium.
Doctor recommends proper intake of vitamin D supplements for maintaining the level of vitamin D in the body.
Digestive Enzymes
When you follow ketogenic diet, there is high fat content which is hard to digest. This diet is also moderate in protein content but that is usually higher than what you may consume regularly. This can also difficulties in digestion.
If you are facing issues like nausea, diarrhea and bloating then you should use digestive enzyme which helps to break down the fats and proteins which makes the digestion easy. Digestive enzymes can also help to reduce post-workout soreness.
Exogenous Ketones
These are ketones that are supplied from an external source. These supplements are usually used by people following a ketogenic diet for boosting blood ketone levels, boosting the muscle recovery and helps in decreasing appetite.
Electrolyte Supplements or Mineral rich food
When you are planning to switch to a ketogenic diet, it is important that you add minerals through diet. The initial weeks are challenging as the body is adapting to consuming a low number of carbs.
There is loss of water from the body and levels of sodium, potassium and magnesium can also drop which causes headaches, fatigue and muscle cramps.
Adding sodium in your diet is the best solution. You should also increase intake of potassium and magnesium rich food like nuts, avocados, seeds and green leafy veggies.
Supplements to boost athletic performance
There are supplements that help to boost performance. These are:
- Creatine monohydrate: This supplement helps to improve exercise performance and strength and boosts muscle gain. The body converts phosphocreatine which is stored in the tissues of the muscles to be used as energy. You can obtain it naturally from fish and red meat and is also available as a supplement.
- Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs): These supplements reduce muscle damages caused from exercising, muscle soreness and fatigue caused from exercising. Apart from this, when you workout, blood levels of BCAAs drops which increases serotonin production which causes fatigue. So taking BCAAs prevents these sharp drops in blood levels.
- Caffeine: Coffee or green tea gives a boost to energy levels and helps to improve athletic performance.
- HMB (beta-hydroxy beta-methylbutyrate): It helps to increase the mass of the muscles which in turn decreases the muscle loss especially in the people who are beginning their exercise routine or the ones increasing their workout intensities.
- Beta-alanine: When you are on a Ketogenic diet, this supplement prevents fatigue and muscle burnout.
Collagen Peptides
Collagen particles help in making your Keto diet easier. This protein keeps you in ketosis and are highly satiating so you don’t require too much intake of these.
They strengthen the muscles and bones, makes the joints healthy, lowers down inflammation and is an easier post-workout recovery option.
You can add the collagen peptides to your smoothies, coffees, teas, cakes, muffins, pancakes or add it to a glass of water and drink it. It helps to control appetite so you can add it to your morning coffee or lunch to feel full.
Fiber
Keto diet is a low carb diet so there is lack of fibers due to which you feel bloated and constipated.
Higher fat intake makes the digestion process hard which causes fat malabsorption. To handle all of this it is important to take fiber content. Fiber supplements that you can include are:
- Psyllium Husk: This fiber is used to treat constipation and diarrhea. It also helps to lower down cholesterol and glucose.
- Acacia fiber: This is a soluble fiber which you can dissolve in water. It helps to treat diarrhea, constipation and high cholesterol.
- Ground Flaxseeds: It contains soluble as well as insoluble fibers. Insoluble fibers make the stool pass. You should grind them and consume them. It is also rich in omega-3 fatty acids, proteins, thiamine and folate.
- Chia seeds: Chia seeds are a mixture of the large amount of insoluble fiber and little amount of soluble fiber. They are the richest plant source of omega-3 fatty acids and provides lots of calcium. They are low in carbs but rich in fats.
Other fiber sources are nuts, coconut flour, seeds and green leafy veggies.
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