Right now, the ketogenic diet has risen in popularity. It’s a funny thing, because before it became a dietary sensation, there weren’t as many resources as there are now; websites, blogs, monitors, specialty foods, supplements. At best, the Atkins’ diet crowd could loosely talk about nutritional ketosis. Maybe even the low carb crowd. But for the most part, it wasn’t really under anyone’s radar. I myself was practicing it intermittently, and made one or two posts relating to it every year or so. And in the beginning, I made my fair share of mistakes and would struggle with keto. The transition towards a ketogenic diet is not always sunshine and rainbows. There’s the dreaded keto flu, the fact that you’re switching from either moderate to high carb to very low carb, and of course the social impact that comes from changing your diet. So for some, keto can definitely be a challenge! Others, maybe not so much; it might just be a walk in the park.
Unfortunately, though, the transition is what scares people away from keto. They either avoid it altogether or look for an easy way in. Which is where Exogenous Ketones come in. This supplement has been cropping up everywhere from supplement stores to online startups, and many people claim it’s a one-way-ticket to ketosis. But is there any truth to this? Should you be investing in them?
Read on for my thoughts.

As a quick re-cap, nutritional (or dietary) ketosis is when your body relies upon dietary fat and ketones for fuel (with only a small bit of carbs). Ketones are an alternative fuel source that our body naturally produces- specifically during fasting (like sleep) when stored sugar (glycogen) becomes depleted. The goal of a ketogenic diet is to keep the body in ketosis. In order to do this, we need to lower our carbs, and increase fat just a bit and maintain a moderate (or in some cases, high) level of protein. Eventually, our body will adapt to using fat along with ketones for energy.
So what exactly are Exogenous Ketones? Well, firstly, exogenous means to come from the outside. Just like we naturally produce ketones in the body, we can now obtain them from a supplemental outside source. You’re simply supplementing with more ketones in the form of BHB (beta-hydroxybutyrate). And the theory goes that in doing so, you can speed up the process of entering and then maintaining ketosis.
I can definitely see the allure. Why endure up to a week or more of the transition phase when you can practically enter ketosis in a matter of minutes?
Here are a few problems with this approach.
Firstly, ketones alone aren’t going to convert you into a fat burning “beast” as some might say. They’re simply another form of fuel. Many people who supplement with Exogenous Ketones get excited after testing with a urine strip, since according to their results they’re in ketosis due to the presence of a high amount of ketones in their urine. It doesn’t necessarily mean they’re in ketosis. Which leads me to my second point.

Secondly, if you’re still eating a standard, processed food diet high in carbs and decided to supplement with Exogenous Ketones on top of that, then don’t expect any miracles. Your body hasn’t made the metabolic switch to relying mostly on ketones and fat for fuel; it’s still depending on carbs (glucose to be exact). So they’re not going to be undoing the effects of a high-carb diet (not to mention one filled with processed foods).

Thirdly, these supplements have their drawbacks. They’re expensive (up to $50 or more) and typically last only for a couple of weeks. Anything out there that’s relatively cheap should be scrutinized both in quality and honesty (there could be fillers and other junk in there, leaving you with a small, diluted amount of ketones). In some people, they’ve been shown to cause gas, bloating, and loose stools. And a lot of them are believed to have an acquired taste, to put it lightly.

As for my fourth and final point, it’s going to simply be a bit of tough love. Keto takes work. I personally enjoy the supplements from Perfect Keto here and there, but I certainly don’t rely on them to get me into nutritional ketosis.  The point of dietary ketosis is to get your body to make its OWN ketones. Supplying them from the outside and expecting everything to fall into place defeats this purpose. The transition may be hard, but it’s not unbearable. There are even ways to overcome it, like getting in enough electrolytes and minerals, intermittent fasting, and exercise. No diet should be killing you. But even if it’s not keto, it takes work. If you’re coming off of an unhealthy diet (or one that goes against your bio-individuality), then any new diet is going to have its fair share of growing pains. Period.
Going from animal foods to vegan? Definitely going to take some getting used to! Giving up vegetarianism for keto? Another awkward transition stage! You may need to go slower with keto. Maybe start with lowering your carbs bit by bit, then increasing your fat, and finally going full keto. That might be a gentler approach for some. If you’ve been eating an otherwise healthy diet (i.e., one based on whole foods), especially a low carb one, then going keto might not be as difficult for some.
Why else do you see a bunch of keto-based foods showing up? Everything from protein bars to crackers is showing up now. They’re meant to be transition foods or substitutions for people who need to get off of eating junk all of the time. Ultimately though, those should be treats, not staples. With Exogenous Ketones, you’re often led to believe that you’ve somehow “hacked” your way into ketosis without having to put in the work.
Admittedly, there is some research to show they help under specific circumstances. And some people do legitimately experience a degree of benefit…provided they’re already eating a ketogenic diet and putting in the work. But for the majority of people out there, they’re just another tool. And one that really needs to be debated.
I truly believe that the best source of ketones comes free, which is from the body, however if you’re already feeling great on keto, or have been putting in the work, then feel free to enjoy the occasional keto supplement in form of a delicious chocolate shake or a snack bar.

(For more in-depth info on keto, I highly recommend you give my KETO MEAL PLANa try. You’ll receive a comprehensive PDF on all the ins, outs, and everything-in-between on keto, along with 8-weeks of guided meals featuring exclusive recipes and shopping lists. You can also read my Q&A here for bonus info!)