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The Keto diet has become increasingly popular in the last few years. It seems the Keto diet has come to stay, so people are trying to pull out the best of it to optimize their health with this high-fat and low-carb diet.
The Keto diet is based on the reduction of an array of food options, so it should be supplemented with specific nutrients. Supplements are important since they will help people with adverse effects -such as keto flu- and increase physical activity performance when training.
What’s a ketogenic diet?
The ketogenic diet- also known as the keto diet- is a sugar-reduced based diet. This a low-carb diet that will help you get more calories from protein and fat and less from carbohydrates. It is called a ketogenic diet since it helps produce a high level of ketone bodies found in the blood.
This diet doesn’t involve only veggies but also seafood, cheese, avocado, meat, and poultry, among other foods that provide low-carb, high-carb, and other health benefits. However, in many cases, you’ll need to take keto diet pills to supplement your eating plan.
There is a wide range of supplements ranging from pills, powders, drinks to healthy food.
The best keto diet supplements
Magnesium
The body needs nutrients to stay healthy and magnesium is one of them. It is of high importance to the body since it regulates muscle and nerve function, boosts energy, regulates blood sugar levels and blood pressure, and supports your immune system. It is also responsible for body processes such as the making of bone, protein, and DNA.
It has been proven that magnesium deficiency can be developed due to the intake of magnesium-depleting medications. Also, most people are at risk of developing magnesium deficiency due to the reliance on processed food, for instance.
It is even harder to meet magnesium needs if you are on a keto diet since most magnesium-rich foods are also high in carbs. For example, fruits and beans just to mention a few of them.
For this reason, it is highly recommended to take between 200 and 400 mg of magnesium every day. For those who have decided to take up a keto diet, this supplement is beneficial for your health.
There are plenty of benefits if you start taking magnesium supplements: it reduces muscle cramps, it will help you with your irritability and deprived sleeping. These are common symptoms of people on a ketogenic diet.
Magnesium glycinate, magnesium gluconate, and magnesium citrate are known to be the most absorbable forms of magnesium.
However, for those who prefer magnesium-rich food to incorporate low-carb, there are many keto-friendly options such as avocado, pumpkin seeds, spinach, swiss chard, mackerel, just to mention a few.
If you have decided to take up a keto daily, you’ll need magnesium supplements or low-carb and magnesium-rich foods to meet your daily requirements. Otherwise, you’ll suffer from magnesium deficiency.
MCT Oil
MCT refers to Medium-chain Triglycerides which are considered to be the most popular supplements for people who are on a keto diet.
MCT Oil is considered a medium-length fatty acid made up of 6 to 12 carbon atoms that go straight to the liver and then enter the bloodstream. This means, your body uses them as an immediate source of energy. Moreover, calories found on MCT Oils are used immediately which means they are not stored as fat. This is the reason why MCT Oil is perfect to keep yourself fit and for keto dieters.
Some of the benefits of MCT Oils are: They enhance brain function, improve weight loss, reduce yeast and bacterial growth, and reduce lactate build up.
MCT Oil is derived from coconut oil which is considered the richest natural source. However, it can also be found on dairy products and palm oil. Taking MCT Oil in isolation has more benefits since it is a concentrated dose.
MCT Oil supplements help keto dieters to supercharge their health by upping their fat intake. In doing so, people will increase ketone levels which will help them stay in ketosis.
If you want to incorporate MCT Oil into your diet you can add it to your blends since- at room temperature- it stays liquid. You can mix it into your morning coffee, afternoon smoothie, stir it up with a pre-workout beverage or you can even take a spoonful since it doesn’t have smell or taste.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Taking Omega-3 Fatty Acids supplements can increase the effectiveness of the keto diet by helping dieters to achieve the intended fat intake. Omega-3 fatty acids can be found especially in fish, eggs, some nuts and seeds, and krill oil which is highly beneficial to health.
Omega-3 fatty acids supplements are highly important since a keto diet eliminates or limits a great variety of foods. To fill in any nutritional gap, supplements can be prescribed by health specialists.
One of the best benefits of taking Omega-3 fatty acids is the reduction of inflammation, prevention of mental decline, lower heart disease risks, among others.
Taking Omega-3 fatty acids supplements is important for keto dieters since in the Western culture- for instance- diets tend to be based on Omega-6 fatty acids rather than on Omega-3. This may result in any inflammatory disease, lower insulin levels, or an increase in triglycerides.
People who decide to take up a keto diet and need Omega-3 fatty acids supplements should follow the product instructions as regards dosage directions since they vary from brand to brand.
For those keto dieters who want to boost Omega-3 fatty acids through keto-friendly foods, you eat more salmon, sardines, anchovies, fish oil, krill oil, algae, and flaxseeds, among other Omega-3 fatty acids sources.
If you suffer from blood clotting- or any other blood thinner disease- or have any fish allergy you should see a doctor before taking Omega-3 supplements; since on one hand, they are based on fish oils, and on the other hand, they tend to thin your blood.
Fiber
Taking up fiber-based food is highly important since it helps people to keep the digestive system healthy. Fiber intake is responsible for avoiding. It is recommended to get between 25 to 30 grams of fiber daily to stay healthy.
Fiber-rich foods are nuts, seeds, avocados, and leafy greens. These are perfect for people who have decided to take up a keto diet. However, those keto dieters whose diet is based on meat, seafood, eggs, and dairy will not get enough fiber and may need to appeal to supplement products.
If keto dieters feel constipated, they will need to take fiber supplements low in sugar. Also, they need to take a lot of water which will help with good digestion. Otherwise, poor water intake and the lack of fiber supplements can worsen constipation.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is an important nutrient not only for keto dieters but also for everyone’s health. It is really hard to get in a natural way Vitamin D, that’s why many people take Vitamin D supplements.
Our body makes Vitamin D when we are exposed to the sunshine. However, direct exposure to the sun may be dangerous since there are many changes of getting skin conditions or even skin cancer. Vitamin D is also found in some food such as milk, orange juice, and cereal. But, these food items are restricted in a keto diet since they have high-carb counts.
Vitamin D is essential for our well being: It’s good for the bones, it gives you energy and powers to your immune system and it’s good to prevent depression.
The recommended daily intake is 600 IUs. To get that amount, a keto dieter may eat salmon and tuna, or eggs. This fatty fish food is keto-friendly, especially the high-fat yolk.
Keto-approved food options are very limited, so keto dieters need to take Vitamin D supplements. Seeing a doctor is recommended to know the right amount of supplement intake.
Calcium
Following a Keto diet implies a high-fat, moderate-protein, low-carb dietary plan. This implies that many food items are limited or restricted such as milk, yogurt, or other dairy products. These products are high in carbohydrates so are not included in a keto plan.
A keto plan requires 50 mg of dairy products daily which implies a reduction of calcium intake. It is estimated that an average age person should get between 1,000 to 1,300 mg. of calcium every day.
Calcium is also present in tofu and fortified orange juice both of which are limited or restricted in a keto plan. However, you can get calcium from fish such as sardines with bones, salmon with bones, kale, broccoli, and other leafy greens.
Calcium intake is essential for bone health, to support muscle, the cardiovascular system, the release of hormones, and nerve communication. So, for people who take up a keto diet and don’t like fish, for instance, they will need Calcium supplements.
L-theanine
L- theanine is an amino acid that can’t be obtained from food. It is only present in green and black tea. However, amounts vary from different types of tea and the way it is brewed. It can be combined with coffee or other caffeine sources to avoid anxiety, for instance.
L-theanine is considered a natural compound that promotes relaxation and is helpful in times of stress. Other benefits are: increase of neurotransmitters in your brain, lowering of exciting brain chemicals, an increase of Alpha brain waves, it also has antioxidant effects, it helps to fight stress and anxiety.
As keto dieters don’t have L-theanine in a regular intake, they should take oral supplements (50 mg to 600 mg a day is the ideal dose).
Greens powder
Vegetable intake in your keto plan is highly important. Eating vegetables has a lot of benefits such as reducing inflammation, low disease risk, and helping your body function optimally.
Having vegetables regularly is essential since they contain an array of minerals, vitamins, and plant compounds. Keto dieters don’t lack vegetable intake but it’s not enough. So, they should appeal to greens powder supplements.
These greens powder contain powdered leafy greens such as spinach, spirulina, chlorella, kale, broccoli, wheatgrass, among others. Greens powder can be added to any drink or smoothie.
Another way to incorporate greens powder in your diet is by adding whole-food and low-carb vegetables to your foods.
Electrolytes
Taking up a keto diet may imply adding minerals to it. It is important if you are a beginner and don’t feel good or if you are experiencing some symptoms, start taking electrolytes supplement or upping your electrolyte-rich food intake.
Also, if you are doing exercise regularly you may need electrolytes supplements since it is hard to get electrolytes only from food. To do so, you should bear in mind what minerals you need, what minerals the product has and the dosage you need.
Electrolytes are basically minerals which are essential for carrying an electrical charge. Sodium, magnesium, and potassium are considered the most popular examples of electrolytes. The main function of electrolytes is keeping the human heart beating, producing energy, and stimulating muscle contractions.
To sum up, the ketogenic or keto diet is a very low-carb, high-fat diet. As you eat fewer carbs, you replace them by eating more fat. The result is a state of ketosis which means that fat from your body is burned and turned into energy.
The main objective is to get more calories from protein and fat instead of carbohydrates. People who decide to take up a keto diet lose weight or to boost physical activity.
Taking up keto diet supplements can make this process and maintenance easier and will help you reduce or avoid symptoms such as the keto flu, fill in any nutritional gap in your diet, support your health goals, and many other health benefits. In this way, you will enjoy a keto diet while living a healthy lifestyle.
