- supplements di ketones, formulated in drinks, meal replacements, soluble powders and capsules, are the most popular of the moment. They are purchased, mostly online, by those who want to dispose of the quickly extra pounds. But how do they work inside our organism? Do they really deliver on their much-advertised promises? "Unfortunately not. There is no scientific evidence that confirm its effectiveness.
Indeed, think of taking the shortcut of exogenous ketones (i.e. taken from the outside and not produced by our body) it does not make you lose weight and is harmful to health», Says Dr. , a doctor specializing in food science and pharmacology in Milan.
Why ketone supplements don't work
In the logic of the manufacturing companies to supply ketones from the outside it should cause our body to use these as an energy source. It is as if we were giving him the message to be on a diet, when perhaps we continue to follow the same diet, without any caloric restrictions.
«Our body, However, is an "intelligent machine" that does not leave easily fooled»Warns Dr. . “If he receives ichetones from the outside, he is certainly not tempted to use the lipid reserves to produce them himself. Thus the fats are neither mobilized nor "burned".
The same goes for those who resort to ketone supplements while following one very low carbohydrate diet. If you are deficient in sugars, the body already provides for itself to form ketones and there is no need to take more with various drinks and tablets. A fact that not only "slows down" lipolysis but also involves a excess of ketones, endogenous and exogenous, destined to accumulate inside the organism ".
All the risks of acidosis
When ketones, acidic substances, exceed the limit values, a negative health condition called ketoacidosis occurs. "The pH of tissues and blood, which is normally neutral, progressively falls towards values ​​such as 5 or even 4", continues Dr. .
«This involves a overload of work for the kidneys, called to dispose of a flood of acid waste. A stress that often raises the blood urea, an indicator of kidney function. It is therefore necessary to reverse the direction of travel and return to a situation of metabolic rebalancing, if you do not want to run into problems such as headache, weakness, lack of strength and concentration, nausea, vomiting, mental confusion and neurological disorders. Not to mention the breath that tastes of fruit, exactly like that of small children who, with a high fever, refuse to eat and run into acetone ».
How to lose weight in a healthy way
«To lose weight, instead of straining the body with ketones, it is enough to reduce the percentage of carbohydrates and simple sugars to 40% of the daily caloric intake. 70 g of pasta or brown rice and 50 g of bread, rusks or crackers are enough not to go into extreme ketosis but stimulating enough to start the fat burning process, ”explains Dr. . And in any case it is always better to ask for advice from a specialist.
- Read also: Ketogenic diet, what it is and when it is needed
- Read also: Ketone supplements, what they are and what they are for
