Can exogenous ketones put you in ketosis and is it safe to use?
- Jenny L.
- Nov 17, 2021
- 4 min read
When you are utilizing fuel, your body is either using glucose or its using fats. When you totally run out of glucose, your body adapts by using ketones as a source of fuel. That's how we know we are in ketosis.

Exogenous ketones are literally exact same ketones that you have in your body while in ketosis, but just in a nutritional drink or in some kind of exogenous supplement. (exogenous - refers to things that come from outside the body)

Ketone supplements aka. Exogenous ketones are claimed to put your body into ketosis without having to follow a ketogenic lifestyle or diet. One study found that supplements with exogenous ketones may decrease appetite for over four hours when taken while fasting, but other research suggests that they may impair with your weight loss efforts.
People who try to elevate blood ketones through supplements aren't ketogenic, but they are in ketosis tho. For those who are doing a ketogenic lifestyle or practicing intermittent fasting, exogenous ketones can be used to deepen the state of ketosis, helping to achieve moderately higher levels of blood ketones than is also possible simply by following special dietary
restriction.

Usually, exogenous ketones come in the form of BHB or acetoacetate. Precursors to these molecules are fatty acids known as medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), which are present in food sources like coconut oil - another exogenous “ketone supplement." We have “ketone supplement” in quotes because some of these products don’t actually contain ketones—they’re simply the facts that are readily converted into ketones in someone following a low-carb high-fat diet.
You may be asking, "do exogenous ketones provide the same benefits as a ketogenic diet or fasting?"
While the metabolic health boost might not be the same (for example, exogenous ketones aren’t ideal for weight loss), exogenous ketones have several other assets, depending on your personal needs.
Quicker ketosis is one of them.
But it's important to say that I would never recommend you to use unnatural exogenous ketones, since the ketogenic state is not the same, and the thing we all want is the ketogenic state. You can take MCT oil, and you are actually recommended doing so. It's natural, and it's going to have great benefits overall.
It's important to add that one study found that when you are using exogenous ketone supplements, your own ketone production may be slowed down, while another study found that exogenous ketone supplements actually could put your body into a `loop`, so when your body runs out of them, it's going to start searching for ketones and produce them faster.
Can exogenous ketones help with psychiatric disorders and epilepsy?
The Natural state of ketosis has many benefits not only for fast weight loss. For instance, people with epilepsy have used the ketogenic lifestyle for many years to help reduce the number and severity of seizures.

Doctors also have tested whether the diet could help minimize the symptoms of psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder & anxiety. They believe that these disorders may be partly due to changes in metabolism that affect the brain.
2019. review of the available research suggests that exogenous ketones actually affect levels of certain neurotransmitters within the brain, thus reducing some signs of psychiatric disease.
The review authors conclude that using exogenous ketone supplements to help the body enter ketosis may be an effective treatment for psychiatric diseases.
Safety
Taking ketone salts also increases the risk of electrolyte imbalances. Electrolytes are vital for the conduction of electrical signals in the muscles and neurons. For example, electrolytes help the heart maintain a regular rhythm.
Taking ketone supplements can cause extreme stomach upset in some people. This side effect can limit the number of supplements that a person can take.
Some doctors are concerned that the ketogenic diet decreases blood sugar levels, potentially leading to hypoglycemia, which can make a person feel weak and lethargic. Moreover, ketone salts that contain sodium could be dangerous for people with high blood pressure. The ketogenic diet can also cause dehydration.
Credit for research on safety goes to medicalnewstoday.com
Keep in mind, if you are consuming carbs together with your exogenous ketones, that glucose will just sit there. You are going to feel amazing, clear-headed, energized... But you might store that glucose as fat. Tho study is not yet conclusive because exogenous ketones are so new. Ketones can't be stored as fat, they are used as a pure energy source. (not all ketones are used as fuel, but none of them can be stored as fat aka. Cant make you fat)
I did comprehensive research and here is the list of cheapest and highest quality options that you can check at Amazon. I was surprised actually with how cheap it is now.
- Exogenous Ketone supplement in powder click here.
- Exogenous Ketone Capsules click here.
- Exogenous Ketone Natural Source, MCT Oil’s click here.
I personally can't say that exogenous ketones are good or bad, but the bottom line is exogenous ketones are good for body composition if you are already in ketosis & great for your performance if you are not in ketosis.
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