There is a lot of confusion surrounding ketones in the ketogenic space. Many are confused about what they are good for and if they are necessary or not. There are claims that they get you into ketosis within an hour and that they can make you lose weight even if you don't following a Keto lifestyle. These claims inspired me to purchase nine of the popular brands
and test them to see how they affected my ketone levels and blood glucose. I tested each brand at least 4 times at 1 hour after drinking, and tested again after 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Testing glucose and ketones give us the Glucose Ketone Index (GKI), which is an important measure of how the product is affecting your level of ketosis.
This report is all science no bias! so I do not express my opinion in regards to the finding except to identify MY favorite flavor. Take a look at the results and feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions about what you read. Enjoy!
This charts shows you how I calculated my GKI and what the results mean. Remember the lower the GKI the better, but with ketone numbers alone your looking for a higher number. Scroll down and see the results of my project.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, the MCM, Real Ketones, and Ketologic brands were the best performing. I could not differentiate between the 3 to say which one was first, second, or third as they all had great benefits. I came to this conclusion by considering how each positively affected my glucose and ketone levels independently collective using the GKI measure.
My Final Thoughts
I learned that all of these brands increased my ketone levels to a place considered moderate "ketosis" after about 1 hour (according to GKI scale). On the other hand, my ketone levels had dropped significantly after 1 hour 30 minutes in most brands (see report for those lasting longer). This shows that you would have to drink these drinks about every 2 hours at the least to "stay in ketosis."
Don't get me wrong, I love ketones. I just believe that you should not use them as a weight loss tool or something that is going to get you into ketosis without practicing the lifestyle correctly. My belief is that they should be used as a Keto energy drink. They have many benefits but weight loss is not one of them. In fact I have worked with people who have gained weight because they are drinking them 2-4 times per day which is to much.
One of the questions that is asked of me frequently is... When should I drink ketones? You should drink ketones when you need any of the following.
K- Keen Mind
E- Energy
T- Taste (flavor)
O- offers blood sugar support
N- Needed appetite control
E- Electrolytes
S- Supports Digestion
When I look at flavored drinks (Zevia, Bai, Virgils, Vitamin water zero) , they are more than $2 per serving and the only benefit is flavor. According to my research most ketone brands are about $2 per serving and you get all of the benefits listed above in my acronym. Notice I didn't say anything about weight loss or ketosis.
Ketones are great for use in the ketogenic lifestyle when you use them as an assist to the lifestyle as you do other supplements. When you start using them, thinking they will do the work for your... you will be disappointed.
I hope this helps, Follow for more tips.
Keto Coach E