exogenous ketone? Coconut oil?

Options
Colectable93
Colectable93 Posts: 38 Member
I have been doing lots of research on the Keto eating style and many of the articles mention exogenous ketones. They make it sound like if you add these to your keto eating style no matter what you eat carb wise it will keep you in ketosis. Sounds go me like the unrealistic diet pill, too good to be true. But many of them talk about how they contain coconut oil and that is the key ingredient. I do notice when I add coconut oil to my foods ( I add it to my deviled eggs, protein shakes,and hot cocoa) that my keto sticks turn a darker purple, but I am also watching my carbs. Any thoughts or insights?

Replies

  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    Options
    I think exogenous ketones, and elevated ketone levels, are mainly important if you are following a ketogenic diet for medical reasons. If you need ketones high to help fight dementia, or for something like stroke recovery, then higher ketones will help. If you are ketogenic for weight loss, then higher ketone levels may not be a weight loss benefit, unless you find high ketones suppress appetite.

    I use coconut oil in my food because I do find it helps my mental clarity. I did not personally find it helped my weight loss.
  • lwhayes820
    lwhayes820 Posts: 145 Member
    Options
    There's a new podcast on exogenous ketones on The Keto podcast.
  • lwhayes820
    lwhayes820 Posts: 145 Member
    Options
    Correction: The Keto Diet podcast by Leanne Vogel
  • Violet_Flux
    Violet_Flux Posts: 481 Member
    Options
    If you're looking for ketosis as part of a weight loss plan, exogenous ketones aren't much help there. Ketones are a byproduct of burning fat, they don't cause it. More ketones doesn't mean more fat burning, especially if those ketones are coming from outside the body.
  • kpk54
    kpk54 Posts: 4,474 Member
    Options
    Nah, in regards to exogenous ketones. I'd rather not "take" anything for weight loss or the rest of my life for maintenance. Eating low carb and keeping calories in check is hopefully all I'll ever need. Even if exogenous ketones work for weight loss why would I take them? To eat more of the foods that I think are unhealthy? Makes no sense. I concur with keeping them for medical purposes where being "deeper into ketosis" may be beneficial.

    Coconut oil? Neither good nor bad. Better than some other fats. Too much coconut oil over my calorie amount and I'll gain weight. Same as with every other food. Bummer. Just my reality. Food tastes good. Too much food made me fat. May not be the case for everyone. Eating isn't "fun" anymore. But it was never really supposed to be. You know the old theory of eat to live, not live to eat? A mindset I need to keep.
  • KnitOrMiss
    KnitOrMiss Posts: 10,104 Member
    Options
    I remember a podcast from Chris Masterjohn, PhD, talking about ketosis/low carbing, how it wasn't all about the carbs. One of the things I remember him saying was that as long as 25% of any meal's calories came straight from MCT Oil, you could eat pasta and be in nutritional ketosis.

    He said that, in fact, on paper/medically measurable with labs, etc., taking MCT Oil therapeutically like this was MORE ketogenic than simply restricting carbs. I want to say it was #24 or #26 on "The Daily Lipid" podcasts...he's now got a new system, but the old ones are still available.

    Now this isn't the type of exogenous ketones to which you referred, but if you have a specific reason for maintaining NK, this can be useful info for the occasional blip, although that is a LOT of MCT oil, which most don't tolerate well in high volume. Just wanted to share, as it is mostly related. :)
  • Sunny_Bunny_
    Sunny_Bunny_ Posts: 7,140 Member
    edited July 2017
    Options
    Taking exogenous ketones puts ketones into your body. That's all.

    Think about when people just go keto for the first time. You hear people talking about how you lose so much through urine because your body isn't good at using them because you have a predominantly sugar burning system. A lot get wasted right?
    Put ketones into a sugar burning body and sure some of them will get used. Mostly just the brain will use some even preferentially to available glucose and this has a benefit for many things but fat loss is not one of them.
    A bunch of those expensive exogenous ketones will be wasted and that's why urine tests show positive for ketones.
    Your body is in ketosis when it must make its own glucose.
    Not because ketones are present in the urine because you drank and then peed them back out.