Natural Supplements to Support Weight Management on Keto Natural Supplements to Support Keto Weight Management
Staying at a healthy weight starts with a healthy diet. Natural supplements can help give you an extra edge to support keto weight management.
These keto dietary supplements help boost ketone production, support your metabolism and/or promote energy production.
Find out why gut health and weight management are best buds—and how to get more fiber in your diet without breaking ketosis.
Eat more fat and stay at a healthy weight? Yeah, we’re talking about keto. Among the ketogenic diet’s many benefits (like sustained energy and fewer cravings), it’s also an effective way to support weight management. But like any diet, you are what you eat… No need to lean on over-the-counter and multivitamin support. Targeted natural supplements can fill in the gaps, helping you hit your weight goals with nutrients that boost ketone production, bolster your metabolism and promote energy production. Your weight? Managed.
Natural keto dietary supplements for weight management
The weight management supplements category in the United States is vast and varied, partially because staying at a healthy weight looks different for everyone. And when you’re on the keto diet, you specifically want supplements that will keep you in the fat-burning state of ketosis—which means avoiding ingredients that spike your blood sugar, like carb-heavy fillers.
We selected these keto dietary supplements because they specifically boost ketone production and/or bolster the benefits of keto. What makes them natural? They’re available as nutrients that come from natural sources, like MCT oil from coconuts or fish oil from…fish.
Regardless of your diet, we err on the side of natural sources because these ingredients tend to be easier for your body to absorb and use. Get your natural supplements from a company that is transparent about its sourcing and uses science-backed ingredients free of GMOs, soy, gluten and artificial fillers. We’ll include links to Bulletproof natural supplements below.
MCT oil
No surprise here: MCT oil is one of the most effective ways to boost the fat-burning benefits of the keto diet.
When you switch to burning fat for fuel, your body produces ketones—an energy source that helps curb cravings, burn fat for fuel and increase your metabolism.[1] MCT oil is an effective way to boost ketone production—but for the best keto results, use the best MCT.
Just like there are different types of fats in your kitchen (like almond butter, olive oil and ghee), there are different types of MCTs. To support your weight goals, you want the power of C8 (caprylic acid). This is the most ketogenic MCT. It skips digestion and quickly enters your bloodstream, so your body can start to benefit from that ketone energy more efficiently.
Bulletproof Brain Octane C8 MCT Oil is pure C8 MCT oil, and it’s easy to use as a weight management supplement by:
Taking convenient Brain Octane Softgels, which make it easy to increase ketone production anytime, anywhere.
Adding Brain Octane C8 MCT Oil to smoothies, salad dressings and Bulletproof Coffee.
Drizzling MCT oil over meals as a finishing oil—it’s flavorless, but it accentuates the fat-soluble flavors of foods (another way of saying, it makes steak taste even steak-ier).
Mixing the beneficial fat into dips like Bulletproof Guacamole.
Chromium
Studies show that this mineral helps your body regulate and use insulin, the hormone that helps keep your blood sugar stable.[2]
Blood sugar spikes aren’t great, regardless of the diet you follow. If you’ve ever felt sugar cravings or an energy dump (or both) after eating a carb-heavy meal, you already know how blood sugar impacts the way you feel. On the keto diet, chromium can help ensure your blood sugar levels remain stable without the side effects of energy roller coasters.
Bonus benefit: Chromium might also help your body turn carbs, fats and proteins into energy through the way it impacts insulin.[3]You can get chromium in keto-friendly foods like broccoli, beef and seafood. However, to make sure you’re getting meaningful amounts in your diet, add chromium to your keto dietary supplements stack.
Oxaloacetate
You might remember the phrase “Krebs Cycle” from high school science (fun times). This term refers to the sequence of reactions that generate energy in your cells. Oxaloacetate (OAA) is the last step in this all-important cycle. Good news: It’s also the active ingredient in Bulletproof KetoPrime.
What does that have to do with weight management? Animal studies show that OAA may cause the cells to mimic the effects of calorie restriction, which is associated with increased energy production and mitochondrial support.[4]
On the keto diet, that means OAA may help your body get more energy out of every ketone. Hello, clean keto fuel.
Related: Can the Keto Diet Help You Stay at a Healthy Weight?
Omega-3 fatty acids
Fish oil and krill oil are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which is great for your entire body, from your heart to your brain. In terms of weight management, omega-3s have a particular set of benefits for keto.
Breaking news: You eat a lot of fatty foods on keto. High-fat foods like grass-fed beef, nitrate-free bacon and non-GMO nuts help you stay in ketosis, but they also contain higher levels of omega-6 fatty acids. (Especially if you follow dirty keto.) However, beware that overloading on omega-6s can contribute to inflammation, but you need both omega-3s and omega-6s for your body to function at its best. The trick is to consume them in a healthy ratio: more omega-3s, fewer omega-6s.
Moreover, grass-fed (grass-finished is even better) and wild-caught proteins tend to have more preferable fatty acid profiles, which is why we recommend these foods, advocate for grass-fed ghee and use grass-fed butter in our products. Additionally, an omega-3 supplement like Bulletproof Omega Krill Complex is an easy way to make sure you’re supporting a healthy fatty acid intake as you follow a keto diet.
Benefits of Omega-3s
Here are a few more key benefits of omega-3s as weight management supplements:
Supports a healthy inflammation response: Stress, exercise and your diet can all contribute to inflammation. The problem is that inflammation is associated with weight gain and hormonal shifts that can make it more difficult to stay at a healthy weight.[5] Omega-3s to the rescue![6]
Aids with joint health: Omega-3s can help your joints feel better and increase blood flow during a workout, which is great news if you’re looking for a natural supplement that will support your exercise and recovery routine.[7]
May reduce abdominal fat: In a 2015 review of randomized clinical trials, researchers found that fish oil may play a role in reducing abdominal fat when combined with exercise and fewer calories.[8] Calories aren’t the end-all, be-all. When it comes to weight management, early findings suggest that fish oil may help you hit your weight goals.
Promotes better sleep: Higher levels of DHA, one of the essential omega-3 fatty acids, are associated with longer, more restful sleep.[9] Lack of sleep can spike stress hormone levels and promote fat storage, which makes getting quality rest a key part of your weight management action plan.
You can get higher levels of omega-3s from local US food sources, like wild-caught salmon and grass-fed beef, but if you want an easy way to ensure that you’re getting optimal doses of the fatty acids EPA and DHA, reach for Bulletproof Omega Krill Complex. It contains a clinically-backed blend of essential fatty acids in softgels flavored with real California lemons, and each serving contains 2.5 grams of quality fat.
Ashwagandha
Stress wears on your body over time. And when your body is constantly stressed, you’re more likely to have higher levels of stress hormones surging through your body, contributing to inflammation and signaling to your body that it’s time to store fat.[10]
Enter: ashwagandha. This herb is an adaptogen, which means it helps your body regulate your stress response. When it comes to weight management health information, studies show that ashwagandha may destroy fat cells, prevent the formation of new fat cells and help adults with chronic stress stay at a healthy weight.[11] This herbal product may even help maintain healthy blood sugar levels—a big plus on keto, because stable blood sugar translates to fewer cravings and sugar crashes.[12]
Like other herbal supplements, ashwagandha is a keto-friendly dietary supplement. Take ashwagandha on its own or as part of a stress support supplement, like Bulletproof Zen Mode. It contains ashwagandha, plus complementary ingredients like holy basil, magnesium and the amino acid L-theanine to help you reach new levels of calm.
How gut health is connected to keto weight management
Gut health supplements fall under the natural supplements category, but they warrant their own section because they’re your gut bacteria that impact your weight. Your gut is home to more than 1,000 species of bacteria that have important roles, like breaking down food into nutrients, supporting your immune system and vanquishing toxins.[13]
Everyone has different gut bacteria, but your microbiome can be affected by everything from your diet (duh) to your weight (really?). Researchers have actually found differences between the gut microbiomes of obese and lean people: To illustrate, the obese group had more inflammatory and less diverse gut bacteria than the lean group.[14]
So, how can you support a healthy gut microbiome and stick to your keto macros? Start here:
Prebiotics and probiotics: You’ve heard of probiotics, the good gut bacteria you get in foods like sauerkraut and kimchi. But in order for probiotics to do their jobs, they need to eat. That’s where prebiotics come in. Prebiotic fiber feeds beneficial gut bacteria so they can thrive. Bulletproof InnerFuel Prebiotic powder is keto-friendly and mixes easily in smoothies and coffee.
Fiber-rich foods: You know that fiber is good for you, but on the keto diet, you can’t exactly eat a bunch of grains and potatoes. We recommend nutrient-dense, low-carb vegetables like spinach, zucchini and broccoli. Find out how to eat more vegetables.
Have polyphenol-rich foods: Brightly colored foods (and coffee and chocolate) contain antioxidants called polyphenols, which support beneficial Bacteroidetes bacteria. Or, you can supplement with Bulletproof Polyphenomenal.
Digestive enzymes: Your digestive system produces enzymes that help break down your food so you can more easily absorb its nutrients. In some people, a high-quality digestive supplement can digestion and vitamin absorption.
Betaine hydrochloric acid (HCL): For people who have low stomach acid, betaine HCL can improve fat breakdown and protein digestion. However, talk to your health care provider for proper medical advice before you try it.
Want to learn more about ways to support your digestion and overall wellness? Find out how to improve gut health and your microbiome.
Is keto just not working for your weight goals? Here’s what to do if you’re not seeing results on keto.
Join over 1 million fans
Sign-up for the Bulletproof mailing list and receive the latest news and updates!
Source link