We have excellent news if you’re pondering whether you need to take supplements when beginning or keeping a keto lifestyle. When done correctly, the ketogenic, low-carb diet is highly nutrient-dense. Almost all nutritional needs can be readily satisfied by what you consume while working to remain in ketosis. Depending on your conditions, supplements may assist or even be needed to optimize the health advantages of the ketogenic diet. Continue reading to learn everything you need to know about whether or not you should take vitamins on your keto diet.
How to Get All Your Required Nutrients Through Diet
As previously stated, the high-fat keto diet can provide most of the required nutrition if followed correctly. What exactly does “correctly” mean? Said, it’s a clean, primarily whole-food diet that focuses on healthful fats and proteins, low-carb veggies, and maintaining ketone levels.
Healthy Fats and Proteins
The basis of a keto diet is healthy fats, which contain fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K and are highly nutrient rich. They are frequently found in animal-based meals. (think meat, fish, and dairy contain protein). However, not all ruminant fats are optimal. When selecting animal or plant-based components, it is critical to consider food quality and seek out organic, grass-fed, and pasture-raised goods. For example, grass-fed and pasture-raised animals and fatty wild-caught salmon are free of hormones, antibiotics, and other undesirable factory-farming elements and higher in essential fatty acids, such as omega-3 fatty acids, which provide the body with high-quality nutrients.
Omega-3 fatty acids are essential because they prevent the body from becoming inflamed. Mackerel, mussels, sardines, anchovies, flaxseed, chia seed, and hazelnuts are also high in omega-3 fatty acids. Seaweed and seaweed are also good sources of omega-3 fatty acids, particularly for vegetarians and vegans*. Among the few plant categories containing DHA and EPA are seaweed and algae. (types of omega-3 fatty acids that reduce inflammation and risk for chronic diseases).
The more nutrients you can obtain from the foods you consume, the better, mainly since getting omega-3 fatty acids through food is preferable to a solitary supplement. (Nutrients function synergistically, which means they perform together. As a result, taking a supplement is less efficient than obtaining nutrients from whole foods.)
*Because a vegetarian diet lacks beneficial animal fats, acquiring all the fatty acids you need as a keto vegetarian is challenging and even more difficult for keto vegans. If you’re vegan and keto and want to maintain your health, you should take an animal-based supplement like fish oil. We realize it could be better, but research proves there’s no better method to obtain enough Omega 3s. (1)
Low-Carb Vegetables
Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale, eggplant, cauliflower, green beans, and peppers are examples of nutritious, low-carb veggies / keto-friendly foods included on the keto diet. (Get a complete list of keto-friendly fruits and vegetables here.) Many of these veggies have fiber, vitamins, and vital minerals, so including vegetables in your ketogenic diet can guarantee you receive enough nutrients.
Again, when it comes to veggies, quality counts. If feasible, choose organic veggies to prevent pesticides and herbicides, which can inhibit vitamin absorption and increase the need for supplements. EWG’s 2019 Clean Fifteen and Dirty Dozen lists produce that has the highest and least pesticides.
Supplements Worth Considering for a Keto Diet
Although we encourage receiving most of your nutrients from a healthy whole food keto diet, certain supplements can be beneficial. (and a couple that may even be necessary). Here are our top keto supplement recommendations and why you might need them:
Salt: A Keto Essential
Salt has long been a scapegoat, just as we have spent years unjustly criticizing fat while loading up on sugar. Meanwhile, salt is an essential electrolyte that aids in nerve transmission and the equilibrium of fluids around your cells.
Electrolytes are especially essential on the keto diet since the keto diet is inherently diuretic, so salt (electrolytes) and the quantity of water your body retains are readily depleted. (i.e., low levels of electrolytes can cause dehydration of body fluids). (Salt/hydration deficiency symptoms include cramping/muscular contraction or muscle weakening, leg cramps, irregular pulse or heart palpitations, and cognitive fog.)
Why can keto lead to water and salt loss and electrolyte imbalance? Following a ketogenic diet, your body uses body fat and fat from your food as its primary energy source rather than blood glucose (blood sugar). The kidneys naturally release less insulin when there is less carbohydrate consumption and less sugar for fuel. (2) Insulin is required for carbohydrate processing. However, extremely low carb implies less insulin production and less insulin means the kidneys produce more water, resulting in more trips to the lavatory and electrolyte flushing. Decreased insulin means decreased sodium (salt) and the unfavorable side effects of headaches, tiredness, poor energy levels, irritability, muscular cramps, nausea, and constipation.
The good news is that treating low sodium is simple. Drink plenty of water and season your meals and water with Himalayan salt or sea salt (not table salt). (In general, these salts lack anti-caking ingredients, which can include chemical compounds, some of which are recognized poisons.)
It’s also good to supplement your electrolyte intake/salt levels to ensure you obtain adequate electrolytes and encourage rehydration, especially if you’re new to the ketogenic diet. However, typical electrolytes like Gatorade, other sports drinks, and coconut water are not low-carbohydrate keto friendly. Instead, you can refill with sugar-free powdered electrolyte supplements to ensure adequate salt and electrolyte levels. There are several decent electrolyte substitutes available online and at health food stores.
Magnesium: Because Everyone Needs More
Magnesium is another mineral that most individuals may benefit from. Magnesium is regarded as the “calming mineral,” It is responsible for over 300 enzymatic operations within the body, including heartbeat and muscle flexing! Magnesium should ideally be obtained through meals. Oysters, mussels, pumpkin seeds, avocados, and leafy green vegetables are excellent sources of magnesium that are keto-friendly.
However, due to contemporary agricultural techniques, our soils and vegetables are becoming more deprived of this crucial mineral,(3) making magnesium shortage familiar. Fortunately, there are many different types of magnesium supplements on the market, including magnesium glycine, magnesium citrate, and topical magnesium, to name a few. Depending on your bio-individual needs, it may take some trial and error to discover the kind that works best for you.
Magnesium glycinate is magnesium bonded with glycine, making it easier to digest. (less digestive distress). Magnesium citrate is a powder that is combined with water. Some people respond well to this type, while others may have gastric difficulties. (bloating, gas). Topical magnesium is rubbed into the skin, eliminating the need for digestion.
Trace Minerals: Cover All Grounds
We’ve already discussed how starting a keto diet might throw your electrolytes out of balance, especially early on in your keto adventure. But there’s more to this story. It’s known as trace minerals. These minerals should be obtained chiefly through your diet. To be sure, taking a trace mineral supplement, which usually contains a combination of over 72 trace minerals, such as sodium, potassium, calcium, copper, iron, zinc, and magnesium, is a good idea. Trace mineral drops can be added to water to increase mineral consumption while keeping the body hydrated. Minerals are also available in tablet form. Trace minerals can be especially beneficial for ketogenic athletes who quickly deplete minerals because of their high volume activity.
Prebiotics and Probiotics For Healthy Digestion
People who follow a keto diet prefer to eat fewer veggies to keep carbohydrates low. Vegetables, on the other hand, include prebiotic fiber, which helps to nourish our good gut bacteria. (probiotics). Probiotics maintain a healthy equilibrium in your stomach, which aids digestion.
The easiest method to include helpful prebiotics in your diet is to acquire your daily carbohydrates from veggies and eat them raw. Fermented foods, such as sauerkraut and kimchi (fermented cabbage), also contain probiotics. (typically found in the refrigerator section of the grocery store). Fermented veggies include carbs that you should have in your macros, so read labels and incorporate those carbs into your daily diet. Remember that even a modest amount of fermented veggies contains billions of prebiotics and probiotics. You need a fork full of kimchi or a shot glass of kombucha on the side of your meal.
A prebiotic and probiotic supplement may be beneficial, especially if you don’t enjoy fermented veggies. There are several varieties available on the market. (both in liquid and pill form). Some companies combine a prebiotic with a probiotic, requiring only one supplement. Always read the labels. Some probiotics have sugars added to them.
Digestive Enzymes to Help Adjust the Body to Processing Fats
Although our bodies are ideally adapted to digest and assimilate large amounts of fat, many people who begin a keto diet are not accustomed to digesting fat. The Standard American Diet, which is heavy in processed carbs and poor in quality fats, thickens and sludges our bile (which is generated by the liver and stored in the gallbladder). This can make digesting and assimilating fats and absorbing all the required nutrients more difficult. Ideally, we want our bile to be thin and flowing, making fat digestion easier.
Taking digestive enzymes like Enzymedica’s Digest Gold can help break down good fats and aid digestion, allowing the body to acclimate to a higher fat diet. (4) Various digestive enzyme brands are also created specifically for keto dieters. Typically, they are capsules taken before meals. Fat digestion will eventually occur more naturally due to ingesting healthy fats such as grass-fed ghee, grass-fed beef, wild salmon, avocados, and coconut oil. The body will be able to metabolize these fats more efficiently.
Supplements for Vegetarians and Vegans
According to studies, vegans cannot obtain adequate omega-3 fatty acids through their diet, but vegetarians can but are frequently inadequate. To improve the Omega 6:3 ratio, vegans and vegetarians should take a fish oil supplement, and vitamin K2 and B12 obtained from animal rather than plant sources. Apps such as Chronometer can help you track your nutritional consumption. (5, 6, 7)
The Bottom line
At Eathealthyisgood, we believe in getting as many nutrients as possible from a quality, whole foods while eating to burn fat, stay in ketosis, lose weight and improve metabolic health, promote overall wellness for your body and nervous system, and optimal muscle function and body functions, or all of the above. But sometimes, you need a little extra aid, and the supplements listed above are excellent places to start. Combined with a high-quality, fat-burning keto diet, you will look and feel better and discover how tasty a high-quality, healthy lifestyle can be!
Before embarking on any new dietary practice, always visit your primary care physician/healthcare practitioner, nutritionist, or dietitian.
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