What Are Keto Diet Pills And Why Should You Avoid Them?

By now, you've probably heard of a popular diet trend called keto, which encourages a metabolic state called ketosis. According to Medical News Today, ketosis happens when the body begins to burn fat instead of carbohydrates to gain its energy. It's a trend that's not without its detractors. And as with many diet trends, a pill version is never far behind, but research shows that keto diet pills should probably be avoided. 

While packaging claims to help you achieve ketosis within three days, these powders and pills come with undesirable health consequences — and likely will leave your wallet feeling pretty empty, according to Good Housekeeping. These pills contain electrolyte supplements to offset the physical side effects of the keto flu that occur within the first four days of the keto diet. But the outlet reports that one of the main electrolytes in these keto diet pills is simply sodium, meaning you could spend as much as $150 for what is essentially salt.

Brain fog, another symptom of ketosis, can be combated with caffeine, which is an ingredient also found in keto diet pills. According to the Mayo Clinic, there are 96 milligrams of caffeine in a regular brewed coffee drink. With only marginally higher levels in many keto diet pills, it seems you may achieve the same effect with a simple cup of coffee. 

Safety is another concern. As stated by Medical News Today, "The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) do not regulate the exogenous ketone supplement market." This means that the health risks by taking these keto diet pills could be far greater than what is already known.

Keto-Mojo, a company that produces blood glucose and ketone testing strips, says that keto pills don't work because there is a big difference between nutritional ketosis and artificial ketosis brought on by keto diet pills. In nutritional ketosis, the body breaks apart body fat into fatty acids, which end up in your blood to be burned as energy. However, ketone supplements decrease these same fatty acids. When there is less fat available for burning, your body must use up less of its own fat potentially resulting in a dangerous condition called ketoacidosis. What's more, Medical News Today cautions that the artificial ketones in the pills, added to increase electrolyte levels, can be harmful if a person has a pre-existing medical condition.

The bottom line? You may be better off skipping the pills. If you still decide to try them, always speak with your doctor first.