The Top 10 Supplements To Take On Keto

What Supplements Should you take on Keto? Here is a list of the best supplements to take on the Keto Lifestyle and their benefits. 

Following the Ketogenic diet means cutting out a significant (but not essential) food group, so some nutrients should be supplemented. Even though I am a believer that real food should always come first, there are some keto diet supplements that I discovered over the last three years of following the Keto diet that helps me feel my optimal best. 

Remember, when it comes to purchasing keto supplements, quality matters, I have personally used all of the brands in this post and have had great results with them. Don’t just buy the cheapest keto supplements, and those tend to be the ones that are full of fillers rather than the vitamin/mineral they are marketing. 

The Top 10 Supplements For The Keto Diet

1. Magnesium

I have to start with this one because I think it’s one of the most important keto supplements to take on Keto diet.

I tell all of my clients inside my program, BSB Tribe takes magnesium even if they aren’t following a keto diet. Taking Magnesium daily when I first started Keto would have saved me from a lot of episodes of the Keto Flu. ( if you don’t know what Keto Flu is, think of a really bad hangover)

Back then there was not a lot of information about Keto, so I did not know the importance of electrolytes. Anytime I would cheat and start Keto again,  I would get the Keto Flu.

Nowadays, I try not to cheat as much for one, but when I do, for example, when I travel, I make sure I am taking electrolytes such as Magnesium. 

Aside from the Keto flu, taking Magnesium is important because most Magnesium-rich foods are also high in carbs. Magnesium helps with immune function, and energy and helps regulate blood sugar.

One sign that you may be deficient in this mineral is muscle cramping. This used to happen to me a lot when I first started Keto, and at first, I thought it was because I was running too much or exercising too hard until someone recommended I take magnesium, and the muscle cramping went away completely. 

Also, when I take Magnesium on a regular basis, I notice I am less tired and have more sustained energy throughout the day. Here are a couple of great options for Magnesium that I take now or have taken in the past:

• Doctor’s Best High Absorption Magnesium 
• Dr. Mercola Magnesium L-Threonate
• Pure Encapsulations – Magnesium 
• Liquid Ionic Magnesium

2. Electrolytes

Aside from Magnesium, potassium, and sodium are essential Electrolytes that are needed when following the Ketogenic diet. The best way I ensure to get all 3 is through electrolyte powders in my water.

I use these anytime I feel a headache coming on or before a workout. Also, when I am sick, these help me stay hydrated and replenish what is lost.

The Keto diet, being very anti-inflammatory reduces a lot of water in your body which leads to electrolyte loss. For that reason, supplementing with Electrolytes is vital to your success with the Keto diet.

Here are a few options that my clients and I love:

• Ultima Replenish 
• Nuun Hydration Electrolyte Supplement 
• Zipfizz Health Energy Drink Mix 
• Trace Minerals Electrolyte Supplement

3. MCT Oil

MCT (Medium Chain triglycerides) are fat molecules that have three chains, hence the name TRI. Essentially MCT oil is like Coconut oil, but it maintains liquid at room temperature.

I have been using MCT oil in my coffee for the last few years now, and it’s something that I now can’t live without. I did an experiment and removed MCT oil from my diet for a week, and I noticed a huge difference in my energy levels. 

Some benefits of taking MCT oil for me are:

• Increased energy
• Regular bowel movement
• Paired with coffee it’s a great pre-workout keto supplements 
• Enhanced mental clarity and focus
• Increased ketones 
• Reduced appetite

Now, let’s talk about what kind of MCT oil is because there are a lot out there. I used a few brands, and my favorite so far, which I will be using from now on is THIS ONE

Pure C8 oil converts into ketones more efficiently than one that is not 100% C8, and yes, I do notice a difference.

Currently, I ran out of this MCT oil and my husband bought me one that was available at our local grocery store, and I don’t like it at all. I can notice a difference in how I feel during the day. 

As I tell my clients inside BSB Tribe; start with a minimal amount. I’m talking 1 tsp if you aren’t used to it. Otherwise, you will be running to the bathroom nonstop. (not like I’ve experienced that or anything, wink-wink) 

4. Vitamin D

This one isn’t as Keto-specific as the rest, but in general, a lot of us has Vitamin D deficiency, especially if you live in an area that doesn’t get much sun for months out of the year as I do. 

Recently I started noticing my SAD (seasonal affective disorder) was getting pretty bad. I did some research, and a few people recommended I start taking a very high dose of Vitamin D, like 10,000-25,000 IU’s. I did that and within a few days, I started feeling better.

If you are like me and experience the “winter blues” you may want to try taking Vitamin D on the regular. 

Apart from that, Vitamin D is great for bone health, the cardiovascular system, and immune health. It helps cellular function and lowers inflammation in your body (exactly what you want to happen when you are following Keto diet)

Here are some great options for Vitamin D:

• Pure Encapsulations – Vitamin D3 5,000 IU
• Bronson Vitamin D3 10,000 IU
• Jarrows Formula Vitamin D 5,000 IU

5. Vitamin B

Vitamin B has many roles in the body. First off, Vitamin B helps your body break down the keto friendly foods you eat, and helps improve your skin, cellular function, improve immune function, memory function, and much more.

Here are the reasons I take it and what I notice when I stay consistent with taking Vitamin B.

• Better mood
• Improved skin and hair
• Improved memory (I have a pretty bad memory so I need this)
• Increased energy

There are two ways I take Vitamin B. I either take it in pill form or use Nutritional Yeast on my keto friendly foods. Here are a few good options:

• Bob’s Red Mill Nutritional Yeast Flakes 
• Solgar B-Complex
• Thrive Market Vitamin B- Complex
• Anthony’s Nutritional Yeast Flakes (if you like to buy in bulk)

6. L-Theanine 

L-Theanine is an amino acid that is found in tea leaves that have been known to help you relax, and reduce stress and anxiety. Also, it is a great focus enhancer which is the main reason I started taking it.

After taking it consistently with my morning Keto coffee I noticed I was more focused and less anxious about everything I needed to do. I do notice a difference if I forget to take it or if I run out.

This stuff is pretty cool. Here are some great options for L-Theanine keto supplements on keto diet. 

• L-Theanine 200mg 
• Jarrows Formula Theanine supplement 
• L-Theanine Powder 

7. Berberine

I encourage my clients inside BSB Tribe to take a break from keto diet. If you are a woman, this is crucial. When you are eating higher carbs, Berberine is great because it helps you manage your blood sugar.

I usually take this before meals when I am Carb Cycling, and it helps me avoid the crash and rollercoaster ride that comes from higher carbs.

Berberine helps your body respond better to insulin and prevents your liver from creating more glucose. Who doesn’t want that?

Here is the one I use:

• Integrative Therapeurics Berberine

8. Kion Lean

Speaking of carb cycling, when I do have Cheat Days (always planned), this is my go-to keto supplement.

Taking it before a high carb meal or your cheat means helps your body process the carbs better. It also aids in weight management and helps maintain your glucose levels.

All of my clients inside my Carb Cycling Program know I recommend this keto supplements and Berberine for their higher carb days.

• KION Lean

9. Collagen 

Collagen is a protein that holds the body together. It has become popular recently due to the health benefits it brings such as improved hair, skin, nails, and bone health. 

I recently started using it again because I have noticed that my hair no longer grows as fast as it used to. Before having babies, my hair would grow almost overnight. That was what I was known for, and everyone always noticed how fast my hair grew. 

Nowadays, I pull out way more hair than I ever did and I am way past the post-partum hair loss phase. Also, I am starting to notice joint pain due to doing lots of cardio and heavy weight lifting.

When I used to take Collagen consistently, my joints didn’t hurt as much, I had really strong nails, and I wasn’t losing so much hair. 

While following the Ketogenic diet, some people experience hair loss. There are many theories about why this occurs, and I am not going to get into them in this post, but what  I will say is that if you are worried about that happening to you, taking Collagen may help. 

Here are some great options for Collagen:

• Primal Kitchen Food’s Collagen- I recently started taking this one and it’s really tasty. Use code KETOFITMOMLIFE for 10% off 
• Dr. Axe Multi-Collagen Powder
• Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides

10. Resistant Starch

Last but not least is resistant starch which I discovered most recently. I will not get into the details of Resistant Starch because I wrote an entire post about my 30-day experiment with taking it which you can read HERE.

Resistant starch or potato starch is a starch that resists digestion and improves your gut health by fighting off bad bugs. There are many claimed benefits of taking them, here are a few things that I have noticed which are reasons why I have continued to take them:

• Regulated digestive system
• Increased fat burning (more sweating when exercising, which equats to more fat burn)
• Less weight fluctuation- for example, I can sometimes fluctuate 5lbs of “weight” within a day, I notice that doesn’t happen when I consistently take resistant starch. 

Here are options for Resistant Starch: (I take 1 tablespoon 2x a day)

• Bob’s Red Mill Potato Starch 
• Anthony’s Organic Potato Starch
• Unmodified Potato Starch
• Dr. Christianson RS Complete

In conclusion, I want to say that you don’t NEED any keto supplements to be successful on the Ketogenic Diet.

Eating real keto friendly foods is the best, however, the supplements to take on keto diet mentioned in this post will enhance your experience, and avoid some of the symptoms you may feel when your body is switching from being a sugar burner to a fat burner. 

More articles about Keto Diet:

1. I Tried The Slow Carb Diet For 30-Days