BHB salts are the latest craze in the ketogenic supplements market.
Apparently, they can help you get into ketosis instantly. No need for a strict diet or exercise!
Sounds good, doesn’t it? But does it actually work? Or maybe they are just a very expensive gimmick?
Let’s look into it.
What are BHB salts?
Ketones are the end product of fat oxidation. Your body produces three types of ketones during ketosis. These are Beta hydroxybutyrate or BHB, acetone, and acetoacetate.
BHB salts are a blend of exogenous (externally created or isolated) BHB ketones with mineral salts such as potassium, calcium, sodium, or magnesium.
Do BHB salts really work?
Yes and no.
Taking BHB salts will increase the level of ketones in your blood. But that doesn’t necessarily mean much.
Naturally elevated ketones are a symptom of fat burning – not a cause. Exogenous ketone supplements like BHB salts would increase your ketone levels artificially for a few hours. But if your body is not producing its own ketones, the effect will be temporary.
It will not lead to faster fat burning by itself. Especially if you are still eating carbs and not making any other effort to promote fat loss.
So the answer is – exogenous ketones don’t really work that well in isolation for weight loss.
BHB salts can supercharge your Keto diet
Having said all that, if you are already on Keto and working hard, BHB salts can give you a boost.
Here are some examples of how exogenous ketones can help you.
If you’re already on the brink of ketosis
Some of us struggle with breaking into ketosis, especially when trying it for the first time.
Exogenous ketones can give you a push in the right direction. They can help your body to make the switch from burning glucose to burning fat. So that you get over this barrier and settle into your new metabolic state.
But this would only work if you have been sticking to Keto diet and keeping your carbs really low.
Helping with Keto flu symptoms
Many Keto beginners experience Keto flu in the early stages of their diet. Symptoms include fatigue, headaches, muscle cramps and nausea.
BHB salts can help to reduce these symptoms. Exogenous ketones provide a temporary energy boost. Mineral salts component (usually potassium, magnesium and sodium) replenishes electrolytes to stop headaches and muscle pains.
Getting back on Keto track
If you fell off the Keto diet wagon, exogenous ketones might help you get back on track.
Again, this would only work provided you are not too far off from ketogenic levels.
If you had a major carbs blowout, it will still take a few days for your body to expend all that glucose.
Boosting performance
As discussed above, exogenous ketones don’t necessarily help with fat burning.
However, elevating ketones artifically does give you a temporary energy boost. For this reason, some Keto dieters take it as a workout aid.
Improving mental focus
BHB salts cross the blood-brain barrier where they can be used by the brain as a fuel. Ketones provide as much as 70% of the brain’s energy needs, more efficiently than glucose.
Some people take exogenous ketones to enhance focus and cognitive performance.
Long-term health benefits of BHB salts
BHB salts also have some beneficial health effects over the long term.
Increase longevity by activating FOXO3
A strictly followed ketogenic diet, fasting, or BHB salts supplemntation increase the activity of FOXO3 genes that support longevity and lifespan. [1]
Reduce inflammation pathways and internal inflammation
BHB supplementation has been shown to lower inflammation levels by suppressing inflammatory pathways. [2]
Side effects
BHB salts can cause primarily gastrointestinal disorders such as diarrhea.
Use caution when first starting with BHB supplementation until you determine your gut tolerance. Too much too soon might require you to stay close to a toilet!
Recommended brands
Here a few brands that are designed especially for Keto dieters.
Perfect Keto Exogenous Ketones: Base BHB Salts Supplement
Keto Drive BHB Salts – Exogenous Ketone Performance Complex
Keto BHB Salts Supplement with goBHB by Zenwise
Diet Doctor experiment with exogenous ketones
Diet Doctor website conducted a trial of several exogenous ketones brands. They tested products against the manufacturers’ claims and asked them for comments on the results.
It was an interesting experiment – read the results on the Diet Doctor website.
Summary
In terms of fat burning, BHB salts are NOT a substitute for real ketones generated by following a Keto diet or fasting. If your main objective is weight loss, supplementation on its own will not help.
However, BHB salts do have some benefits. For example, they can help you get into ketosis faster, provide a temporary energy boost or aid your mental performance.
Wrecked havoc on my digestive system!! Nauseous most of the time too!! I threw them away!! Not good
I am an endurance athlete who has tried eating healthy for many years and during race season, my weight tends to go up. I’ve started a low to zero carb diet recently and my concern is related to long distance training and long-distance triathlon racing, where my body is used to taking in carb-based products like Infinit Go Far Endurance Fuel. (66g of carbs per serving which is good for one hour). Any tips on incorporating BHB salts for long distance endurance sports? Swimming, biking and running?
Can a person who is on Warfain & has kidney disease take this product???
can it hurt kidney disease
My bottles say not to use if you have kidney disease.
What about the salt does it cause high blood pressure
Contrary to what Medical and Nutritional “Experts” (LAUGH) will tell you, “Salt is not Salt”.
Himalayan pink salt contains less sodium per serving than ordinary table salt. Table salt contains 2360 milligrams of sodium per teaspoon, whereas a teaspoon of Himalayan pink salt contains 1680 milligrams of sodium — a reduction of about one-third.
In addition, Pink Himalayan Sea Salt also contains many trace minerals critical to the function of the human body. Table salt typically has iodine added to it, which is critical for Thyroid support, however it’s best to get that from other things like kelp.
When doing something like Keto, you will urinate more, which depletes your mineral levels, requiring mineral supplementation.
I was hoping these would help with brain fog and low energy during adaptation, so far the only difference I’ve noticed is cloudy urine. Wonder if my body is not processing these…
I had gastrointestinal distress at work yesterday and couldn’t figure out why. Thanks to this article I now know why. I drank BHB on an empty stomach there.
Thanku this was a helpful glade amoungs a forest of advertiser sells.
great to read, been wanting to boost energy and may well try these