Exogenous ketones are ketones that are taken in the form of a nutritional supplement. They are called exogenous because they come from an external source. The ketones that your liver produces are called endogenous ketones. Taking exogenous ketones will not put you into nutritional ketosis, which is what the keto lifestyle is all about.
You don’t need to take exogenous ketones to do keto and personally, we don’t use them. There are some benefits to taking them but only on a very limited basis. If you are living a low carb lifestyle, taking exogenous ketones will give you some extra ketones and you may experience some increased energy and focus. This “extra boost” doesn’t last long though, only around an hour.
There are 3 reasons you may want to consider occasionally taking them. The first is if you’re going to do an intense workout or a marathon. The second reason would be if you need to have intense mental clarity like before an exam or something. Finally the last reason would be to help with the keto flu. They won’t put you into nutritional ketosis faster but they will supply you with energy while your body starts producing its own ketones. They also help with the keto flu because they are bound to electrolytes. If you’re seeking higher ketones fore mental clarity, you can get similar results by consuming some c8 MCT oil. The MCT oil is much cheaper, adds to your healthy fat intake and the results last for several hours.
For the most part, you really don’t need exogenous ketones. They are very expensive , aren’t very tasty and in the end, very few of us will benefit from them. If you are going to purchase them, stay away from the Multi Level Marketing companies that sell them. The only company we would purchase them from is Perfect Keto.
