SUPPLEMENTS

Is Metamucil Keto Friendly? [Why You May Not Need It]

One of the questions I get quite often is, how do I add fiber to my keto diet? Which is understandable. Since a ketogenic diet limits carbohydrates, unless you're filling most of your carbs with fibrous vegetables, your ketogenic diet may be falling short in the fiber department.

Trust me, I'm not perfect, and sometimes I don't feel like vegetables either. This led me to search for alternatives to increase my fiber intake on keto through supplements like Metamucil and Benefiber.

Metamucil is a natural way to increase fiber intake on a keto diet as it contains psyllium husk powder, which is pure dietary fiber. The Metamucil sugar-free 4-in-1 varieties include the least amount of added carbohydrates with only 1 gram of net carbs per 2 tsp.

In this article, I'll go over which Metamucil products are keto-friendly and which to avoid, alternatives to Metamucil, and why you may not need to add additional fiber on your ketogenic diet.

Can I Take Metamucil On Keto?

People often ask whether or not they can supplement with Metamucil on keto, either because they're constipated, or they feel like they have a lack of fiber in their daily diets.

When it comes to Metamucil, specifically the powders, they are perfectly acceptable to ingest while following a ketogenic diet, all of them except the ones with real sugar, of course. You'll be able to tell which ones have sugar and which do not, as the front of the label explicitly says sugar-free or real-sugar on them.

Bear in mind, the sugar-free 4-in-1 fiber versions of Metamucil is the most “keto-friendly,” since it has only 1 gram of net carbs per 2 teaspoons.

Metamucil also offers two other sugar-free varieties labeled as premium blend and appetite control. While these two different sugar-free versions may be taken on a ketogenic diet, they have 5 grams of net carbs per two teaspoons serving versus the 4-in-1.

Just make sure whichever version of Metamucil you decide to take, it's the sugar-free version, and you count the net carbs towards your daily intake.

Check prices of Metamucil Sugar-Free 4-in-1 HERE.

Do I Need To Supplement With Metamucil?

While you should be getting a bulk of your fiber from fibrous vegetables on a ketogenic diet, sometimes that can't always be done.

Whether or not you should supplement with a fiber supplement like Metamucil on your ketogenic diet will depend on why you feel the need to. With the bulk of people looking to add Metamucil on keto due to constipation, I'll address that here.

Often, we can misinterpret constipation with the lack of having to go to the bathroom.

Ask yourself if you actually feel constipated, or have you just become accustomed to going to the bathroom?

As you diet, not only are you consuming less food, but over time, your body adapts by slowing down digestion.

While not always accurate, you should be able to tell if you're constipated and have food sitting in your stomach versus just not having to go.

How Much Psyllium To Take On Keto? Can You Take Too Much Fiber On Keto?

Assuming you're constipated and want to add in additional fiber from Metamucil, then this little section is for you.

So how much psyllium should you add to your ketogenic diet? While there is no set amount you should take, one study found that 5 grams of psyllium husk twice per day helped control blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes. 1.

To relieve constipation, a daily dose of 15g per day broken up into 3x daily servings of 5g seems like a good starting point. To relieve constipation, a daily dose of 15g per day broken up into 3x daily servings of 5g seems like a good starting point.

While psyllium doesn't need to be taken alongside a meal, it's highly suggested to take it with a sufficient amount of liquid.

Bear in mind, too much of anything is never good, even fiber. With too much fiber, you may experience signs of abdominal bloating, gas, and even pain.

What's In Metamucil?

Since most people don't particularly like drinking psyllium husk on its own, they will usually drink it mixed in with juice or another flavored beverage.

This is where Metamucil comes in.

Metamucil is a popular brand of the psyllium husk fiber, with added flavor. Therefore, if you don't mind mixing your psyllium husk in water or taking it straight in the mouth and chasing it down, save yourself some money and buy the generic stuff.

What Is Psyllium Husk?

Psyllium husk is a natural dietary fiber that contains both insoluble and soluble fiber, but mostly ~70% soluble fiber.

Psyllium is made from the husks of the plantar ovate plant's seeds, also known as ispaghula, and is grown in regions of India. The name psyllium comes to us from the Greek word “psylla,” which means flea since the seeds resemble a cluster of the insect. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psyllium

Soluble vs. Insoluble Fiber

While psyllium husk contains a mix of both soluble and insoluble fiber, it is primly made up of soluble fiber.

The main difference between soluble and insoluble fiber is that soluble fiber pulls water and turns to a viscous gel during digestion. This gel allows more water to remain in the stool, making it softer, more substantial, and hopefully easier to pass through your intestines.

On the other hand, insoluble fiber adds bulk to your stool, with the thought that it helps food pass more quickly through the stomach and intestines.

Basically, soluble fiber makes your poop softer while insoluble fiber is supposed to make it larger, even though they both do a little of each.

What Are The Benefits Of Psyllium Husk

Aside from helping relieve symptoms of constipation, psyllium husk may have additional benefits.

Reduces cholesterol

In individuals with high cholesterol, psyllium appears to reduce total and LDL cholesterol. 2 However, it does not affect HDL-C (The good cholesterol) and may possibly reduce it to a small degree in addition to total and LDL cholesterol.

Help reduce glucose

While we are already reducing our glucose intake on a ketogenic diet, the addition of psyllium may help offset the insulin response of a higher carb meal.

5g of psyllium taken 3x per day over six weeks was able to reduce glucose and improve lipids in people with diabetes. 3

May help with appetite

One of the benefits of keto is that many people experience feeling satiated, despite losing weight. 4

While hunger is almost inevitable on any weight loss diet, even a ketogenic diet. The addition of psyllium can help promote the feelings of fullness, which will help you control your food intake. These effects seem to be related to both delayed gastric emptying 5 and the gel-forming properties of psyllium. 6

Alternatives To Metamucil On Keto

Suppositories alternatives to fiber on keto

As I stated, Metamucil is just a popular brand that packages psyllium husk with flavoring. Other brand names use psyllium husk as its leading fiber ingredient, or you can buy psyllium husk on its own and save a few dollars.

Here are a few alternatives to Metamucil

The Takeaway

While you should avoid the sugar-versions of Metamucil, their sugar-free versions are perfectly acceptable to take while following a ketogenic diet.

Also, ask yourself if you are constipated, or if you're just used to going to the bathroom and experiencing less frequent bowel movements.

While dieting, it's expected to have fewer trips to the bathroom due to eating less food.

Assuming you are constipated, you should first look at getting fiber from fibrous vegetables before considering a supplement like Metamucil.

Also, try increasing your electrolyte and water intake, most notably sodium, potassium, and magnesium.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you take a fiber supplement on keto?

Yes, it's helpful to fiber supplements while you're on the keto diet. It'll keep your gut healthy while the keto diet makes changes to your body.

What not to eat with Metamucil?

If you take Metamucil to help you lower your cholesterol levels, then it's a good idea to stay away from foods that have high saturated fats.

Why don't you count fiber on keto?

Fiber doesn't count because the body can't fully absorb it and that's why eating foods high in fiber is recommended on keto.

The Best Keto Supplements According To Science For 2022

Often, vitamins and supplements are the first line of defense people look towards when trying to lose weight. What you should keep in mind is no amount of vitamins and supplements can make up for a poor diet.

It is also important to note that supplements are not required to lose weight or gain muscle.

By definition, they are supplemental, meaning something that completes or enhances something else when added to it, in this case, your diet.

Investing more time, energy, and money into improving your ketogenic nutrition and exercise habits will positively yield better fat loss and muscle gain than any supplement would provide. While this is a hard pill to swallow, no pun intended, it's the reality of the situation.

Believe me, I wish there were a pill that I could buy that would magically burn fat. As the saying goes, if it were that easy, everyone would be doing, or in this case, taking it.

Very few supplements, regardless of what they say, carry sufficient scientific backing to make it worth investing in and taking.

That said, I would be lying if I said I didn't spend countless amounts of money on worthless supplements in the attempts to make up for a poor diet and exercise routine In my earlier years. Therefore, you can learn from my mistakes and benefit from my years of research.

What Are The Best Supplements For Keto?

Not all supplements are created equal, even for the ones I'm about to list below. For this reason, I've chosen to break the supplements down into tiers versus rank them best to worst.

Supplements in the higher tier (Tier 1) are the ones you should first consider before looking at the lower levels.

The vitamins and supplements listed down below will be a mix geared towards a wide range of goals, meaning not only fat loss, but sports performance (muscle gain), and general well-being to supplement a healthy keto lifestyle.

In general, these supplements can be broken down into three key factors:

Safety – Is it safe? Any side effects?
Efficacy – Does it do what it claims to?
Cost – Is it worth the price?

If you're listed on learning a bit more about nutrition, more specifically about keto, I've given my recommendations on best keto books to further your knowledge.

Best Keto Supplements – Tier 1

There is a great amount of research to support the supplements in this tier, in addition to being relatively inexpensive.

If I were to hedge my bets on supplements that will benefit your ketogenic journey and help improve your performance and physique, these would be them.

Electrolytes or Mineral-Rich Foods

Adding in electrolytes, especially sodium and potassium, is an excellent idea for anyone just starting a ketogenic diet. While you might not necessarily need a supplement for electrolytes, it's usually a good idea for many, especially during the transition phase.

The first couple of weeks can be a challenge as the body is adapting to a reduced number of carbohydrates and glycogen. This decrease in carbohydrates and glycogen results in a significant loss of body water.7

This would explain the significant weight loss that you may experience the first week.

As water leaves the body, levels of sodium, potassium, and magnesium may drop as well.2 A lot of the adverse side effects that people experience within the first few weeks of a ketogenic diet are usually a result of this electrolyte imbalance.

If you've experienced the keto flu, you may have experienced some or all of these symptoms:

By supplementing electrolytes, you can potentially prevent all of the adverse side effects that many tend to experience.

Of course, you may also get adequate amounts of sodium and potassium from your diet. You must make sure to salt foods liberally and to taste, while also increasing potassium-rich foods, such as dark leafy greens and avocados.

Electrolyte supplement I recommend:

Perfect Keto Electrolytes (Check the Latest Price)

Vitamin D

Vitamin D, also known as the sunshine vitamin, functions like a hormone, cells throughout your entire body has a receptor for it.

It is referred to as the sunshine vitamin because your body makes it from cholesterol when your skin is exposed to the sun. Additionally, vitamin D may be found in certain foods, but it is challenging to get from diet alone.

While vitamin D is not specifically deficient for those following ketogenic diet, according to a 2011 study, over 40% of adults in the US are deficient.3

Signs of vitamin D deficiency can include:

Depression
Fatigue
Muscle weakness
Pain

Since very few foods offer an adequate amount of vitamin D, many health professionals recommend vitamin D supplementation to ensure proper levels.

Supplementing with vitamin D has been associated benefits such as:

Increased cognition 4
Immune health 5
Bone health 6
Increased testosterone levels 7

Of course, the only real way to know if you are deficient is by getting a blood test.

Since vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, it's best taken alongside a meal with fat, which should be hard on a ketogenic diet.

Here is the vitamin D supplement that I take.

Creatine

Creatine is the most studied supplement in the world and has been shown to significantly improve strength and power, enhance muscle hydration, and increase muscle size.8

The international Society of sports nutrition considers creatine to be the safest and most effective ergogenic aids.

Also, recent data suggests that creatine may even have neuroprotective properties.9

Anyone with muscle or strength-building goals, which I think should be everyone, should supplement 5 g of creatine monohydrate per day. With a year supply costing you less than $50, can you afford not to supplement creatine?

Here is the creatine that I personally take.

Protein powder

People place too much emphasis on fat intake while on a ketogenic diet, but a high-fat intake is only a byproduct of limiting carbohydrates.

Since fat and carbohydrates are primarily used as energy, when you eliminate one, the other must go up to compensate.

What many people also don't realize is that the more fat you eat in your diet, the less fat your body will need to burn from your body. While it's not as simple as that, in general, this is where many people get stuck in not losing weight or plateauing.

Protein, similar to that of carbohydrates, gets demonized by the ketogenic community. Similar to electrolytes, many individuals find themselves with a protein deficiency, likely due to the advice of some other information found on the Internet.

People following a ketogenic diet sometimes end up with skin, hair (loss), and nail problems. If these symptoms describe you, there may be a chance that you are deficient in protein.

When it comes to protein, too much is better than too little, especially when it comes to changing your body composition (gaining muscle and losing fat). 1011

The amount of protein you need on a ketogenic diet is often a controversial topic. However, when it comes to protein, we know that:

Most essential in repairing and building muscle
Helps spare lean tissue while dieting
Protein is the most thermogenic (burns the most calories during digestion)
The most a satiating (feeling of fullness)

When it comes to body recomposition i.e., losing fat and gaining muscle protein is King.

Protein is the best muscle building and fat burning macronutrient. Therefore, limiting protein intake is counterproductive if looking better is your primary goal.

What's even worse is when you limit your protein intake due to some arbitrary percentage, or someone fear mongering you in believing that protein will keep you out of ketosis. Ketosis is established by reducing carbohydrates, not eating high-fat, or reducing protein.

Daily protein intake should be calculated depending on body fat and lean mass. For a better idea of how to calculate your protein intake, check out my keto macro calculator.

While protein needs can be met through diet alone, some people find it easier to supplement with a little bit of protein powder.

Pick any protein powder that suits your preferences and budget.

Here is the protein powder that I currently consume.

And for the vegan / vegeterians.

Caffeine

Similar to creatine, caffeine has a large body of evidence supporting its use for maximizing acute fat oxidation, prolonged fatigue, increasing strength, improving cognitive function, and much more.

This is one of the main reasons that you will find caffeine in almost all of the fat-burning supplements and pre-workouts you see on the shelves today.

For those with the primary goal of fat loss, a low-dose of caffeine may be beneficial before doing cardio.

Additionally, caffeine impacts energy expenditure. Meaning, ingesting caffeine throughout the day burns calories almost in a linear and dose-dependent manner.

Other benefits of caffeine include:

Appetite suppression12
Improved exercise performance13
Better insulin sensitivity
Increased muscle glycogen synthesis

Of course, caffeine affects everyone differently. I can drink a few shots of espresso and go right to bed, and others may become wired after half a cup of coffee. Habitual intake and tolerance of caffeine are significant factors.

Additionally, if you want to learn more about fat burners and keto, check out my article.

And that concludes the Tier 1 vitamins and supplements to help optimize your ketogenic diet.

Ketogenic Supplements – Tier 2

Consider the supplements in this tier as an “insurance policy.” If you're consuming a variety of whole-nutrient-dense foods and eating a portion of fatty fish ~2x per week, you may be covered.

However, there is one supplement listed in particular that you may not be able to get from diet alone.

Fish Oil

Since a ketogenic diet is a relatively high-fat diet, chances are you may be getting enough essential fatty acids. Of course, this is assuming you are eating healthy sources of fats such as:

Pasture-raised egg yolks
Fatty Fish
Grass-fed meats
Walnuts

Just to name a few…

That being said, the typical North American diet is deficient in omega-3 fatty acids. Most people only consume 0.1 to 0.2 g per day when research indicates that you should at least consider 0.3 – 0.5 g. Furthermore, health markers are optimized been consuming between 4 to 6 g per day.

Deficiency in omega-3 fatty acids can lead to:

Fatigue
Poor memory
Depression
Risk of cardiovascular disease

In sum, these effects may negatively impact your fat loss goals.

Also, a study showed that people following a ketogenic diet who also supplemented with omega-3 experience a greater decrease in insulin and inflammatory markers, and decreased triglycerides compared to those who did not.14

As with any supplement, not all fish oil is created equal. Make sure to choose a reputable brand.

Here is the fish oil supplement that I personally use.

Multivitamin

It may not always be easy to get micronutrient requirements met from foods alone, especially for those who are very active or athletes.

Furthermore, since most people reading this will be dieting, meeting your daily requirements in a caloric deficit makes it that much harder.

For this reason, and the fact that they are relatively cheap and low risk, you may want to consider supplementing with a daily multivitamin.

You can think of a multivitamin as an insurance policy to make sure your intake is at least meeting the minimum requirements.

When choosing a multivitamin, it is crucial to realize that there is a vast discrepancy in quality from one brand to another.

Many of the popular brands of multivitamins are filled with cheap ingredients. This usually means that some of the vitamins are significantly less bioavailable versions of the vitamin, not readily absorbed.

Here are two multivitamins brands I recommend:

Magnesium

Research suggests that due to mineral depletion in our soil and magnesium depleting medications, a significant portion of the population has or is at risk of developing a magnesium deficiency.15

Supplementing with magnesium has been shown to help reduce muscle cramps, promote restful sleep, and help regulate blood sugar levels.16

For these reasons, 200 to 400 mg of magnesium per day may be beneficial.

Keto-friendly foods rich in magnesium include:

Spinach
Mackerel
Avocado
Pumpkin seeds

When supplementing with magnesium, I prefer to stick to the forms glycinate, gluconate, or citrate.

Here is the magnesium supplement I use.

And that concludes the supplements in Tier 2.

Best Keto Supplements – Tier 3

In Tier 3, these supplements have the potential to be beneficial, but the effects are relatively small, and the scientific results are mixed or few. For any supplements listed in Tier 3 or Tier 4, you should consider the financial cost to benefit and if it is worth it to you.

Digestive enzymes

A major complaint of those new to the ketogenic diet is the processing and digestion of relatively high amounts of fat. If you're experiencing digestive issues like diarrhea, nausea, and bloating, a digestive enzyme may help with that digestion, more specifically lipase.

Check the prices of lipase here.

Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha is considered a natural herbal adaptogen, meaning it has been utilized to help reduce stress and anxiety.

Many people don't realize that dieting itself, i.e., trying to lose weight, is a stress on the body.

Additional research suggests that ashwagandha may improve strength, glucose uptake, and even testosterone levels.17 1819

Other benefits include:

Enhanced memory 20
Increase anaerobic running capacity 21
Help thyroid output 22

While I personally noticed a benefit, I know others who do not experience the same effects. As of now, ashwagandha supplementation seems to be safe, but it needs more long-term research for its efficacy.

Most research suggests 300 to 500 mg of the root extract per day is a good dose to take, more specifically, the KSM66 version.

This is the ashwagandha supplement I personally use.

MCT Oil

With the rise of bulletproof, aka keto coffee, coconut oil and medium-chain triglycerides (MCT Oil) has been garnering a lot of attention.

MCT oil is primarily found in coconut oil, palm kernel oil, and dairy fat, and may have a benefit in regards to fat loss among other benefits such as:

Improved insulin sensitivity 23
Decrease in cholesterol 24

For some, MCT oil in their morning coffee or even as a pre-workout may be an effective strategy for decreasing hunger and improving energy. Just be cautious since some people react to MCT oil differently from others, meaning it does cause gastric upset in some individuals.

Start with a low dose of about one teaspoon and gradually work your way up to 1 to 2 tablespoons if you decide to supplement with MCT oil.

Anecdotally, MCT oil has also been shown to help people adapt much quicker to a ketogenic diet since MCT oil increases levels of ketone bodies in the bloodstream. 25

While coconut oil is a good source of MCT's, the reality is you can't get enough of the useful MCT's (C8 and C10) from coconut oil alone. MCT is primarily made from four different types of fatty acids:

Caproic acid (C6)
Caprylic acid (C8)
Capric acid (C10)
Lauric acid (C12)

An MCT supplement, or even better, a further extracted supplement of just C8 would be best. Caprylic acid (C8) is what seems to be the acid that has been shown to increase energy, increased ketone production, and even help with weight loss.

Of course, in addition to a sound weight loss diet.

Here are the MCT products I recommend:

MCT Powder (Check Latest Price)
C8 Oil

And for the last tier…

Best Keto Supplements To Take – Tier 4

Since this is a ketogenic diet, people have questions related to keto-specific supplements, and for this reason, I included this tier.

First, to address some questions.

Is it the same if I eat carbs but take exogenous ketones?

While you may artificially be in the state of ketosis for a short period while supplementing exogenous ketones, I would say no, as it's not the same.

Will exogenous ketones burn fat?

Exogenous ketones will not directly burn fat but may help with weight loss indirectly. Meaning, if exogenous ketones help suppress hunger, increase energy, or do a combination of both, then yes, it will help with weight loss.

To read more about exogenous ketones, I wrote an article about whether they were worth the cost or worthless.

Exogenous Ketones and Ketone Salt Supplements For Keto

With limited research on exogenous ketones, I would list these along with the salts as luxury supplements to experiment with.

The efficacy of which I've found these supplements beneficial is during the transition process, possibly after a “cheat day,” and as a pre-workout supplement.

The difference between ketone esters vs. ketone salts is ketone esters are bioidentical versions of the ketone beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), and ketone salts are not.

Bioidentical simply means the hormones in the product are chemically identical to the ones your body would have produced in a ketogenic state. This isn't to say that ketone salts are useless, but they may not be as effective.

Ketone esters will raise blood ketones far higher than ketone salts. 26 The drawback of ketone esters is that they are significantly more expensive and taste horrendous relative to ketone salts.

That said, if you would like to give either one a try, here are a few versions of each I would recommend.

Ketone Salts and Ester Recommendation

Perfect Keto BHB (Check Latest Price)
HVMN Ketone Ester

The Bottom Line

Taking supplements is a great way to optimize your nutrition and training program, but not make up for them.

While we all wish there were a magic pill that would help us shed the pounds without trying too hard, the truth is that is still takes a consistent effort with your nutrition to make a meaningful difference.

It's this consistent effort that will allow you to shed the weight but, most importantly, developed great habits and keep the weight off.

At the end of the day, supplements are just there to help you with your journey, not carry you through them.

Can Vitamins Kick You Out Of Ketosis? [Why Some Can]

One thing I wondered when I first started a keto diet was whether or not almost anything would kick me out of ketosis. So I don't blame you if you're wondering whether or not some of the vitamins you are taking would kick you out of ketosis.

It's completely safe to take vitamins while following a keto diet without being kicked out of ketosis. Vitamins alone will not disrupt ketosis unless they contain many added sugars, such as those found in vitamin gummies or flavored vitamin drink supplements.

In this article, I will go more in-depth about whether or not vitamins will kick you out of ketosis, which vitamins may kick you out of ketosis, and what to look out for.

Can Vitamins Kick You Out Of Ketosis?

For the most part, most vitamins that you would purchase in pill form should be relatively safe.

That's not to say that there aren't an occasional few that might kick you out, but still not very likely.

While specific vitamins, especially capsules, may have undesirable fillers, it wouldn't be enough to kick you out of ketosis.

That being said, many of the vitamins available at your local retailer tend to use fillers that may contain trace amounts of carbohydrates. Some of the most widely used and notorious fillers are maltodextrin and dextrose, which are basically simple sugars.

But as I stated, the amounts are so minute usually that it isn't worth worrying about.

Of course, if you are taking your vitamins in the form of a drink or possibly even a gummy, then you should consult the nutrition label to see if there are any added sugars. From there, you would decide if taking the vitamins in that form, assuming the carbohydrates fit in your total, is worth it to you.

How You Get In And Stay In Ketosis

Often, some people believe that ketosis is a list of foods, but keto is actually a metabolic state. This metabolic state is achieved by limiting your carbohydrate consumption under a certain amount.

That means, as long as you eat under that amount of carbohydrates, you shouldn't have any trouble getting in or maintaining ketosis. Also, that means you can also get into ketosis without having to eat high-fat or restricting your protein.

The same way you get into ketosis is going to be the same way that you maintain a state of ketosis, which is through carbohydrate restriction. Therefore, as long as you stay with your carbohydrate limits should be generally okay.

I would also like to mention that just because you are in ketosis, it doesn't give you a free ride to eat as much food as you want, assuming weight loss is your goal. While you don't have to count calories, you still know that they do matter as far as weight loss is concerned.

For some more information about ketosis and common questions that people ask about what may kick them out, feel free to give my article about being kicked out of ketosis a read.

Best Vitamins And Supplements For Ketosis

Now that you know what ultimately determines how we get in and staying in ketosis, what are the best vitamins and supplements to add to your ketogenic diet.

First, let me say that vitamins and supplements should be in an add on and support a well-rounded diet. Vitamins and supplements should be added to make up for a poor diet, but rather, help optimize a proper diet.

What you should also know is that the same vitamins and supplements that would be beneficial for any other diet are the same ones that I believe would be beneficial on a ketogenic diet. That said, there are only a few vitamins and supplements I would recommend that would be beneficial according to the current scientific literature.

Those vitamins and supplements in no particular order are:

Vitamin D

What most people don't realize is that vitamin D is a steroid hormone produced from cholesterol when your skin is exposed to the sun.

This is why vitamin D referred to as the “sunshine vitamin.”

Another interesting fact about vitamin D is that over 41% of the US population is deficient in vitamin D.27 Unless you live in an area with plenty of sunshine year-round, chances are you may not be getting enough vitamin D.

Also, if you're only exposing your face and hands, inside most of the day, or always covered in sunscreen, being in a sunny area may not be enough.

For this reason, I believe vitamin D supplementation can be beneficial for a lot of people.

When supplementing vitamin D, vitamin D3 supplements seem to be more effective in raising vitamin D levels than other vitamin D supplements.

Plus, vitamin D supplements are relatively cheap. Below is a link to the one I personally take.

Check the prices of vitamin D supplements.

Fish oil

While not technically a vitamin, the typical North American diet is deficient in omega-3 fatty acids. More specifically, people are deficient in EPA and DHA, which are two fatty acids found in foods such as fish, seaweed, chia seeds, and flaxseeds.

A deficiency in omega-3 fatty acids may lead to fatigue, increased risk of cardiovascular disease, depression, and even poor memory, among many other negative symptoms.

According to research, you should consume about 0.3 to 0.5 g of combined EPA plus DHA per day, and multiple health markers are optimized and consuming anywhere from 4 to 6 g per day.23

Check the prices of fish oil supplements.

Multivitamin

It may not always be easy to get all of your micronutrient requirements from food alone. In this case, a multivitamin can act as an excellent insurance policy against deficiencies.

While multivitamins are relatively cheap, many of the popular brands are filled with inferior ingredients not readily absorbed. Choosing a high-quality multivitamin may be a step toward enhancing your health, improving your energy levels, which will ultimately help you lose weight in the long term.

Since this article is about vitamins, I won't go into too much detail about different supplements. If you would like to learn more about various supplements, including fat burners on keto, glucosamine, and even bodybuilding supplements, then check out those articles.

I go over various supplements that can enhance your diet, such as caffeine, creatine, green tea extract, and more.

Just remember that the best vitamins and supplements don't compare to a great diet, adequate sleep, and sufficient exercise.

After all, they are called supplements for a reason.

While there are many more such supplements and vitamins that may marginally make a difference, these are what I would consider as vitamins that are safe, effective, and worth the small price.

The Take Away

Vitamins in and of itself will not keep your ketosis. However, if your vitamins are filled with added sugars, such as those found in gummy form, or even in a flavored drink mix, they do carry the potential to kick you out of ketosis.

Therefore, it's always wise to take a vitamin in pill or capsule form, or at the very least, make sure there are no added sugars on the nutritional label.

What vitamins are you currently taking on your ketogenic diet?

Frequently Asked Questions

Can vitamins affect keto?

Vitamins themselves are completely pure compounds. Consequently, you don't have to worry about vitamins get you out of ketosis. However, do pay attention to any other sugars or carbs that might be present in the supplement.

Is vitamin B complex good for keto?

Vitamin B complex is a very good supplement to enjoy on the keto diet.

Do multivitamins help keto?

Multivitamins are a major help on the keto diet because it helps you get a lot of essential nutrients that you might be missing out on!

How Glucosamine Affects The Ketogenic Diet Or Does It?

I used to take glucosamine at one point in time. During my previous days as an endurance athlete, I would use glucosamine as a little insurance policy for my joints, especially my knees. However, I can't say without a doubt whether I found it useful or not.

Can I take glucosamine on keto? Glucosamine may be taken on a ketogenic diet without kicking you out of ketosis.

In the article I’ll go over whether glucosamine affects ketosis and weight gain, if it’s even worth using, and possibly a better alternative.

Table of Contents

Does Glucosamine Affect Ketosis?
Things That Knock You Out Of Ketosis
Benefits of Glucosamine
Glucosamine side effects and weight gain
Best supplements for a keto diet
The Takeaway

Does Glucosamine Affect Ketosis?

Understandably, you're wondering whether or not glucosamine affects ketosis. After all, glucosamine is technically an amino sugar, hence the word ‘glucos' in the name, which is another word for sugar.

Early research even suggested that glucosamine could cause insulin resistance. Rest assured, follow up studies cleared glucosamine supplementation and any effect on blood glucose levels, glucose metabolism, or insulin sensitivity.4

As long as you're not consuming glucosamine in a form that contains additional added sugars, such as gummy form or in a ready to drink (RTD) mix, you should generally be ok.

However, glucosamine does contain calories, and they do come from carbohydrates. On average, a serving of glucosamine sulfate from most brands lists each serving as having ten calories and 2g of carbs, which isn't enough to knock you out of ketosis.

While there doesn't appear to be any adverse reaction between glucosamine and insulin, you should consult a medical doctor if you're pre-diabetic or diabetic before supplementing with glucosamine.

Also, since glucosamine is derived from shellfish, those with shellfish allergies should take caution if supplementing with glucosamine.

Things That Knock You Out Of Ketosis

While a single serving of glucosamine isn't enough to knock you out of ketosis, the 2 grams of carbohydrates should be added to your daily carb total if you want to play it safe.

The determining factor whether or not you'll achieve or maintain a state of ketosis is the TOTAL amount of carbohydrates you consume over the day. Ketosis is a metabolic state established by eliminating or restricting carbohydrates under a certain amount.

i.e., If you can eat 50 grams of net carbs per day and maintain a level of ketosis, by which you've tested by measured ketone levels, even eating a small bowl of oatmeal wouldn't necessarily knock you out of ketosis.

How many carbohydrates you can consume in a given period without being knocked out of ketosis is individual, but 20 – 50 grams of net carbs seems to be safe for most people generally.2

Factors that influence how many carbohydrates you can “get away with” include:

Overall body size
Muscle mass
Activity levels (the most prominent factor)

In essence, the more active you are, the more carbohydrates you can consume and maintain a state of ketosis. Athletes and highly active individuals may be able to get away with upwards of ~100 to 200 grams of carbohydrates and still achieve and maintain a state of ketosis.

If you have more questions about what will or won't kick you out of ketosis, I've compiled some of the most common questions people have and wrote the truth about what really kicks you out of ketosis.

Benefits of Glucosamine

Most people supplement with glucosamine for joint health. Studies show that supplementing glucosamine sulfate reduces the rate of collagen degradation and symptoms of osteoarthritis.34

Studies on athletes suggest doses as high as 3,000mg of glucosamine sulfate may be able to slow joint degradation. If you're an athlete participating in high impact sports, glucosamine may be worth considering.5

Also, glucosamine has even been used to treat conditions due to inflammation. One study found a 28 percent and 24 percent reduction in two markers of inflammation, CRP and PGE.6

While these numbers aren't statistically significant, it does show there is potentially something happening, but further research must happen before any reliable conclusions.

Typical glucosamine dosage is about 1,500 mg per day, with studies going as high as 2,000 – 3,000mg per day. To supplement glucosamine, 300 – 500mg, three times per day with food seems best.

Glucosamine sulfate salts followed by glucosamine sulfate are the best way to supplement glucosamine, as shown by the research.

Glucosamine side effects and weight gain

For the most part, glucosamine seems to be safe for most people. Aside from the shellfish allergy, some experience taking glucosamine, possible adverse reaction include7:

Heartburn
Headaches
Drowsiness
Abdominal pain
Nausea

Also, a study in 2013 found glucosamine may increase the risk of glaucoma, a condition that damages your eye's optic nerve.8 Again though, there's nothing definitive about the adverse side effects.

Then, there's the issue of weight gain. Glucosamine will NOT cause you to gain weight. No supplement will inherently cause you to gain weight unless the supplement causes you to overeat.

The only way to gain weight is by eating more calories than you burn. Likewise, the only way to lose weight is to eat fewer calories than you burn.

Therefore, the only way glucosamine would be able to cause weight gain would be if it stimulated your appetite, causing you to overeat.

Best supplements for a keto diet

If you're looking for effective supplements to optimize your ketogenic diet or contemplating taking fat burners on keto, there are very few that are shown to be effective. For joint health, collagen may be a better option than glucosamine and chondroitin combined according to one study.9https://www.medsci.org/v06p0312.htm

Compared to the glucosamine and chondroitin group, collagen supplementation was found to reduce pain during exercise by 20 percent versus 6 percent.

Another study in persons with knee osteoarthritis either took 1,500mg of glucosamine sulfate or 10g of hydrolyzed collagen per day over 90 days.10 Those that took hydrolyzed collagen had significant improvement in pain scores and quality of life over the glucosamine group.

In a study of subjects with NO history of arthritis reported that supplementation helped improved knee range of motion almost 8 degrees. Subjects taking collagen also experienced a longer time for joint pain to occur during exercise and faster recovery.11

Hydrolyzed collagen protein can be bought in supplement form or obtained in collagen-rich foods like bone broth. A dose of 10 grams per day for skin health and minor joint benefits seems to be the dose most studied.

The Takeaway

Glucosamine naturally occurs within your body, and supplementing with it shouldn't kick you out of ketosis. While it appears to be safe for most people, some individuals may experience an adverse reaction, especially those allergic to shellfish.

Another possible supplement that may be worth considering is hydrolyzed collagen protein, which has shown some benefits to joints, contains no carbohydrates, and is rich in glycine.12