Best Vitamins For Keto – Top 4 Picks For The Ketogenic Diet

The ketogenic diet is one of the most famous diets today. Many testify that this high-fat, low-carb diet does help them burn fat and maintain a healthy weight. A ketogenic diet provides a variety of benefits aside from helping you burn off that fat. In fact, if you are here, you are probably already following (or starting to follow) the ketogenic diet plan.

However, just as with many radical changes in our body, we have to expect some unwanted side effects as the body adapts to the change – and shifting to a ketogenic diet is no different.

Among other physical changes that will take place as you adopt a high-fat, low-carb diet, your body will lose some key minerals and nutrients which, in turn, can cause unwanted side effects such as the keto flu.

To prevent and better deal with this stage, it is important you supplement yourself with these nutrients. In this article, we are going to share some of the best vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that can help you manage your keto diet better.

We’ll start by giving your our top-rated keto vitamins and supplements, and then go on to explain how these supplements were chosen. Let’s get to it!

Best Vitamins For Keto

Keto Diet & Mineral Consumption

When you are just starting out on your ketogenic diet, you are going to lose some key minerals in your body. This is because much of the water inside your body will be flushed out as glycogen is forcibly flushed out from your body. Along with water, these key minerals will be flushed out as well.

Now, what’s with these minerals, and why they are important? They are important because these minerals are electrolytes that your body uses to keep your nerve and muscle function intact. These electrolytes are also needed to control your blood pressure.

If you don’t supplement yourself with these electrolytes, you are going to experience some side effects such as the symptoms and effects of the keto flu.

Now, what are these 4 key electrolytes? These are magnesium, sodium, calcium and potassium. These 4 key electrolytes are needed to avoid or minimize the possible side effects as you switch your diet to a high-fat, low-carb diet.

1) Magnesium

Magnesium is a key mineral that promotes the primary energy systems of your cells and ensuring your tissues work well and remain intact. It’s for this reason that magnesium plays a vital role in our muscle and nerve function.

Surprisingly, around 57% of Americans are actually clinically deficient in magnesium. So, before you begin your ketogenic diet, you are probably already magnesium-deficient – and that’s significant!

To sustain yourself with magnesium, the general rule is to take 500mg of magnesium supplement each day before you go to bed. For food sources, nuts such as pumpkin seeds and leafy green vegetables like spinach are good choices, but they may not be enough especially if you live a very active lifestyle.

2) Sodium

Of all the supplements, you probably do not think that sodium will come in the list. This is because sodium is often demonized, at least in regular diets – and for good reasons; too much sodium is not good.

However, when you shift on a ketogenic diet, you will lose a considerable amount of sodium that supplementing yourself with it would be necessary. In fact, low sodium can lead to problems like fatigue, headaches, constipation, and even palpitations.

Generally, it is good to get around 3,000 to 5000mg of sodium per day, unless you are already getting it elsewhere like if you are prescribed to take sodium due to a medical condition.

Most sodium supplements often come as an electrolyte or ketogenic supplement.

3) Calcium

Aside from being a building block of your bones, calcium is also one of your body’s electrolytes that will also be flushed out once you shifted to the ketogenic diet.

You can get a lot of calcium through dairy products, but if you don’t eat dairy products, then foods like broccoli, fish or kale are good sources as well. Of course, you can take dietary supplementation to boost your intake.

When taking calcium, it’s best you take vitamin D supplements as well because vitamin D helps you better absorb calcium.

4) Potassium

Lastly, we have potassium, another key electrolyte – and of course, an electrolyte that will be flushed out from your body as you switch to a ketogenic diet.

Potassium is a mineral that is key when it comes to keeping your cellular health intact. Studies show that deficiency of potassium can actually lead to problems like hypertension and heart disease.

If you are on a ketogenic diet, it is suggested you take up to 3,000mg of potassium per day, but be sure not to go beyond this dosage as too much can be toxic.

Aside from these 4 key supplements, here are some other supplements that can be beneficial for you as you take the ketogenic diet:

• Vitamin D
• Vitamin A
• Omega-3 fatty acids
• MCT Oil
• Fiber
• Iron

Keto Diet & Vitamin Consumption

While you can get most of the vitamins you need from the food you eat, this is easier said than done. Most of us do not have our diets optimized well enough to get our daily dose of micronutrients.

This is especially true with the keto diet, which is restrictive in nature. Many keto dieters will gravitate to the same foods, which may be able to meet macronutrient needs but may fall short of the proper micronutrient profiles.

It can be a good idea to introduce a high-quality multivitamin supplement to your diet so you can fill in these nutritional gaps.

Keto Diet & Supplements

The keto diet involves changing your body’s primary fuel source (switching from carbs to fat). While this can ultimately lead to fat burning, improved mental performance, and a variety of other benefits, it is also a major adjustment for the body.

While ketosis is a natural process in the body, the keto diet aims to “hack” this process by forcing the body to burn fat for fuel through the elimination of carbs. As your body adjusts to this process, it may experience certain undesirable side effects (keto flu, dehydration, brain fog, etc.).

There are supplements that can help alleviate these side effects and/or improve your daily well-being if you are already over the initial hump.

For example, MCT oil may be used as a healthy fat source to reduce food cravings and boost mental energy. Exogenous ketones may help your body adapt to ketosis and provide energy throughout the day. Additionally, certain nootropic ingredients may help boost mental performance, allowing you to stay energized and focused while following the keto diet.