2021 Extracellular Ketones Full Review: Is it Safe?

by Dr. Nick Zyrowski February 01, 2021

Updated February 2021

The ketogenic diet consists of very low carb and high-fat food. After you have been on this diet for a few days, your body goes into ketosis. Ketosis is when your body burns fat instead of carbohydrates. (1)This diet has numerous benefits. However, many people have trouble following it consistently. This is where ketone supplements come in. They increase your blood ketone levels without any change in your diet. In this article, we will discuss the ketone supplement Extracellular Ketones. Let's get started.

What is Extracellular Ketones?

The goal of the ketogenic diet is to burn more fat. However, as we previously mentioned, it can be hard to maintain. Some people also develop keto flu symptoms while on the diet. Extracellular Ketones is a keto supplement that contains exogenous ketones. They help to ease keto flu symptoms while pushing your body into ketosis.

Extracellular Ketones by Systemic Formulas is an easy-to-use powdered drink mix. It combines mineral salts of beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), Apple Cider Vinegar and Taurine. These ingredients provide direct carbohydrate-free fuel for the brain and muscles while promoting the utilization of ketones. This offers you many of the benefits of ketosis. Furthermore, this happens whether or not you follow the ketogenic diet.

Systemic Formulas Extracellular Ketones contain all-natural ingredients. There are no sugars used in this product as it is sweetened with stevia. This eliminates the sugar high and sugar crash. Furthermore, there are no artificial flavors. Extracellular Ketones is made with the highest quality ingredients and backed by science.

Is Extracellular Ketones safe for your body?

Extracellular Ketones does work and is safe for most people as a dietary supplement. When your body is in the state of ketosis, your blood sugar, and hormones balanced. Additionally, your blood ketone levels increase. This is very safe and allows your body to burn fat as a fuel source as opposed to sugar. Since fat is a more sustainable fuel source, you can achieve a higher level of performance, energy, and healing. 

What are the ingredients in Extracellular Ketones?

Beta-Hydroxybutyrate Salts

Extracellular Ketones provides an exogenous source of ketones to help achieve ketosis. BHB (or β-hydroxybutyrate) is the ketone body present in the blood at the highest level when you are in ketosis. Also, it is more efficient for energy production on a cellular level. Furthermore, it is more stable than other ketones. This is why most of the research on exogenous ketones utilizes either BHB salts or BHB esters.

The first successful human study was conducted in 2012. The results were that they could rapidly increase the level of ketones in the blood. Fifty-four healthy male and female subjects were tested. They all had elevated levels of BHB. This was following a single dose of exogenous ketones in a meal replacement drink. The same dosage was administered to them three times a day. This study lasted for five consecutive days. The BHB levels remained elevated throughout the study. (2)

Exogenous ketones are a useful addition to a ketogenic diet. They can also be a practical alternative to increasing ketone body concentrations without having to follow the ketogenic diet.  Included in the Extracellular Ketones are the following beta-hydroxybutyrate salts:

  • Calcium Beta-Hydroxybutyrate
  • Magnesium Beta-Hydroxybutyrate
  • Sodium Beta-Hydroxybutyrate
  • Potassium Beta-Hydroxybutyrate

You can read more about the function of each here

Apple Cider Vinegar

To further enhance the exogenous ketones in Extracellular Ketones, Systemic Formulas combined apple cider vinegar into the formula. Famous for supporting weight loss, apple cider vinegar facilitates fat burning and provides valuable potassium required for the cell membrane's sodium potassium pump. Apple cider vinegar also supports digestive processes by supplying raw materials for parietal cell production of hydrochloric acid.

Taurine

Taurine supports the body's normal heart, cognitive, vision, immune, central nervous system and hearing activities. It's a necessary amino acid for ketosis and supports ketogenesis precursors as opposed to gluconeogenesis precursors - thus tips cell function toward fat burning and utilization of ketones for energy.  This makes it a great addition to Extracellular Ketones.

Now that we've discussed the ingredients of Extracellular Ketones, let's move on to the benefits.

What are the benefits of Extracellular Ketones?

Achieve Performance Like Never Before

During exercise, ketones function as a fuel source and increase energy. The advantage of this is that they preserve fuel. Fatigue and lactic acid levels are decreased. This is what enhances athletic performance. The idea of ketosis as a performance enhancer was started in the early 1980s.

There were studies done on 39 high-performance athletes. The studies were researching the effects of exogenous ketones on induced ketosis for physical endurance. The results showed that exogenous ketones improve athletic performance. (3)

 

Improved Cognitive Abilities

The research supporting the ketogenic diet as nutrition intervention is increasing. This is especially true for cognitive impairment and neurodegenerative issues. There are many reports of patients who have epilepsy, Alzheimer's, or learning disabilities that are experiencing incredible results. (4)

When glucose is depleted, ketones are used as fuel. When you fast, exercise, or eat a ketogenic diet, the brain becomes receptive to ketone bodies as an alternative fuel. A study of 4 adult subjects demonstrated that ketones were shown to rapidly cross the blood-brain barrier and provide brain neurons with energy. (5) This suggests that ketones improve memory, focus, and cognition. This is crucial when glucose is depleted. (6)

Increased Weight Loss

Taking exogenous ketones like those found in Extracellular Ketones help promote ketosis and provide a boost to weight loss. Because it helps with appetite suppression, it helps people counting calories.

It's a great alternative or addition to other weight loss supplements.

Now that you know some benefits of Extracellular Ketones, we will discuss them more in detail in the next section. We will also discuss when you should take exogenous ketones.

Who should use Extracellular Ketones?

If you are planning on starting the keto diet, you have probably heard about going into ketosis. Simply put, Ketosis is when your body uses fat as its main source of energy instead of carbohydrates. While this sounds simple enough, you can only be in a state of ketosis if some conditions are met.

Our body needs energy, and this is usually provided by carbs. Our body breaks down carbohydrate foods into glucose, which becomes the main source of energy. After immediate needs for energy are met, your body converts any leftover glucose into glycogen and stores it in the liver and muscles for use at times of need.

On a low carbohydrate diet like the keto diet, your body stops depending on dietary carbohydrates and the action of insulin to produce glucose as a source of energy. When this happens, the body goes into "ketosis" which increases the body's ability to use fat for fuel and maintain energy levels.

As you continue on a low carb diet or keto diet, the body stays in the metabolic state of ketosis and continues to use body fat stores as a source of energy. This, over time, leads to weight loss.

To promote a state of ketosis, you should use Extracellular Ketones regularly as recommended by healthcare professionals.

When should you take exogenous ketones?

There are many reasons to take exogenous ketones. Additionally, there are many times that you should take them.

Ketone supplements are very beneficial to take in addition to a ketogenic diet. In this scenario, exogenous ketones deepen your level of ketosis. This is done by raising blood ketones even further. Ketone supplements may also be beneficial when you want to re-enter ketosis after a cheat day.

You can give ketone supplements a try while you’re fasting. They tend to be most beneficial when you are on a 24 hour - 48 hours water-only fast. Ketones do contain calories, but they are not very significant. They may also help you last longer in your fast. Furthermore, they may help with mental clarity and focus.

People who enjoy workouts while fasting can also benefit from them. This way exogenous ketones fuel your workout instead of carbohydrates.

However, anyone can use exogenous ketones. Those who are not on a ketogenic diet or fasting can benefit from them as well. This way you get the benefits of eating a ketogenic diet without actually eating that way.

Athletes might try them out before a game or big race. They may even use exogenous ketone supplements regularly throughout a tough training session.

Conclusion

There are many benefits to taking Extracellular Ketones. It's safe and is made of natural ingredients as well. It is a great alternative to a weight loss supplement.

Extracellular Ketones has the best results when taken in conjunction with the ketogenic diet. Furthermore, there are many times that are beneficial to begin taking them as well. However, it is a good idea to talk to your health care provider before taking any supplements.

About the author

I’m Dr. Nick Zyrowski D.C., B.S — or as my patients like to call me, Dr. Z. After years of healing from my own health struggles, I have grown a passion for helping others overcome avoidable chronic conditions through science-based, wholistic, natural strategies. My clinical practice patients have seen so much success with their health, I just couldn’t limit these strategies to my Michigan hometown. Today, I’m helping people all over the world experience whole-body health through natural health education, wellness lifestyle training, and clinically proven supplements.

References

  1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23651522
  2. Clarke K, Tchabanenko K, Pawlosky R, et al. Kinetics, safety and tolerability of (R)-3-hydroxybutyl (R)-3-hydroxybutyrate in healthy adult subjects. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol. 2012 Aug;63(3):401-8. [PMID: 22561291]
  3. Cox PJ, Kirk T, Ashmore T, et al. Nutritional ketosis alters fuel preference and thereby endurance performance in athletes. Cell Metab. 2016 Aug 9;24(2):256- 68. [PMID: 27475046]
  4. Murray AJ, Knight NS, Cole MA, et al. Novel ketone diet enhances physical and cognitive performance. FASEB J. 2016 Dec;30(12):4021-4032. [PMID: 27528626]
  5. Newport MT, VanItallie TB, Kashiwaya Y, et al. A new way to produce hyperketonemia: use of ketone ester in a case of Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimers Dement. 2015 Jan;11(1):99-103. [PMID: 25301680]
  6. Leckey JJ, Ross ML, Quod M, et al. Ketone diester ingestion impairs time-trial performance in professional cyclists. Front Physiol. 2017 Oct 23;8:806. [PMID: 29109686]
  7. O’Malley T, Myette-Cote E, Durrer C, et al. Nutritional ketone salts increase fat oxidation but impair high-intensity exercise performance in healthy adult males. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2017 Oct;42(10):1031-1035. [PMID: 28750585]
  8. Murray AJ, Knight NS, Cole MA, et al. Novel ketone diet enhances physical and cognitive performance. FASEB J. 2016 Dec;30(12):4021-4032. [PMID: 27528626]
  9. Henderson ST, Vogel JL, Barr LJ, et al. Study of the ketogenic agent AC-1202 in mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2009 Aug 10;6:31. [PMID: 19664276]
  10. Van Zyl CG, Lambert EV, Hawley JA, et al. Effects of medium-chain triglyceride ingestion on fuel metabolism and cycling performance. J Appl Physiol (1985). 1996 Jun;80(6):2217-25. [PMID: 8806933]
Dr. Nick Zyrowski
Dr. Nick Zyrowski



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