The Diet
The "Keto Diet" is known to contain very low carbs, and higher amounts of fat. Carbohydrates in the diet are broken down into glucose, which is normally utilized as the primary energy source for the body. With a normal carb rich diet, the body has plenty of glucose available for energy production, sometimes too much. When this happens the glucose is stored as fat, a much less readily available form of energy.
Think of your body's energy sources like a hybrid car. The glucose would be like the electric motor, energy available almost instantly, but needs recharged frequently. Fat stores would be like the backup gasoline engine, if the batteries in the car never go dead, you never burn any gas. The same goes for fat stores in the body, if your body never runs out of glucose supply (carbohydrates) it won't need to convert those backup fats to energy. It isn't a perfect analogy, but hopefully helps make it a little clearer.
A keto diet, focused on lower intake of carbohydrates helps to limit the amount of glucose the body has available for energy. This forces the body into a state of ketosis.
Ketosis - a metabolic state characterized by raised levels of ketone bodies in the body tissues.
Ketones are water soluble molecules that are produced by the liver using fatty acids during periods of low food intake or carbohydrate restricted diets. These are released into the bloodstream with newly produced glucose that the body can now use for energy. This process uses the body's fat stores to produce the energy it needs when the diet doesn't provide sufficient carbohydrates.
How Supplements Can Help
So if the goal of a Keto diet is to reduce carbohydrate intake, and induce ketosis, supplements to aid in that should be low in carbohydrates, and higher in fatty acids. They commonly contain Ketones as well, as it is believed that these can help your body transition more quickly into utilizing them as an energy source if they are readily available even before the liver can release them.
We've recently added some new keto style products here, so if you've been considering trying a keto diet, they may be a great addition to your regimen. See our keto collection here!