UPDATED BY FRANZISKA SPRITZLER, RD, CDE on May 7, 2024

If you’re wondering whether you need to take supplements while starting or maintaining a keto lifestyle, we have good news. The ketogenic low-carb diet is actually very nutrient dense when done correctly. Almost all nutritional needs can easily be met through what you eat while you work to stay in a state of ketosis. Still, sometimes supplements may be required to optimize the health benefits of the ketogenic diet, depending on your circumstances. Keep reading to learn whether you need to take supplements on your keto diet.

How to Get All Your Required Nutrients Through Diet

As we said above, you can get most of the nutrients you need from the high-fat keto diet, if done correctly. What does “correctly” mean? Simply put, it’s a clean, mostly whole-food diet focused on healthy fats and proteins and low-carb vegetables, as well as keeping your ketone levels up.

Healthy Fats and Proteins

Healthy fats, which are the foundation of a keto diet, contain fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. They often come in the form of animal-based foods (think meat, fish, dairy, and eggs – all of which also contain protein). But not all fats are ideal. When choosing animal or plant-based ingredients, it’s important to pay attention to food quality and reach for organic, grass-fed, and pasture-raised products. For example, grass-fed and pasture-raised animals and fatty wild-caught salmon are not just void of hormones, antibiotics, and other undesirable factory-farming elements; they’re also higher in healthy essential fatty acids, such as omega-3 fatty acids, which in turn fuel the body with high-quality nutrients.

Other foods that contain anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids include mackerel, oysters, sardines, anchovies, flaxseeds, chia seeds, and walnuts. Seaweed and algae are also important sources of omega-3 fatty acids, especially for people on vegetarian or vegan diets*. Seaweed and algae are among the few plant groups that contain both DHA and EPA (types of omega-3 fatty acids that reduce inflammation and risk for chronic diseases). The more nutrients you can get from the foods you’re eating, the better, because it’s best to get your omega-3 fatty acids through food rather than taking an isolated supplement. (Nutrients work in a synergistic way, meaning they work together. So, taking an isolated supplement is less effective than getting nutrients from whole food.)

*Due to the lack of healthy animal fats on a vegetarian diet, it’s hard to get all the fatty acids you need as a keto vegetarian, and it’s significantly harder for keto vegans. If you’re vegan who eats keto and want to ensure optimal health, you may need to take a fatty acid supplement to ensure you get enough Omega 3s.

Low-Carb Vegetables

The keto diet also allows for lots of wholesome, low-carb vegetables/keto-friendly foods such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale, eggplant, cauliflower, green beans, and peppers. (Get a complete list of keto-friendly fruits and vegetables here.) Many of these vegetables contain fiber, vitamins, and important minerals, so it’s important to include vegetables in your ketogenic diet to ensure you are getting adequate minerals. Again, with vegetables, quality matters. Choose organic vegetables, if possible, in order to avoid pesticides and herbicides, which can block nutrient absorption and increase the need for supplements. For a guide to produce with the most and least amounts of pesticides, check out the Environmental Working Group’s 2024 Clean Fifteen and Dirty Dozen.

Supplements Worth Considering for a Keto Diet

Although we recommend getting most of your nutrients from a healthy, whole-food keto diet, there are some specific supplements that are helpful (and a couple that may even be necessary). Here are our top supplement suggestions when following a keto diet and why you might need them:

Keto-Mojo Supplements

Salt: A Keto Essential 

Just as we spent years wrongly demonizing fat while we loaded up with sugar, salt has also long been a scapegoat. Howeversalt is a very important electrolyte that helps with nerve conduction and maintaining balance in fluids surrounding your cells.

On keto, electrolytes are especially important because the keto diet is naturally diuretic and thus salt (electrolytes) is easily depleted, as is the amount of water your body retains (i.e., low levels of electrolytes can cause dehydration of body fluids). Keto flu symptoms like cramping/muscle contraction or muscle weakness, leg cramps, irregular heartbeat or heart palpitations, and brain fog are often side effects of salt/hydration depletion.

Why does keto cause water and sodium loss or electrolyte imbalance? When you are on a ketogenic diet, the body uses fat (from your body and from your diet) rather than blood glucose (blood sugar) as your primary energy source. With less carbohydrate intake and less sugar to process as a fuel source, less insulin is produced. Insulin is needed for processing carbohydrates. However, when insulin levels drop, the kidneys release more water, causing more trips to the restroom and the flushing out of electrolytes. With lower insulin, we run the risk of lower sodium (salt) levels and the undesirable subsequent side effects, including headaches, drowsiness, low energy levels, irritability, muscle cramps, and even nausea and constipation.

The good news is, it’s easy to combat low sodium. Just be sure to drink lots of water and add a pinch of Himalayan salt or sea salt to your food and water. (These salts generally don’t contain anti-caking agents that can include chemical compounds, some of which are known toxins.)

It is also perfectly fine to start supplementing your electrolyte intake/sodium levels to make sure you get enough electrolytes and promote rehydration, especially when you’re first starting the ketogenic diet. But don’t try to replenish your electrolytes by drinking Gatorade and other sports drinks or even coconut water, because these beverages are not low-carbohydrate keto friendly. Instead, go for sugar-free powdered electrolyte supplements to make sure you get enough sodium and maintain good levels of electrolytes. You can find several good electrolyte replacements in health food stores and online, including our MyMojoMarket.

Magnesium: Because Everyone Needs More

Another mineral that most people can benefit from supplementing is magnesium. Magnesium is known as the “calming mineral,” and it’s responsible for over 300 enzymatic functions within the body, including the beating of our heart and flexing of our muscles. Ideally, we should get magnesium from our foods. Oysters, mussels, pumpkin seeds, and avocados are great keto-friendly sources of magnesium, as are leafy green vegetables – all of which are allowed on a keto diet.

However, due to modern farming practices, our soils, and thus vegetables, are becoming more and more depleted of this important mineral, so it’s easy to experience magnesium deficiency. Luckily, there are many forms of magnesium supplements out on the market – magnesium glycine, magnesium citrate, and topical magnesium, to name a few – and sometimes it takes a bit of trial and error to find the form that you respond best to, based on your bio-individual needs. Magnesium glycinate is magnesium bound with glycine, which makes it more easily digested (less digestive distress). Magnesium citrate comes in powder form and is taken mixed in water. Some people respond well to this form, while others may experience digestive issues (bloating, gas). Topical magnesium is massaged into the skin, bypassing the need for digestion altogether.

Trace Minerals: Cover All Grounds

We’ve already talked about how embarking on a keto journey can throw electrolytes out of balance, especially early on in your keto transition. But there’s more to know here. Essential minerals that are needed in small amounts are called trace minerals. Ideally, these minerals should come from your food first and foremost. But it may be beneficial to take a trace mineral supplement, which typically contains a blend of over 72 trace minerals, including iron, copper, zinc, iodine, and selenium. Trace mineral drops can be added to water to help boost your mineral consumption while keeping the body properly hydrated. Minerals can also be obtained in pill form. Trace minerals can be especially helpful for ketogenic athletes who quickly burn through minerals due to high-volume activity.

Prebiotics and Probiotics for Healthy Digestion

When following a keto lifestyle, people tend to cut way down on vegetables in order to keep carbs low. However, vegetables contain prebiotic fiber, and prebiotics help to feed our beneficial gut bacteria (probiotics). Probiotics keep your gut bacteria in a healthy balance.

The best way to get beneficial prebiotics in your diet is to get your daily carbs from vegetable sources, especially in raw form. Probiotics can also be found in fermented vegetables like sauerkraut and kimchi, which are fermented cabbage (typically found in the refrigerator section of the grocery store). Fermented vegetables do contain carbs that you will want to include in your macros, so be sure to read labels and factor those carbs into your daily plan. Also, keep in mind that a small amount of fermented vegetables contains billions of prebiotics and probiotics. You only need a fork full of kimchi on the side of your meal, or a shot glass of kombucha.

Taking a prebiotic and probiotic supplement may be helpful as well, especially if you don’t have the palate for fermented vegetables. There are many types on the market (both in liquid and pill form). Some brands contain both a prebiotic and a probiotic together, making for one less supplement to take. Be sure to read labels. Some forms of probiotics contain added sugars.

Digestive Enzymes to Help the Body Adjust to Processing Fats

Although we are perfectly designed to digest and assimilate large amounts of fat, many people transitioning into a keto diet are not used to digesting fat. The Standard American Diet, which is high in processed carbohydrates and low in quality fats, tends to make our bile (produced by the liver and stored in the gallbladder) thick and sludgy. This can make it more difficult to digest and assimilate fats and to get all their nutrients into the body. Ideally, we want our bile thin and flowing, making it easier to process fats.

Taking digestive enzymes such as Digest Gold by Enzymedica can help break down healthy fats and ease digestion, so the body can adjust to a higher fat diet. There are also many brands of digestive enzymes designed especially for those who follow a keto lifestyle. These are typically capsules taken before meals. Eventually, through consuming healthy fats – such as grass-fed ghee, grass-fed beef, wild fish, avocados, and coconut oil – fat digestion will occur more naturally and the body will be able to process these fats easier.

Supplements for Vegetarians and Vegans

Studies show that vegans are not capable of getting proper omega-3 fatty acids through their diet, and that vegetarians can but are often deficient. It’s recommended that vegans and vegetarians incorporate omega-3 fatty acid supplements, as well as vitamin B12, vitamin D, zinc, and potentially other micronutrients, depending on intake. Apps like Cronometer can help you assess your nutrient intake. You can learn more about these apps here.

Food First!

Bottom line? Here at Keto-Mojo, we believe in getting as much of your nutrients from quality, whole foods as you can while eating to burn fat, stay in ketosis, improve metabolic health, promote optimal muscle function, or all of the above. But sometimes you need a little help, and taking one or more of the supplements we’ve covered can be a great place to start. Combine them with a high-quality keto diet and you will not only look and feel better, you’ll also discover just how delicious a healthy life can be!

Regardless, it’s always a good idea to consult your primary care physician/healthcare provider, nutritionist, or dietitian before starting any new dietary practice.

Keto-Mojo is a participant in some affiliate programs and some of the links above will generate a small commission if you make a purchase through a product link on our site. This is at no cost to you and all proceeds go directly to the nonprofit Ketogenic Foundation [501(c)3 pending] to assist with their mission funding education and research into the ketogenic diet and lifestyle. Keto-Mojo in no way profits from these links.

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