Introduction
The ketogenic diet is nothing new (in fact it has been around for decades), but in the last few years its popularity has exploded. These days, people see keto diets as the next big thing in fat loss. Whether this is the case or not is a matter of great debate between people who believe that it is overrated and people who are wrong!
Just kidding.
The ketogenic diet does indeed work, and though it is not suitable for everyone, it can certainly help some people. If you are following a ketogenic diet, then you may have heard of exogenous ketones. These are ketones produced outside the body that can be taken as a supplement to either help you to enter ketosis, maintain ketosis, or if you are already in ketosis, an exogenous supplement can be used as a source of energy.
In this InstaKetones review, we will be taking a look at an exogenous ketone supplement. Taking an in-depth look at the ingredients list and helping you to decide whether InstaKetones is a product that is worth your money.
What Is InstaKetones?
Instaketones is an exogenous ketone supplement sold by Julian Bakery, a Californian company that specializes in organic, paleo, primal, vegan and keto products.
One pack of InstaKetones contains 15 servings and costs $29.99 when bought from the Julian Bakery website. InstaKetones is also available from Amazon.com where a 30-serving pack can be purchased for $39.99 which works out at just $1.33 per serving compared to $1.99 from Julian Bakery.
The directions on the pack say that you should initially just take half a scoop (half a serving) for four days to get used to it. After that you should work your way up to one scoop, taken up to three times per day. This means that a 15 serving pack could be finished in as little as one week.
InstaKetones is marketed directly at young to middle-aged men or women who are interested in an admittedly hardcore diet such as the ketogenic one. It promises to help users burn stored body fat as energy, increase endurance, boost cognition, and it also promises to help people lose weight. It’s main goal though is to help people on ketogenic diets to stay in ketosis.
Does InstaKetones Work?
First thing that we should make clear, it is difficult to gain any benefit from exogenous ketones if you are not following a ketogenic diet. Some exogenous ketones claim to be able to put you into ketosis (where you burn fat for fuel rather than glucose) when you are not on a ketogenic diet.
This doesn’t really work, and there isn’t any particular point in trying. If you are not following a ketogenic diet, then you don’t need ketones because your body has lots of glucose to burn instead.
Now if you are following a ketogenic diet and have entered ketosis, InstaKetones may be able to help you to maintain this state – even if you slip up and accidentally (or on purpose) eat enough carbohydrates to potentially lead to you leaving ketosis.
The idea that ketone supplements can help you enter ketosis is a controversial one, while there does appear to be some evidence, more often than not the results are inconclusive. As Precision Nutrition says:
“If ketone supplementation can give us the health benefits of ketosis without us having to fast/starve or follow a very restrictive diet, that would be a win-win. Unfortunately, we still don’t have conclusive human studies on this that would give us clear direction. Check back in 10 years” [1].
What this is saying (in as polite a way as possible) is that right now there just isn’t enough evidence that ketone supplements work on humans. This does not mean that ketone supplements don’t work, it is important to make that clear. But until there is a LOT more evidence, we’re all just guessing.
Bottom Line: Whether or not InstaKetones works or not depends on whether you believe that ketone supplements work or not. Certainly, there is nothing wrong with the product itself. Anecdotally, you will hear many people say that it works. But in science, evidence beats all. Right now, nobody can say with any confidence whether ketone supplements work or not.
The Pros & Cons Of InstaKetones
If you’ve read the previous section, you’ll understand that the scientific community is split on whether exogenous ketones actually work or not. So, this pros and cons section could be very short. To combat this, we will suppose that InstaKetones does indeed work and we will review the actual product based on its own merits.
The Pros
- Can help improve sporting performance in people who are on keto diets
- Can help burn stored body fat for fuel
- May improve cognition as the brains preferred fuel source
The Cons
- If exogenous ketones cannot induce ketosis then this supplement may be useless!
What Are the InstaKetones Ingredients?
We have found the following supplements facts for this product:
One Serving of InstaKetones contains: Beta-Hydroxybutyrate 11.7g, Calcium 1128mg, Sodium 1320mg, and Vitamin A 163mcg.
Is InstaKetones Safe?
One of the biggest issues surrounding ketone supplementation is that we don’t know the long-term effects of taking it on human health, though there may be none.
High concentrations of ketones in the blood can actually cause a condition known as ketoacidosis, which is a serious illness where death or a coma are possibilities. Ketoacidosis only occurs if healthy followers of the ketogenic diet overdo things. The risks of ketoacidosis are much higher if you have diabetes or alcoholism.
The chances of getting ketoacidosis just from taking InstaKetones is ridiculously small though, so on balance you’d have to say that InstaKetones is pretty safe.
Is InstaKetones Suitable For Everyone?
Ketogenic diets are not suitable for alcoholics, people with diabetes, nor would it be safe for pregnant women.
What Are The InstaKetones Side Effects?
We have compiled the following list of potential side effects for this product:
Note: these side effects are possible but may not be the typical user experience.
Are There Any InstaKetones Reviews From Customers?
InstaKetones suffers from mixed reviews on Amazon.com, with an average score of just 3.2 out of 5 stars, and 35% of reviews being 1 star.
Many complaints are based around the taste, though ketone supplements are famous for tasting awful so this may not be InstaKetones’ fault.
“This product gives me more focus and more endurance than any supplement I have ever taken. It honestly makes cardio easy!”
“I am noticing a slight change in my body, feeling leaner, however it tastes terrible. To be honest, there is a plastic-like aftertaste”
“Instaketones has a strong flavor, I have been using it for a week and have already noticed a difference in my endurance”
Our Final Verdict on InstaKetones
As exogenous ketone supplements go, InstaKetones is a perfectly fine product. The ingredients list contains 11.7g of BHB, which is standard. The taste is not great, but not as terrible as many ketone supplements are.
The question of whether InstaKetones is good or not is really centered around whether ketone supplements work or not, and whether you believe that the ketogenic diet is more effective than regular dieting. We’re not completely convinced that either of these are the case.
The ketogenic diet can be effective, can be used for weight loss, can be used in conjunction with high intensity exercise, and can be sustainable. But no more so than any other diet, and many nutritionists and exercise physiologists argue that it may not be ideal for elite athletes.
Ketone supplements may work, but then again, they may not. Until we know for certain, it’s always going to be a gamble.
If you are on a ketogenic diet and you believe that exogenous ketones work, then by all means try InstaKetones. It’s a good product from a reputable company. If, however, you are unsure, it may be best to save your money for something else instead.