Weight management
BHB and keto gummies, explained
BHB is everywhere on keto supplement labels. Here is what the three letters mean, and what a gummy can and cannot do.
What BHB is
BHB stands for beta-hydroxybutyrate. When carbohydrate intake is very low, the liver turns fat into ketones, and BHB is the most abundant of them. The body and brain can use it as fuel. That state is called ketosis, and it is the idea behind the ketogenic diet.
What a BHB supplement does
Supplements supply BHB from outside, usually bound to a mineral such as sodium, calcium or magnesium. Taking them raises the level of ketones in the blood for a few hours.
That is different from being in ketosis through diet. The ketones measured after a supplement came from the supplement, not from your own fat stores. Research on whether these products help with weight is limited and mixed.
Why gummies
BHB salts taste bitter and salty, which is why powders are flavoured so heavily. A gummy hides the taste, but it holds far less BHB than a scoop of powder and needs sugar or a sweetener to exist.
Who should be careful
BHB salts add to your mineral intake, sodium in particular. Anyone with diabetes, kidney or heart conditions, or who is pregnant or breastfeeding, should talk to a doctor before using ketone supplements.
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Not medical advice: this article is general information, written with AI assistance from widely published guidance, and is not a substitute for advice from your own doctor or pharmacist. Statements about dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration; such products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
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Photos: openly licensed lifestyle images, not product photos:Andy Li (CC0); Ewan Munro from London, UK (CC BY-SA 2.0); User:Melchoir (CC BY-SA 3.0).