We’ve seen lots of chatter lately about the “10-day drink ketones challenge” and its supposed benefits. But what’s really going on, here? What is the 10-day keto challenge, and where did it come from? Are ketone supplement drinks really necessary for keto? Or is there a better way to reach your dietary goals?
This challenge was created by brands that sell exogenous ketone supplements (in other words, an outside source of ketones to supplement those that occur naturally), encouraging customers to augment their keto journeys with these drinks.
Let’s take a closer look.
What Is the 10-Day Keto Challenge?
The official 10-day keto challenge was launched by German supplement company Pruvit, developer of a proprietary ketone-infused drink. For those of you who aren’t aware of the challenge’s mechanics, here’s a rundown from Pruvit’s site:
- Purchase a supply of exogenous ketone supplements (basically, a ketone-infused drink intended to help you reach ketosis faster).
- Drink your ketone supplements 1-2x daily.
- Begin eating a low-carb, high-fat diet to initiate the transition to ketosis.
- Track progress and reap the health benefits around the 6-10 day mark.
The conceit of the challenge is that you can learn what it’s like to enter ketosis quickly and enjoy the benefits of a ketogenic diet at a far faster rate than you would from conventional keto dieting alone.
Users are encouraged to purchase Pruvit’s challenge kit supplement pack (a liquid combination of exogenous ketones, caffeine, sugar alcohols, sodium, and vitamins) and drink those twice daily. According to the 10-day drink ketones challenge reviews, your results will be fast and substantial.
Is the 10-Day Challenge Just a 10-Day Keto Diet?
No. From Pruvit’s own website:
“This is NOT a keto diet. we are challenging you to drink ketones for 10 days and experience what it feels like to operate on a premium fuel source.”
Wait, what? Let’s take a closer look at that.
They’re claiming that this isn’t a ketogenic diet, it’s simply a challenge to drink ketones and experience how it feels to be fueled by ketones.
But here’s the problem. Ketones alone won’t do a bit of good as a fuel source if carbohydrates are readily available in your body. Your body only produces and uses ketones as fuel in a carbohydrate-starved state (aka ketosis).
If you head to the Pizza Hut buffet for lunch, your twice-daily ketone supplement will be useless as a fuel source. (Which, incidentally, is why the challenge-makers recommend eating low-carb in the 10-day keto challenge meal plan.)
Essentially, they recommend that you don’t think of this as a keto diet, but for all intents and purposes treat it as one. Which makes sense, given that their product wouldn’t work otherwise – but it’s a rather confusing way to market their challenge, and confusion is the last thing you want when it comes to taking nutrition advice.
10-Day Drink Ketones Challenge: The Reviews Don’t Tell You This
It’s worth noting that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate exogenous ketone supplements, nor are these supplements tested for safety and effectiveness with any type of medical supervision.
In fact, Pruvit’s own site contains legalese explaining that when it comes to the company’s proprietary KETO//OS® NAT™ drink formulation, marketing statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
Research on the topic notes that while exogenous ketones salts are considered safe, their long-term effects are not well-known and it’s not recommended that dieters use ketone salts as a method to induce ketosis. As such, you should take a few precautions:
- If you’re breastfeeding, contact your medical provider before embarking on the challenge.
- If you’re taking prescription medications for a disease, or if you’re under supervision for any allergy, talk to a doctor.
Pruvit’s products are not intended to diagnose, prevent, treat or cure any disease. In fact, it’s if you’re on taking prescription drugs for an allergy or disease, it’s best to get a professional medical opinion beforehand.
Call-Out/TipFor the keto diet, there’s no need to take supplements to reach your health goals. We advise readers to take a more natural approach: a daily regimen of whole, fresh foods built on a chef-designed keto meal plan. |
A Different Way of Approaching the 10 Day Keto Challenge: Whole Foods
Note that those pushing the 10-day challenge suggest eating a conventional keto diet alongside their liquid supplementation. In our view, why bother with supplementation at all?
Sure, the above research points out that ketone supplements can help suppress appetite, but it also describes potential health concerns surrounding excessively high ketone blood levels and the minerals you find in many ketone drinks. In our view, these reasons alone are enough to question the practice, but there’s another good rationale out there for avoiding them: We like to EAT!
Who’d rather take a daily supplement drink over a hot and fresh meal? Not us. Supplement drinks and meal replacements for weight loss are reminiscent of the days of juice fasts and “cleanses” that promise fast results. Does anyone look back on these trends fondly?
Reaching your lifestyle goals is a marathon, not a sprint. You can only get meaningful change when you make slow, deliberate adjustments to your lifestyle over time and reinforce those behaviors until they become ingrained habits.
For this reason, we advise against any diet built around expensive supplements. (No matter what kind of results those 10-day drink ketones challenge before and after photos might promise!)
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On whether ketone supplements are necessary, the bottom line is this: Our bodies are quite good at what they do and will produce more than enough ketones naturally to bring you into ketosis, you just need to be patient and choose healthy options that give you energy.
Instead of the drinks and shakes, why not try packaged meals with 100% real ingredients you can feel good about?
At Protein Chefs, there’s no supplementation required. Everything you’re eating is prepared by certified chefs to taste great and meet your keto goals.
If you’re meeting your dietary goals and still find that supplementation is necessary for health reasons, all we ask is that you check with your medical provider before adding any new supplements to your daily routine.
Try out our new menu and make your keto diet exciting today.
