Last Updated on: 16th November 2023, 07:58 pm
Apple cider vinegar has been around as a remedy for a long time.
But apples?
You don’t normally find apples in a list of ingredients for a keto diet.
So what is Herbtonics’ Apple Cider Vinegar Capsules Plus Keto BHB doing on a keto website (even if it does have 44,000 keto BHB ratings and reviews and a #1 Best Seller in rating in Appetite Control & Suppressants on Amazon)?
Get into ketosis faster
For a start, if you’ve been looking at keto diet pills, whether it’s keto BHB capsules like these or any other sort, chances are you’re aiming to get into ketosis as quickly and simply as possible. And this product fits the bill:
The claim is simple (and appealing) – apple cider vinegar capsules will get you into ketosis faster for easier weight loss and faster fat burning.
It does this by increasing your blood ketone levels, making it easier to burn ketones rather than glucose. If you’re in ketosis, blood glucose levels are naturally low, so having those additional ketones means more energy with less of those sugar cravings.
Throw in some BHB to help boost ketone levels and you have the makings of a great supplement.
Apple Cider Vinegar and weight loss
Look up Apple Cider Vinegar and you’ll find a vey long list of benefits, including:
- Support for your immune system
- Improve heart health
- Improve your hair, skin and nail health
- Lower blood sugar levels
- Boost nutrient levels
- Help improve digestion
- Aiding healthy weight loss by helping your body burn fat
Of all those benefits, it’s the last one that we’re most interested in here.
Research has found that apple cider vinegar may be effective as part of a weight loss formula. In terms of how it works, it’s believed ACV has a twofold effect, suppressing appetite (The short-chain fatty acid acetate reduces appetite via a central homeostatic mechanism) and making you feel fuller, so it helps stop people from overeating1.
Apple Cider Vinegar and Keto
On the face of it, the answer to whether you can take Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) on a keto diet would be, “No”. After all, you can’t eat apples on Keto, so how can you eat (or drink or take) anything made of apples? So for people trying the keto diet, one big thing to watch out for with Apple Cider Vinegar is the sugar levels. Apples have a high natural level of sugar, and many supplements, tonics and drinks have added sugar to make them taste better.
Which leads to the question
How many carbs does apple cider vinegar contain?
According to the US Department of Agriculture Food Database, apple cider vinegar contains 1 gram of carbs per tablespoon (15ml). So that’s a long way from apples (14g of carbohydrates per 100g). And to take it even further the Herbtonics’ Apple Cider Vinegar Capsules Plus Keto BHB comes in capsules, which (according to the label), contain no carbohydrates at all – perfect!
So they pass the first test – low carbs – so this ACV + BHB supplement can be used with your keto diet.
Reading down the label, the next question is
What is “the mother” in apple cider vinegar?
In the modern world we like things pure and filtered. But this isn’t always to our benefit, and the “mother” is one example of this.
The “mother”, is the strands of yeast, proteins, enzymes and friendly bacteria – the stuff that makes it cloudy and the stuff that’s responsible for most of the health benefits. So when looking at a vinegar-based health product, make sure it includes the mother.
BHB Salts and Keto – What does BHB Mean?
See that little “BHB Salts” reference at the bottom of the label? BHB stands for beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), and it’s the part of the formula that helps support increased blood ketone levels and assists you with your weight loss efforts.
Certain cells in your body use beta-hydroxybutyrate as a way of producing energy. These cells turn to the chemical when the amount of sugar in the body is low.
The ketogenic diet focuses on reduced consumption of carbohydrates. This means you will always have a low level of sugar in the body. With this in mind, introducing the body to beta-hydroxybutyrate will likely have a positive effect on cellular energy production.
Ketone salts consist of a ketone body combined to a mineral ion, often sodium. There are different types of ketone body, but ketone salts use beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB).
What’s an Exogenous Ketone Supplement?
Quick sidenote – once something has been shown to work, people look to hack it, or find ways to make it work better. And keto is no exception here.
The Keto diet works by getting the body into ketosis. But as you’ll know if you’ve tried the keto diet, getting your body in a state to produce ketones is not easy.
The ketones found in supplements are exogenous ketones. The idea behind supplementing with exogenous ketones is to boost the effects of a keto diet and possibly even give you some of the benefits of keto without restricting carbs
So if you’ve wondered if there’s something that could do that for you, you’re not alone.
Fortunately ketones can be produced in two ways:
- endogenously, produced in your body
- exogenously, from a synthetic source outside your body
The ketones found in supplements are exogenous ketones. The idea behind supplementing with exogenous ketones is to boost the effects of a keto diet and possibly even give you some of the benefits of keto without restricting carbs.
Key features of Herbtonics’ Apple Cider Vinegar Capsules Plus Keto BHB
There are a few key features that we should look at to help you understand what this weight loss supplement offers you:
- No calories so it won’t interfere with your keto diet.
- Based on Apple Cider Vinegar.
- Added BHB salts to help trigger ketosis
- Ketones to help increase energy and reduce sugar cravings
- Easy to take capsule form.
Apple cider vinegar keto pills, tablets, capsules – what’s the difference?
You might be wondering what the difference is between pills, capsules and tablets in supplements. And do they make any difference?
The short answer is, as long as they contain what it says on the label, the difference is largely down to personal preference.
Pills and tablets – usually smooth, solid, and inexpensive to produce. Manufacturers can pack a lot of any ingredient into them. They can also have special coatings so they are absorbed in the right part of the gut. The downside is that because they are tightly packed, they can be slower to act, cause gut irritation and be more difficult to digest.
Capsules – a hollow container made with gelatin (or a vegetarian-friendly alternative) with the ingredient inside. These are often faster-acting as the casing breaks down quickly, releasing the supplement directly into the bloodstream.
Gummies – gummies are relatively new in terms of a delivery method. They are easy to take (just chew!), but they can be difficult to manufacture and typically hold a lesser amount of ingredients because the flavour can be an issue. For this reason they also often have added sweetener – if you’re going to chew something, it has to taste nice.
Drawbacks And Side-Effects
This is a natural product, so there are few risks or side effects.
If you drink your Apple Cider Vinegar, especially if taking those 2-3 tablespoons a day as undiluted vinegar, it can cause tooth decay over time as the acid eats away at your tooth enamel. In capsule form this isn’t an issue.
You also need to be careful with apple cider vinegar if you’re on potassium-lowering medicines or a Diabetic as it alters the level of insulin and potassium.
Of course, these issues go away when it comes in a capsule – plus it’s just easier.
How to use this keto appetite suppressor
If you find you get hungry on keto, you’re not alone. It’s a natural thing and supplements like this can help.
The supplement is simple to take, just two capsules a day. It’s best taken a 30 minutes before you eat your main meal so it has time to be absorbed and perofrm its appetite-reducing magic.
If you take the supplement too soon prior to eating, you may not experience the benefits. Similarly, taking it hours before you eat will not yield effective results.
Final Verdict: Is This The Right Product For You?
When it comes to boosting the benefits of a keto diet, this product combines the natural, appetite-reducing benefits of apple cider inegar with BHB salts to help move you into ketosis faster and provide extra ketones help you stay there.
The Herbtonics’ Apple Cider Vinegar Capsules Plus Keto BHB is designed to lower your appetite and give you higher levels of energy during the day. At the same time, the supplement complies with the ketogenic diet.
This means taking the supplement won’t kick you out of ketosis while still offering you the results you expect.
So if you’re looking for keto BHB pills, we think these are worth a closer look.
Nick has been involved in nutrition for over 20 years, at one stage weighing over 110kg (17 stone) and after experimenting with a combination of diet and exercise, has bought this back to around 80kg (12.5 stone). He’s currently running-obsessed, logging over 50 kilometres (30 miles) a week, and has been working in the nutracutical and supplements space for the last 5 years. He believes health and wellness start with the individual – you have to know what you’re doing, and have the passion to stick with it to get the results you want.