5 Best Keto Electrolyte Supplements to STOP the Keto-Flu

In a hurry? The best keto electrolyte supplement is Kiss My Keto Electrolyte powder!

There’s only one supplement that is ESSENTIAL during the keto diet – electrolytes. Why?

You can get the fat and protein from food, but it’s quite difficult to get the right minerals in right quantities.

Especially in the beginning when you aren’t even sure if ketosis is a real or some magical place where bunnies have horns.

Keto-flu is a nasty side-effect that most of us experience, but it’s actually a good thing. 

It’s a “feature” of your body, which shows that you are on the right path.

The goal here is to survive the transition period and start burning fat. Replenishing electrolytes will minimize those side-effects and help to enjoy the process.

Electrolyte brands we cover in this article:

• Kiss My Keto Electrolyte powder (our favorite)
• Perfect Keto Electrolytes
• Ultima Replenisher Electrolyte Powder
• Kiss My Keto Exogenous Ketones
• Perfect Keto Base

Why Electrolytes are EssentialDuring Keto?

The United States National Library of Health affirm the necessity of minerals, stating that minerals play the important role of “keeping your bones, muscles, heart, and brain working properly.” (2)

The main reason why electrolytes are essential during the keto diet is that your body excretes electrolytes in the initial stages of cutting out carbs.

• Once you cut out carbs from your menu, your body starts depleting its carb stores and slowly preparing itself to burn fat. During this process, your body starts excreting water through frequent urination. And together with water, your body will excrete electrolytes (9).
• This, in turn, causes an electrolyte imbalance, and it could have drastic effects as electrolytes are responsible as electrolytes play a crucial role in maintaining homeostasis within the body.

Electrolytes help the body perform necessary functions. (4) Sodium and potassium intake are linked with the overall performance of the body. (5) Sodium helps the body maintain blood pressure and volume. (6)

Low sodium levels can lead to fatigue, low energy levels, and tiredness. Potassium is essential for regulating blood flow, pressure, and performance of the heart. (7)

The good news is that in today’s age it is so simple to replenish your electrolyte levels and enjoy your diet. Just make a quick electrolyte shake or eat bone broth.

The Keto-Flu

The keto-flu or the low-carb flu is a set of symptoms experienced by some people when they first start the keto diet. These symptoms, which can feel similar to the flu, are caused by the body adapting to a new diet consisting of very little carbohydrates.

Your body is transitioning into ketosis. This process has a diuretic effect which means your body flushes out water and electrolytes with it. The good news is that keto-flu symptoms are temporary. The bad news is that if you don’t replenish your electrolytes, you will feel awful.

While some people may transition to ketosis without any side effects, others may experience one or more of the following symptoms:

• Headache and brain fog – Potassium is essential for regulating blood pressure. Deficient potassium levels can lead to severe headaches and a general feeling of confusion, or difficulties concentrating (10, 11).
• Muscle cramps and weakness – Potassium and magnesium deficiencies are suspects for muscle cramps and weakness (12).  The absence of these nutrients in any low carb diet is often the cause of the muscle pain that occurs
• Health palpitations and numbness – Irregular heart beats, unusually noticeable heart beats and many other heart related symptoms occur when potassium and magnesium are deficient. If you notice that you have numb feet and  facial twitches, that is a sign of potassium and Magnesium deficiencies.
• Dizziness – Dizziness, feeling faint and general body weakness (13) are signs that sodium is not enough. When your sodium levels rise too drastically (called hypernatremia), you can become dizzy and weak. 
• Constipation – Constipation is another possible side effect, especially during the first time on a low-carb diet, as your digestive system may need time to adapt. The other side of this coin is also the lack of fiber in keto diet. This can be overcome with high-fiber veggies but it needs planning and tracking your macros.

Do You Need a Mineral Supplement?

The fact is that your body cannot run without electrolytes for long. There are two general approaches to replenishing your electrolytes during the keto diet – either through food or through supplements. 

• I often like to say that electrolyte supplements are the only mandatory supplement for any ketoer. Because electrolytes will make or break your diet and fat loss goals. And it’s so easy today to get the needed minerals with one sitting through pills or delicious shakes. Also a proper electrolyte stack contains adequate levels of all essential electrolytes you need and you don’t need to count micronutrients or calories.
• You can also get nutrients and electrolytes from food. Sufficient electrolytes can be gotten from kale, spinach, Swiss chard, turnip greens, parsley, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, liver, eggs, cauliflower, fatty fish, tuna, sardines, herring, mackerel, salmon, salt, bone broth, bullion and a host of others. This also means that you need to track your calories, macronutrients and verify that you get enough all the nutrients. This can get difficult when you are just starting out.

At the end of the day do what feels right for you and works. Electrolyte supplements are more beginner friendly and frees up your mental resources. Whole foods are always the best choice but then you also need to pay extra attention and be more careful of what you eat and how much. This means you have to measure the extent of calories present in each quantity of these food you take and stick to levels below what can take you out of ketosis.

How Much Minerals Do You Need?

Potassium, magnesium and sodium have essential roles. The need for electrolytes could vary based on the type of diet and the needs of individuals. Here are some suggested quantities of minerals for healthy adults:

• Potassium – Suggested daily intake 4700mg According to the Academy of Nutrition and Deities, ‘Potassium is a mineral that, among other things, helps muscles contract, helps regulate fluids and mineral balance in and out of body cells, and helps maintain normal blood pressure by blunting the effect of sodium (15). Potassium deficiency is known as hypokalemia and is characterized by weakness, constipation and muscle spasms (16). Severe depletion can cause glucose intolerance; muscular paralysis; poor respiration; and cardiac arrhythmias (17).
• Sodium – Suggested daily intake 2400mgSodium works alongside potassium and is essential for maintaining extracellular fluid balance. Sodium deficiency (hyponatremia) or excess sodium (hypernatremia) could have serious effects on health. Perspiration, nausea and other health issues could arise from excess sodium or its deficiency (18).
• Magnesium – Suggested daily intake 350mgMagnesium is also very important as it is important for bones and energy processing .  (19) Magnesium deficiency, or hyper magnesium also have negative effects on health. tremor, poor coordination, muscle spasms, loss of appetite, personality changes

A balance must be made to consume appropriate quantities and not to consume in excess or deficiency. 

How to ChooseElectrolytes?

If you follow a regular healthy diet, then you can get most of the needed electrolytes from regular food. Most electrolytes can be found from food and fruits like Watermelon, Pomegranates, Oranges, Cucumber, Tart Cherries, Bananas, Beets, Strawberries, celeries, mango, and lemons.

If you follow a ketogenic diet, then you know that your food options are limited and you need to be conscious how to get your electrolytes from food. This also requires further planning and tracking your micronutrient intake. This can be done, but requires more effort and research which can get difficult if it’s your first time doing keto.

Now the easiest option is to use electrolyte supplements. There are 2 ways to do it. Either taking each electrolyte as a separate supplement or use electrolyte stacks. Electrolyte stacks are packed with a variety of electrolytes and they help your body to perform optimally. The best part about these stacks is that it already includes every electrolyte you need in the right quantities, taking out the potential for error.

One more thing to consider is the form – powder, capsules or something else? Here’s the part where you need to think about your lifestyle. Are you constantly on the move? Do you like to cook? Do you like to drink shakes? Capsules can be difficult to consume for some, powder again tastes good and works as a shake.

Best Keto Electrolytes

1. Kiss My Keto Electrolytes (our favorite)

Kiss My Keto is quite new player in the keto market, and I got to say I’m impressed with their quality. At first I was a little hesitant about their snappy brand name.

First, I like that this comes in a powder form and the taste is delicious. It works as a morning shake for me now.

PS! In my opinion the taste is quite sweet, which I like. If sweet beverages are not your thing then I suggest checking out the Perfect Keto capsules coming up next.

It’s free of sugar and additives and sweetened with natural Stevia. It contains Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc, Chloride, Sodium (Himalayan Pink Salt), Potassium. 

Although it’s an electrolyte supplement, it also can work as a pre-workout.

» Check the price of Kiss My Keto Electrolyte powder here

The good

• Effective remedy for keto flu symptoms
• Dissolves completely, easy to use
• Organic and natural ingredients
• Facilitates better sleep
• Sweetened with natural Stevia
• Powder form (can add to other shakes)
• Delicious taste (sweet)
• Quite cheap

The bad

• Only 2 flavors
• Mixed berry flavor can be sweet for some

Form: PowderServing size: 1 Scoop (4g)Sodium: 140mg Potassium: 300mg Magnesium: 150mg Calcium: 64mg Zinc: 2mg

2. Perfect Keto Electrolytes

Perfect Keto is one of the leaders in the keto community. Their electrolytes come in a capsule form and is the next best thing after electrolyte shakes (in my opinion).

The form factor and packaging is convenient to use and perfect if you are constantly on the run.

Electrolytes in this stack come in 4:2:1:1 ratio which is based on their doctor formulated recipe for better results.

The capsules are in a gel form and it’s vital that you store them properly.

And the suggested use is 1-10 capsules per day, depending on how severe the cramps or other side-effects are.

» Check the price of Perfect Keto Electrolytes here

The good

• Effective remedy for keto flu symptoms
• Perfect for people on the go (e.g. travelling)
• Tasteless, odorless, no sugar, carbs or any additives
• Free from artificial substances
• Made from natural substances and organic sources
• Plant based

The bad

• Has lesser electrolytes than many other products
• Pills could be hard to swallow for some

Form: CapsulesServing size: 1 CapsuleSodium: 140mg Potassium: 70mg Magnesium: 35mg Calcium: 35mg

3. Ultima Replenisher Electrolyte Powder

Ultima Replenisher Electrolyte Hydration Powder is well balanced with six electrolytes and many minerals to help your body remain hydrated without causing constipation.

The product is completely natural and has no sugars, zero calories, no carbohydrates and no artificial substances at all.

It’s sweetened naturally with organic stevia leaf extract and has natural fruit flavors.

It’s also a great way to replace electrolytes lost during activity and preventing muscle cramps and headaches from travel and hangovers and body rehydration.

It’s not made specifically for keto as two previous products but it works as well to cure your keto-flu.

» Check the price of Ultima Replenished Electrolyte powder here

The good

• Effective remedy for keto flu symptoms
• Superb at rehydration, especially for anyone who exercises or does any activity that causes perspiration
• Great for mental performance
• Easy to digest
• Lot of flavors to choose from
• Contains 6 minerals

The bad

• Cherry Pomegranate can leave stains
• The Orange flavor may be hard for stir in
• Packaging is smaller than expected

Form: PowderServing size: One scoop / Stickpack (3.4g)Sodium: 55mg Potassium: 250mg Magnesium: 100mg Calcium: 65mg Zinc: 1mg

4. Kiss My Keto Exogenous Ketones

This is an exogenous ketones with added electrolytes.

The reason I’m listing this here is that most likely you will want to try some moment exogenous ketones and when you do I suggest giving this one a try.

In simple terms, exogenous ketones are basically ketones in a supplement form. It helps to raise the ketone levels and fights against keto flu.

It’s often used as a remedy for cheat days and to boost mental performance as well. In this you will get 2 in 1 (ketones + electrolytes).

​Mixed berry flavor tastes like sour patch kids candy, or like a tart Gatorade. Which is suprising as BHB salts usually don’t taste very well (which is okay, as it’s a bhb supplement not a candy bar).

» Check the price of Kiss My Keto Exogenous Ketones here

The good

• Contains Calcium Beta-Hydroxybutyrate (BHB), Sodium BHB, and Magnesium BHB
• Helps your body to get fat adapted
• Includes electrolytes which fight with keto flu
• Sweetened with natural Stevia
• It does what it claims

The bad

• Only 2 flavors
• The flavors do not suit for everyone (bhb salts do not taste like candy bars)

Form: PowderServing size: 1 Scoop (approx. 15.1g)Sodium: 770mg Potassium: 155mg Magnesium: 68mg Calcium: 990mg Zinc: 3mg

5. Perfect Keto Base

This is another exogenous ketones product, but from a brand called Perfect Keto – another leader in the keto community.

This was my first exogenous ketone product I started using and I cannot say enough good things about it.

Most of its products also taste extremely well.

As an exogenous ketone product, it works extremely well. Raises ketone levels and tastes great. 

From the electrolyte department, it has less electrolytes than competitors and doesn’t contain any potassium or zinc. Now this is not a dealbreaker, but if you know that you have potassium deficency then try Kiss My Keto exogenous ketones.

If you haven’t tried exogenous ketones before then this is probably the safest way to tiptoe into this world.

» Check the price of Perfect Keto Exogenous Ketones here

The good

• Contains Calcium Beta-Hydroxybutyrate (BHB), Sodium BHB, and Magnesium BHB
• Helps your body to get fat adapted
• Sweetened with natural Stevia
• Best tasting exogenous ketone on the market
• Extremely high quality customer service

The bad

• Tiny bit pricer than many competitors

Form: PowderServing size: 1 Scoop (approx. 13g)Sodium: 670mg ​Magnesium: 390mg Calcium: 600mg