Disclaimer: None of the information in this article constitutes medical advice, and is just the opinion of the writer(s) and published for informational purposes only. We recommend that patients follow their doctor’s guidance in regard to ketosis products and the keto diet generally.
Prüvit is a keto brand that sells what they call “therapeutic” ketones. Their product is called KETO//OS NAT and the NAT apparently stands for “Nutritionally Advanced Technology.” The brand claims that their product “supports healthy cell function,” “rapidly repairs DNA,” “supports healthy immune function” and more.
In this article we’ll review the ingredients in KETO//OS NAT based on published medical research to determine if we believe their health claims are legit, or if the product is a waste of money.
Can I Enter Ketosis From Drinking Ketones?
Ketosis is the state of burning fat instead of glucose for energy. This can be achieved by adhering to a very-low-carb diet (typically less than 50 or so grams of carbs), or by consuming exogenous ketones.
When the body breaks down fat for energy, it produces ketones, according to the University of California. These ketones are formed in the liver, and some people feel healthier when adhering to a diet that allows them to burn fat for energy.
A medical review of the advantages and disadvantages of the keto diet, published in the Cureus journal, found that a keto diet may have beneficial effects for patients with hypertension and diabetes. The researchers noted that the diet may lead to cardiovascular risks over time due to its unfavorable effects on cholesterol levels.
Another way to burn ketones for fuel is simply to consume them, regardless of diet. A clinical trial from 2017 proved that drinking ketones causes the body to enter a state of ketosis. The study authors stated the following: “We conclude that exogenous ketone drinks are a practical, efficacious way to achieve ketosis.”
Is The State of Ketosis Healthy?
As outlined in the previous section, there is some research suggesting that a keto diet may be beneficial for some populations, mostly on a short-term basis. We haven’t come across any convincing medical research suggesting that the average person would benefit from existing in a state of ketosis year-round.
There is some early medical research suggesting that a keto diet may be beneficial for overweight and obese patients, because it’s associated with weight loss short-term. However there isn’t enough research in our opinion to make that claim for long-term results.
Even the research paper linked above suggests that we need longer trials, of up to and over 2 years, to determine the “true efficacy” of the keto diet for obesity.
Our takeaway is that keto may be beneficial for some patients, but we recommend that patients speak with their doctor about whether the diet (or exogenous ketones) is right for them, because the determination would need to be made based on individual medical factors.
Pruvit Ketones Medical Review
Pruvit’s website contains a section with peer-reviewed studies of one of its ingredients: C-Med 100. This compound is only one of 9 active ingredients in the overall formulation, so while some research backing is better than nothing, we don’t find this data to be particularly useful and it certainly doesn’t prove that the entire product is effective.
One of the reasons that Pruvit’s medical research section is useless is that they don’t even publish the dosage of C-Med 100 in their formulation. It’s included in a proprietary (“prop”) blend, which means the manufacturer lists the total dose of that blend rather than the dose of each ingredient.
Even if C-Med 100 was found to be effective for the stated health claims, consumers would be left without information if the product will be effective, because we don’t have the information on how much C-Med 100 is in the product.
We consumer proprietary (prop) blends to be a negative for consumers, because they fail to publish the dose of every individual ingredient. Consumers require the dosing information for each active ingredient to make an informed purchase decision.
Pruvit’s medical research section does highlight some interesting medical studies on C-Med 100, and you can review them yourself here. Most of the studies are in-vitro (test tube studies) or studies on animals, which is a weaker standard of evidence than human studies.
We don’t find any of the medical research shared by Pruvit to be particularly convincing that their product will work.
Vitamin and Mineral Blend Review
KETO//OS contains a blend of vitamins and minerals as one section of its active ingredients. While people in ketosis may have a higher electrolyte need, we find the dosage of sodium to be too high at 910 milligrams (mg) per serving. That’s nearly 50% of the total daily intake recommended by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the U.S.
A medical review of the ketogenic diet found that high sodium intake was associated with the highest mortality rates in people on a keto diet. For this reason alone we would not recommend this product.
KETO//OS also contains a seemingly random blend of B-vitamins: 5 mg of Vitamin B6 and 100 micrograms (mcg) of Vitamin B12. The brand does not publish any information on their product page explaining these active ingredient inclusions. Our guess is that Pruvit wanted to include B-vitamins because they can cause a subjective energy increase, and consumers may attribute that to the state of ketosis. Regardless, we don’t recommend taking random doses of vitamins. There is no health benefit unless you have a deficiency in that specific vitamin.
Overall we are unimpressed by the vitamin and mineral blend, and find it to be mostly unnecessary.
Ketone Blend Review
The second section of KETO//OS’ active ingredients is a ketone blend (“N8 Max NAT Blend”) with a total dose of 12.6 grams (g). R-beta-hydroxybutyrate is the first-listed ingredient, and this is the ingredient which can cause ketosis when consumed.
The problem is that we don’t know the dose of this ingredient because it’s contained in a blend. A clinical trial found that a 14.1 g dose of d-beta-hydroxybutyrate (a similar ketone) was effective for inducing ketosis, but the ketone in KETO//OS is one only one of four ingredients which total under 13 g, so it’s challenging to say whether the supplement is effectively dosed.
L-taurine is the second-listed active ingredient in this blend, and we can only locate one medical study suggesting that taurine has health benefits when consumed with ketone salts. Athletes taking ketones and taurine had improved exercise performance. The dose of taurine used in the study was 2.7 g, and again we have no idea what the dose is in KETO//OS.
Fermented l-leucine is the third active ingredient in the Ketone blend. The product page doesn’t contain any information about why this ingredient is included or what its benefits are. This amino acid is considered ketogenic based on a medical review, but we haven’t come across any data suggesting that it enhances ketosis. We also don’t know why Pruvit used a fermented version.
The final active ingredient in this blend is the C-Med 100 which has been discussed previously. Without dosage, we cannot ascertain if this ingredient is likely to be effective.
Overall we’re not particularly impressed by this blend, but the ketone may be at a high enough dose to induce ketosis in a user of this supplement.
Inactive Ingredients Review
KETO//OS contains a list of inactive ingredients, and caffeine is inexplicably listed. Caffeine is absolutely an active ingredient, especially at a dose similar to coffee (as they claim), and we find it to be unsafe for consumers that this brand does not list caffeine as an active ingredient where it’s more easily noticed.
Caffeine is a stimulant which can cause health problems in some sensitive individuals, and we recommend that manufacturers always list the exact caffeine dosage. It’s a user safety issue. Pruvit does not; they simply state that “caffeine equivalent to a 16oz cup of coffee.”
Citric acid is an inactive ingredient in this formulation that we recommend avoiding. While it’s typically a mild and tolerable preservative and flavor enhancer, a small subset of patients experience whole-body inflammation caused by this ingredient, as we discussed in our Gatorlyte review article.
Natural flavor is also included in this formulation, and this ingredient could entail a wide range of chemical compounds. Some natural flavor ingredients are safe, but some may not be, according to a medical review.
We have no issue with a moderate dose of caffeine so long as it’s properly labeled, but we generally recommend that consumers avoid the other two inactive ingredients out of an abundance of safety.
Pruvit Lawsuit
There is an ongoing lawsuit against Pruvit initiated by an organization called the Environmental Research Center. The company alleges that Pruvit contains levels of lead in their products that were higher than California’s Prop 65 benchmark.
While we do feel this is of note and worth communicating to readers, we also want to share our disposition that California’s Prop 65 benchmark is extremely low and relatively unscientific. It would be great if there were no heavy metals at all in our environment, but unfortunately due to biological processes and industrial pollution there are.
There are research reports documenting lead in drinking water, lead in food, and more. What’s important is the level of the lead, because the dose makes the poison. The Environmental Research Center doesn’t seem to have published this level in their lawsuit.
We believe that the dietary supplement standards put forth by the European Union (E.U.) have more research-backing than those published by the state of California. They are more reasonable in our opinion, and the E.U. is widely thought to have the best consumer protections in the world.
We’re not suggesting that consumers should be totally unconcerned with this lawsuit; rather, we’re proposing that without knowing the actual lead level there’s not much information to make an informed choice with.
