Disclaimer: None of the information in this article constitutes medical advice, and is just the opinion of the writer(s). We recommend that patients follow their doctor’s guidance in regard to ketosis.

Prüvit is a keto brand that sells what they call “therapeutic” ketones. The brand claims that their product line “supports healthy cell function,” “rapidly repairs DNA,” “supports healthy immune function” and more.

But does taking exogenous ketones actually promote better health, or are these just marketing claims? Does the brand use any questionable additive ingredients? Can taking keto supplements like Pruvit cause the body to enter the state of ketosis? And how do real users rate and describe the effects of Pruvit?

In this article we'll answer all of these questions and more as we analyze the ingredients in Pruvit based on medical studies to give our take on whether the supplement is likely to promote better health, or if it's a waste of money.

We'll discuss whether taking ketones in supplement form can cause the body to enter ketosis, whether entering ketosis is even necessary or healthy, and feature real user reviews of Pruvit.

We'll also discuss several lawsuits filed against Pruvit, along with a warning letter from the FTC, and whether consumers should care.

Ingredient Analysis

The supplement sold by Pruvit is called KETO//OS NAT (short for Nutritionally Advanced Technology) and its vitamin and mineral ingredients are shown above.

Sodium is included at a high dose of 850 milligrams (mg). That’s over 33% of the total daily intake recommended by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Individuals on a keto diet may require higher sodium intake than those on a standard American diet, but it would be best to speak with a doctor or nutritionist about that.

Calcium, magnesium and two B-vitamins are included in this blend and we're unsure why. We haven't come across any evidence that these nutrients promote ketosis, and KETO//OS NAT is branded as a keto supplement and not a multivitamin.

The ingredients in the keto-promoting blend are shown below:

R-beta-hydroxybutyrate is clinically shown to promote ketosis.

A clinical trial published in the Frontiers in Nutrition journal found that a 14,100 mg dose of d-beta-hydroxybutyrate (a similar ketone) was effective for inducing ketosis in the body, but the average ingredient dose in this blend is only 3,150 mg.

L-taurine was shown in a 2022 clinical trial to have synergistic health effects when consumed with ketone salts. Athletes taking ketones and taurine together experienced improved exercise performance. 

Fermented l-leucine is the third active ingredient in this blend, but we cannot find any clinical evidence that it supports ketosis or improves health generally. A 2018 medical review found that this ingredient did not cause or negate ketosis.

C-Med 100 is a trademarked botanical extract that was shown in a clinical trial published in the Phytotherapy Research journal to promote DNA repair.

This compound was also shown to have an anti-cancer effect in a 2003 clinical trial.

The inactive ingredients in Pruvit's supplement are shown below:

Caffeine is listed as an inactive ingredient, which we strongly disagree with. Caffeine is clinically shown to be a central nervous system stimulant, and we've never before seen this ingredient listed as inactive in any of our hundreds of supplement reviews on Illuminate Health.

Failing to publish the specific caffeine dose may be unsafe for consumers, because caffeine can cause side effects such as anxiety and heart palpitations at high doses, according to a 1985 population study.

Citric acid is a preservative and flavor enhancer that can cause inflammation, as we documented in our Gatorlyte review article.

Natural flavor is a healthier option than artificial flavor in our opinion, but some flavoring additives may cause toxic effects according to a medical review published in the Toxicology Research journal.

Overall, we consider KETO//OS somewhat likely to promote ketosis, although we can't find any medical studies proving that r-beta-hydroxybutyrate can promote ketosis at the likely dose in Pruvit's supplement.

We consider this supplement potentially effective for supporting overall health given the inclusion of the amino acids and botanical ingredients, but we don't recomend KETO//OS overall because of the lack of caffeine dose disclosure and the questionable inactive ingredients highlighted above.

But is ketosis (the state where the body burns fat rather than glycogen) even healthy? We'll discuss in the next section.

Is Ketosis Even Healthy?

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 daily), or by consuming exogenous ketones like the one included in KETO//OS.

A clinical trial from 2017 showed 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.”

A medical review published in the Cureus journal reported that the keto diet may have beneficial effects for individuals with high blood pressure or diabetes over short time periods (under one year). However, the researchers also noted that the diet may increase cardiovascular risks over time due to its unfavorable effects on cholesterol levels.

The study authors of a 2020 medical review suggested that the keto diet may cause weight loss in overweight individuals over short time periods, but that there was no evidence of long-term benefit. 

Our takeaway is two-fold:

1. We haven't seen any convincing evidence that otherwise healthy individuals benefit from being in ketosis
2. The potential benefits of ketosis in individuals with health conditions like high blood pressure or obesity appear to be short-term

Given this information, we consider the entire value proposition behind KETO//OS to be questionable.

But how do real users rate and describe the effects of this supplement? We'll discuss that in the next section.

Real Users Review Pruvit

A YouTube creator named Anastasia tried Pruvit's supplement for 20 days in an unsponsored video, and tracked its effects on her weight:

A YouTube creator named "The Keto Dad" tested whether Pruvit's supplement actually caused ketosis with at-home ketone test strips:

Why Was Pruvit Sued?

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 this lawsuit may be notable to consumers, it's not particularly actionable without the actual lead levels. Unfortunately, due to environmental pollution, there is some level of lead in drinking water and many food products and supplements. Without knowing the actual lead levels, it's hard to make an informed decision one way or another.

According to the "Behind MLM" website, Pruvit is also facing a class action lawsuit over alleged use of petrochemical-derived flavoring, while claiming their products contain no artificial flavors.

This isn't the extent of Pruvit's legal and regulatory issues.

In 2020, the company received a warning letter from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) because some of their affiliates were making claims that the products cured COVID.

Our Clean Keto Picks

As we've stated throughout this article, we're not particularly convinced about the need or benefit of inducing ketosis.

For consumers who are intent on trying keto, Performance Lab MCT Oil is our top keto supplement pick, because it has one single ingredient (organic MCT oil derived from coconuts) and no stimulants, citric acid or flavoring additives.

MCT oil is clinically shown to induce ketosis, and MCT oil was shown to cause a statistically significant amount of weight loss over 10 weeks in a 2015 meta-study.

Pros and Cons of Pruvit

Here are the pros and cons of Pruvit in our opinion:

Pros:

• May support ketosis
• Contains some research-backed active ingredients
• May be beneficial short-term

Cons:

• Doesn't appear clinically tested
• Contains flavoring additives
• Contains citric acid
• Brand is being sued by multiple organizations
• Brand received warning letter from FTC related to COVID-19 claims
• Unclear whether this helps healthy people
• Brand fails to clearly publish caffeine dose
• Contains added vitamin and mineral blend

Conclusion

While Pruvit KETO//OS may induce ketosis, we can't say so definitively because the product doesn't appear to have been tested in any clinical trials, and because the brand fails to clearly publish the dose of the ingredient that may have this effect (r-beta-hydroxybutyrate).

This product also contains some additive ingredients that may be questionable from a health perspective, including citric acid and natural flavor.

Pruvit fails to clearly publish the caffeine dose and even lists it as an inactive ingredient, which is a consumer safety issue in our opinion. Consumers deserve to know the exact caffeine dose in a supplement, given that this is a stimulant.

Ketosis may have health benefits over short time periods for individuals with pre-existing health conditions like diabetes, but we haven't come across much convincing medical evidence that otherwise healthy individuals benefit from being in the state of ketosis.

In this article we featured videos from real Pruvit users who tested the product's effects on weight and ketosis.

Pruvit is facing two lawsuits and received a warning letter from a regulatory agency.