Our nutritionalist Kate Harrison examines the efficacy and user reviews of this well known keto diet aid. Find out the full verdict in her K3 Spark Mineral review below…
K3 Spark Mineral is a weight loss supplement designed to bring you more ably into ketosis. The pills are meant to give you more energy as you dive into your ketogenic diet, allowing for greater athleticism, greater ease as you go through a calorie deficit, and a clearer head as you go through it all.
It does this mostly through its inclusion of hydroxybutyrate (BHB), its main ingredient and a worthy, fundamental supplement to any ketogenic program.
However, I have my doubts about K3 Mineral Spark. It is perhaps a little light on a couple of factors – it could do with more ingredients, as some of its competitors use, and it could do with a little more scientific backing than their manufacturer, S.O. Labs, offer – we’ll explore all of this and assess whether it’s worth buying in our K3 Spark Mineral review – read on to find out all you need to know…
Quick Verdict On K3 Spark Mineral
K3 Spark Mineral is not worth the investment in our opinion. It has just three ingredients that in our testing provided little impact.
Instead we prefer the benefits that come with KetoCharge for anyone looking to get the most out of a keto diet and who wants to alleviate the negative side effects such as keto flu.
K3 Spark Mineral Explained
As above, K3 Spark Mineral bills itself as a weight loss supplement. This isn’t quite the case, though I can kind of see where they are coming from.
It includes three common BHB compounds designed to make ketosis more bearable and more efficient. It will allow your body to release ketones more ably, giving you more energy and clarity. This can be very useful as part of a weight loss program that revolves around ketosis. Ketones are made by converting body fat into energy. You will chew through your fat reserves faster when ketone use is boosted.
However, all this relies on you maintaining a ketogenic diet in the first place – or at least a low carbohydrate intake.
If they were going for a ‘weight loss’ pill, rather than a ketosis pill, S.O. Labs should have included a few extras.
High fiber intake has been linked with improved weight loss and body composition. It lies behind healthy digestion, alongside a whole host of additional health benefits. Fiber is a form of carbohydrate. As ketogenic diets limit carbohydrate intake to 50 grams or fewer per day, they are notorious for low fiber intake.
A good weight loss pill should include good quality fiber – something like glucomannan would be perfect. This would improve digestive health, increase satiation, and lead to improved weight loss.
A thermogenic component would also be helpful.
There are plenty to choose from. Caffeine, cayenne pepper, capsicum more broadly, green tea, green coffee, and many, many more ingredients can elicit greater thermogenesis. Plenty of weight loss pills contain them.
Caffeine would be nice to see for a bit of an energy kick, too, though arguably greater ketone output could make this semi-redundant.
As a ketosis aid, K3 Spark Mineral is a little thin – BHB and a couple of minerals is a slim ingredients list – but is absolutely beneficial. I find it a little odd to see it billed as a weight loss product.
KetoCharge – No.1 Spark Alternative
KetoCharge is a specific keto diet supplement that will aid weight loss and help to maintain a state of ketosis to help burn fat.
Not only does it help to raise your blood ketone levels, it also contains natural ingredients designed to combat ‘keto flu’.
Benefits Of K3 Spark Mineral
K3 Spark Mineral contains some common, high quality BHB compounds. BHB is one of the three ketones your body uses for energy when in a state of fasting, or when glucose levels are low. If you’re going through ketosis, you will be in the latter category.
Taking exogenous ketones will give you a bit of an energy boost, therefore. This will make it easier to maintain a ketogenic diet, especially in the early days. Brain fog and lethargy are both common as you go into ketosis. BHB can cut through both, keeping your energised and alert.
BHB can also help to maintain healthy nerve and muscle function.
In this way, K3 Spark Mineral can supplement ketosis, one of the best weight loss situations in which you can put yourself. You will be able to lose weight more ably by maintaining a healthy ketogenic state, for which BHB is useful.
You will also be clearer headed as you go through it.
This is about it. Though S.O. Labs claim to have created a weight loss aid, this isn’t really the case. The benefits of BHB on a ketogenic diet are well-documented. K3 Spark Mineral doesn’t go much further than this.
K3 Spark Mineral Ingredients
First and foremost, K3 Spark Mineral includes three BHBs – sodium, magnesium, and calcium BHB. This will give you more energy, potentially greater athleticism, and a clearer head with greater cognitive health as you undertake a ketogenic diet.
As a ketogenic diet revolves around fat and protein, with minimal carbohydrate intake, it is hard for vegetarians and vegans to follow. You typically need a fair amount of meat and fish to make it work (though there are, of course, exceptions). BHB generally comes from animal sources. This could therefore be seen as either redundant or greatly complimentary for meat eaters.
However, it can still be helpful. Those following a plant-based ketogenic diet should definitely invest in a good BHB source like K3 Spark Minerals.
Given its name, you would imagine that K3 Spark Minerals delivers a great deal of minerals.
Well, it does give you some minerals. The three mentioned above, in fact – magnesium, calcium, and sodium, which are all fundamental to the BHB inclusion. Each gives some added benefits above and beyond their role as BHBs.
I was very disappointed not to see zinc on this list, though. I can’t work out why they would leave it out if they are going for a mineral supplement. The nutrient profile seems a little lean in general – there should be far more minerals across the board.
However, the three inclusions are worthy.
Magnesium is essential for bone growth and maintenance. It also plays a key role in maintaining healthy nerve and muscle function, making it especially good in an athletic supplement. It can also reduce levels of stomach acid, which can be useful when following a protein rich diet, as protein is highly acidic and can lead to stomach upsets. Magnesium is also needed to get energy from protein, so supplementing with it should give you a bit of a kick.
Calcium has several vital, pertinent uses. It helps to form healthy bones, including teeth. Those following a plant-based diet may be deficient in it, as it is largely found in milk, cheese, and other dairy products, as well as fish (though green leafy vegetables are also rich in it).
It is hard to absorb more than around 500 mg per day, however, making supplementation quite limited.
Finally, we have sodium, a mineral that has been linked with healthy fluid balance and cell homeostasis. It is important in the digestive process and in assimilating nutrients. Again, however, a little goes a long way. Most western diets don’t need more sodium.
KetoCharge – No.1 Spark Alternative
KetoCharge is a specific keto diet supplement that will aid weight loss and help to maintain a state of ketosis to help burn fat.
Not only does it help to raise your blood ketone levels, it also contains natural ingredients designed to combat ‘keto flu’.
How To Use & Take K3 Spark Mineral
Spark K3 Mineral is quite easy to take, though you need to go for more than one daily dose. Take one tablet, twice per day, for a month
Using K3 Spark Mineral
Anybody should be safe taking K3 Spark Mineral. The ingredients are all natural, meaning that the side effects that you might experience will be mild at worst. However, there are some side effects.
These include headaches, nausea, stomach upset, vomiting, and digestive concerns. As these are all side effects related to ketosis in general, it is hard to tell how much this is down to K3 Spark Mineral and how much is down to dietary norms. However, a good keto supplement should help to undo these concerns, not include them as a list of possible side effects.
These side effects should all go away pretty quickly, though. They should only be present in the first few days, perhaps the first few weeks, of ketosis and supplementation.
Using K3 Spark Mineral should also give you a good energy spike and a great deal of mental clarity. As lethargy and brain fog are common in ketosis, this is incredibly good. It at least undoes some of the worst side effects associated with switching from glucose to ketone energy use.
If you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, or suffer with a pre-existing medical concern, you should talk to your healthcare provider before taking any new supplements. However, K3 Spark Mineral should be largely safe for all groups.
As above, K3 Spark Mineral will have limited use outside of a ketogenic diet. For best results, take the vast majority of your calories from fat and protein. You should eat fewer than 50 g of carbohydrates per day to enter true ketosis. This is about the equivalent of a couple of medium sized bananas.
K3 Spark Minerals Pros and Cons
Pros
- May help in weight loss as part of a ketogenic diet
- May boost energy levels during ketosis
- Can lead to greater mental clarity
- May suppress mildly appetite
Cons
- The formula is pretty bare
- No free trials, refunds, or clear return policy
- Relies on a ketogenic diet, so isn’t a true ‘weight loss’ pill
- There are some known side effects
- High cost for such a lack of effective ingredients
- Few testimonials and little data available
FAQs
Is K3 Spark Mineral Safe?
K3 Spark Mineral should be safe for most consumers. As above, there are some side effects associated with ketosis that you need to be careful of. However, the ingredients are natural, and the product is manufactured in the USA in an FDA-endorsed facility, under GMP standards.
How much does K3 Spark Mineral cost and where can I buy it?
You can buy K3 Spark Mineral from their own online shop or from plenty of second-party retailers. However, pricing can be hard to find. My experience is that it’s priced quite highly for what it contains and considering alternative products is recommended.
Does K3 Spark Mineral provide a free trial or refund policy?
No, they don’t – there is no free trial or money back guarantee. Most of their competitors offer at least the latter, suggesting a greater consumer experience and far more confidence in their products.
How should you take K3 Spark Mineral?
Take one tablet twice daily for 30 days for best results.
KetoCharge – No.1 Spark Alternative
KetoCharge is a specific keto diet supplement that will aid weight loss and help to maintain a state of ketosis to help burn fat.
Not only does it help to raise your blood ketone levels, it also contains natural ingredients designed to combat ‘keto flu’.
Verdict
I personally think that K3 Spark Mineral is a waste of money. It is very expensive given that it only gives you three active ingredients. It is also slightly dishonest in promoting its BHB use and the mineral content separately – they are one and the same and any BHB supplement will do what K3 Spark Mineral does.
K3 Spark Mineral is not a weight loss supplement, either. It can be linked with weight loss. It cannot cause weight loss. It will do no more than your diet does by itself. If you are maintaining ketosis – taking your calories mainly from protein and fat – and working to a calorie deficit, you will lose weight. Even without a calorie deficit, you will likely lose some body fat.
K3 Spark Mineral can help this process. It cannot elicit it. It can only undo some of the side effects whilst giving you a little more energy.
If you want a good ‘weight loss’ pill, first sort out your diet. Put a calorie deficit in place. Then look for a supplement with good thermogenic properties. Find something that can boost your metabolism, aid satiation, and improve digestive health.
Phen24 is a very good option. It isn’t designed for ketosis. However, if K3 Spark Mineral wants to market itself as a weight loss pill, it has to compete with superior, actual weight loss pills. If you’re looking to maintain healthy body composition, something like Phen24 will serve you far better.
Phen24 is a thermogenic fat burner with a bit of a twist. You get two pills, one for daytime, one for night. The daytime pill is the thermogenic metabolic booster, maintaining good metabolic health to make the most of your calorie deficit. The nighttime pill leads to better sleep and normalized nighttime metabolic health.
If you want something geared specifically towards ketosis, I would recommend KetoCharge. As with K3 Spark Mineral, it should undo many of the nasty side effects associated with ketosis. The BHB formula should keep you energized and clear headed.
You will also get plenty of electrolytes with KetoCharge, more than earning its modest price tag. These will aid in improved hydration whilst also playing their own role in improving ketosis. It also gives you a good dose of glycine amino acid, for further improved energy levels and normalized sleep patterns. You can read our full KetoCharge review here.