Why Ketones Are A Super Fuel
On the standard American diet, bodies are sugar-driven machines. Meaning, most people eat a lot of carbs, which breaks down into glucose and uses that as their main fuel source. However, there is an alternative energy source that can tapped into: ketones.
The 3main types of ketones are acetoacetate (AcAc), 3-beta-hydroxybutyrate (3HB) and acetone which is a byproduct of acetoacetate. Ketones are always present in our bodies, but their levels are increased during fasting and prolonged exercise. When enter state of ketosis, you move from using one fuel source to two.
So where do we get ketones from?
Produced in the liver, ketones are used as the main energy source when glucose is not readily available.
With a ketogenic diet (very low carb diet), the body is able to use an alternative energy source, ketones. Carb restriction prompts the pancreas to tell fat cells to release fatty acids, which gets goes to the liver and eventually is converted into ketones. Eventually, ketones are released into the blood and brain. Providing enough energy is a preventative measure against many neurological diseases, and deficient energy production may be a major cause.
For example, during metabolic stress (exercise) ketones are used as an alternative energy source to maintain normal brain functionality. According to Scientific American, ketones may even be a more efficient source of fuel than glucose as it provides more energy per unit oxygen used.
Need some scientific evidence to believe that ketones help protect against brain diseases?
A research study of 23 elderly adults with mild cognitive impairment shows that a ketogenic diet improved the verbal memory performance after 6 weeks compared to a standard high-carb diet.
In a double-blind placebo-controlled study of 152 patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease, those receiving a ketogenic agent shows improved cognitive improved compared to those that received a placebo.
Ethan Weiss, MD (UC San Francisco Physician-Scientist), studies the effect of carb restriction and ketones.
“It’s incredibly powerful,” Weiss said.
“Cutting back on carbohydrates, there are so many metabolic benefits. The body processes the remaining carbohydrates more efficiently, and so it requires much less insulin,” he said.
Over time, we’ve lost touch of using ketones to fuel our bodies. With carbs being a major part of the standard American diet, our bodies are no longer using energy as efficiently as we could be. To me it’s a big reason why there’s such an alarming rate of metabolic dysfunction. If we never give our body chance to efficiently use all sources of energy, how can live our healthiest life?
