Ketones To The Rescue Fashioning Therapies From An Adaptation To Starvation
Ben Harder In times of plenty, both the mind and the body thrive. But deprived of basic sustenance, the mind perishes before the body does. That's not New Age philosophy; it's basic metabolic chemistry. While most of the body manages food shortages with relative ease, the tissues of the brain are vulnerable during periods of scarcity. So when blood sugar dips, the brain must fall back on special biochemistry to meet its energy needs. From studying that metabolic back-up system, a coterie of scientists has drawn inspiration that could lead to a new treatment for conditions as diverse as epilepsy, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, and heart failure. Most of the time, the body makes its fundamental fuel, glucose, from ingested carbohydrates. With each meal, the bloodstream gets replenished with glucose to replace the blood sugar that hungry cells have consumed to satisfy their metabolic needs. The body can't store glucose well, yet cells must be fed continually. So the body puts away extra energy in the form of fat, which it can break down into energy-supplying fatty acids when needed. A starving animal or a person with normal fat stores can thus sustain most of the body's cells for weeks or months without eating. But brain cells, even hungry ones, can't avail themselves of these emergency stores. A physiological barrier that blocks toxins in the bloodstream so they can't enter the delicate brain also keeps out fat and fatty acids. As a consequence, when glucose in the blood runs low, brain cells can run into trouble. People are uniquely vulnerable to such glucose starvation because of their disproportionate braininess. Although the brain makes up about 2 percent of a normal adult's weight, it commands roughly 20 percent of the body's resting metabolic budget. A condition fou Continue reading >>
Ketone Bodies As A Fuel For The Brain During Starvation
THE STATUS OF OUR KNOWLEDGE OF STARVATION AND BRAIN METABOLISM IN HUMANS WHEN I BEGAN MY RESEARCH This story begins in the early 1960s when the general level of knowledge about whole-body metabolism during human starvation was grossly deficient. This was partly caused by a lack of accurate and specific methods for measuring hormones and fuels in biological fluids, which became available about 1965.11 Rigidly designed protocols for studying human volunteers or obese patients, who underwent semi- or total starvation for prolonged periods of time, were not widely employed, and much of the published data regarding metabolic events during starvation were not readily accessible. To complicate matters further, a great deal of the available data was confusing because much of the supposition regarding mechanisms used by the body to survive prolonged periods of starvation was based upon information that was obtained from nonstandardized and often erroneous procedures for studying metabolism. For example, the rate of urinary nitrogen excretion during starvation was sometimes confounded by the consumption of carbohydrate during the studies. Today, students of biochemistry take for granted the fact that tissues of the human body have a hierarchy of fuel usage. They know that the brain, an organ devoted to using glucose, can switch to use ketone bodies during prolonged starvation (2–3 days), thus sparing glucose for other tissues (i.e. red blood cells must use glucose as a fuel; without mitochondria, they have no choice!). However, this fundamental insight into human metabolism was not recognized in the early 1960s, when my research in this area began. How this simple but fundamental fact that ketone bodies provide critical fuels for the brain was discovered and its implication for Continue reading >>
Is The Brain Fueled By Fat, Protein, Or Carbs?
The human brain consumes up to 20% of the energy used by the entire human body which is more than any other single organ. The brain represents only 2% of body weight yet it receives 15% of the cardiac output and 20% of the total body oxygen consumption. (source) Our brains create major nutrition demands on our bodies in order to function optimally. So is it best to fuel the brain with fat, protein, or carbohydrates? The answer is none of these. Even though the brain is composed of 60% fat, it is designed to be fueled by glucose. The brain accounts for 25% of the total body glucose utilization. 1. Glucose is the human body’s key source of energy. The breakdown of carbohydrates (eg: starch) yields mono- and disaccharides, most of which is glucose. (source) If glucose is available, the body will use it first since it is easiest and quickest to metabolize. Whole simple carbohydrates like raw fruit and whole complex carbohydrates like grains, legumes, and tubers are excellent sources of glucose for the brain. Refined carbohydrates can deprive the brain of glucose.1 Click: Know Your Complex, Simple, and Refined Carbs Glucose is virtually the sole fuel for the human brain, except during prolonged starvation. In starvation, ketone bodies generated by the liver partly replace glucose as fuel for the brain. (source) 2. If insufficient carbohydrates are consumed to meet our fuel needs, then fats and proteins can be converted into sugars. The human body has little capacity to store excess carbohydrates or protein, but can convert both to fat stores for later use as fuel when converted to glucose via gluconeogenesis. When fats are converted to sugar in the absence of carbohydrates, ketones are produced. These molecules are very similar to acetone in their structure. They affect br Continue reading >>
Ketones: Your Brain’s Preferred Fuel Source
Ketones have long been touted as a superior fuel source for the brain that possesses a wide array of cognitive benefits. Our brains are made up of two types of cells, neurons, and glial cells, and both are imperative for our brains to function properly (1). Under normal physiological conditions, the principle energy source utilized by the brain cells is glucose (2). Glucose transporters saturate brain capillaries to allow glucose to cross the blood-brain barrier. Once in the brain, glucose is metabolized to pyruvate which enters the mitochondria of the brain cells to ultimately generate energy through aerobic metabolism (3). However, ketone bodies may also provide energy to the brain through different mechanisms. Brain Fuel In addition to glucose, brain cells can derive energy from monocarboxylates which include lactate and the ketone bodies beta-hydroxybutyrate (β-HB) and acetoacetate (AcAc) (2). It is controversial whether or not lactate can be used as a fuel source in the brain; however, many laboratories have reported that BHB is a major fuel supplier for the brain, especially under specific physiological conditions (3,4). BHB and glucose do not nourish the brain uniformly but rather have specific areas of localization. BHB accumulates primarily in the pituitary and pineal glands, as well as in portions of the hypothalamus, and the lower cortical layers (4). Physiological conditions that elevate BHB and consequently provide increased energy to the aforementioned areas of the brain include starvation, fasting, pregnancy, prolonged exercise, uremia, during the prenatal period, infancy, during the chronic consumption of a high fat/low carbohydrate ketogenic diet, and possibly even ketone supplementation (4). Ketones: Brain’s Utilization Capacity Low circulating gluc Continue reading >>
6 Health Benefits Of Ketogenesis And Ketone Bodies
With heavy coverage in the media, ketogenic diets are all the rage right now. And for a good reason; for some people, they truly work. But what do all these different terms like ketogenesis and ketone bodies actually mean? Firstly, this article takes a look at what the ketogenesis pathway is and what ketone bodies do. Following this, it will examine six potential health benefits of ketones and nutritional ketosis. What is Ketogenesis? Ketogenesis is a biochemical process through which the body breaks down fatty acids into ketone bodies (we’ll come to those in a minute). Synthesis of ketone bodies through ketogenesis kicks in during times of carbohydrate restriction or periods of fasting. When carbohydrate is in short supply, ketones become the default energy source for our body. As a result, a diet to induce ketogenesis should ideally restrict carb intake to a maximum of around 50 grams per day (1, 2). Ketogenesis may also occur at slightly higher levels of carbohydrate intake, but for the full benefits, it is better to aim lower. When ketogenesis takes place, the body produces ketone bodies as an alternative fuel to glucose. This physiological state is known as ‘nutritional ketosis’ – the primary objective of ketogenic diets. There are various methods you can use to test if you are “in ketosis”. Key Point: Ketogenesis is a biological pathway that breaks fats down into a form of energy called ketone bodies. What Are Ketone Bodies? Ketone bodies are water-soluble compounds that act as a form of energy in the body. There are three major types of ketone body; Acetoacetate Beta-hydroxybutyrate Acetone (a compound created through the breakdown of acetoacetate) The first thing to remember is that these ketones satisfy our body’s energy requirements in the same w Continue reading >>
The Brain
This is a summary/extract from The Ketogenic Diet by Lyle McDonald. The fact that the brain is incapable of using FFA for fuel has led to one of the biggest misconceptions about human physiology: that the brain can only use glucose for fuel. While it is true that the brain normally runs on glucose, the brain will readily use ketones for fuel if they are available. In a non-ketotic state, the brain utilizes roughly 100 grams of glucose per day. This means that any diet which contains less than 100 grams of carbohydrate per day will induce ketosis, the depth of which will depend on how many carbohydrates are consumed (i.e. less carbohydrates will mean deeper ketosis). During the initial stages of ketosis, any carbohydrate intake below 100 grams will induce ketosis. As the brain adapts to using ketones for fuel and the body’s glucose requirements decrease, less carbohydrate must be consumed if ketosis is to be maintained. […] the brain which can derive up to 75% of its total energy requirements from ketones after adaptation. In all likelihood, ketones exist primarily to provide a fat-derived fuel for the brain during periods when carbohydrates are unavailable. Continue reading >>
Brain, Livin' On Ketones - A Molecular Neuroscience Look At The Ketogenic Diet
Edited October 3, 2013: A 2.0 version of this post can be found at Scientific American MIND Guest blogs, here. And here's me talking about it. Feel free to check it out! Remember when your high school biology teacher said that the brain absolutely NEEDS glucose to function? Well, that’s not entirely true. Under severe carbohydrate restriction, the brain can adapt and start burning ketones as fuel. Originally devised as a therapy for drug-resistant epilepsy in children, the ketogenic diet (keto) has been gaining popularity lately. It’s a high fat, moderate protein and low carbohydrate diet (LCHF) designed to force the body to go into a state called metabolic ketosis. With the advent of books like “Good Calories, Bad Calories” and “Why we get fat”, LCHF diets are increasingly touted as the magic bullet to weight loss. While there is considerable interest in the medical community in using the ketogenic diet to manage metabolic syndrome or prevent cardiovascular disease, more attention has focused on its role in drug-resistant seizure management and (potentially) neuroprotective effects in brain damage. In the last decade, keto has been shown to improve memory in patients at risk for Alzheimer’s disease, stabilize mood in type II bipolar disorder, reduce symptoms in Parkinson’s disease and even ameliorate some behavioral and social deficits in autism. Keto also seems to decrease brain cancer progression. ALL without observable side effects. Although most of these studies were unblinded (hence placebo can’t be ruled out), the effect is still amazing. What is going on in the brain? And why aren’t pharmaceutical companies racing to package keto into a convenient treat-all 3-a-day pill? How does the body go into ketosis? Source: Simple speaking, strict carbo Continue reading >>
Ketosis Makes Your Brain Work Better
Every morning for the last four and a half months, I’ve broken off a large chunk of grass fed butter (usually around 50 grams or just over three tablespoons) and a couple tablespoons of coconut oil and thrown them in a blender with my morning coffee. You might have heard of this idea, dubbed ‘bulletproof coffee’ and created by a guy called Dave Asprey. 1 (this essay was originally posted at Aaron’s blog HERE) You might ask why the hell somebody might want to put butter in their coffee, but all you’d be proving is that you haven’t tried it (because it tastes amazing) and according to Dave Asprey, apparently will help make you healthier, feel better, perform better, think better – everything short of give you superpowers. Now, I didn’t want to like Dave Asprey… he’s just a little bit too charming – especially once you realize he’s created a whole line of supplements and other consumables that meet his extra-special toxin-free super-executive standards. I tried his upgraded mycotoxin free coffee beans and didn’t notice any difference between them and any other local fancy-shmancy coffee I’ve purchased since – not that I doubt that some people are more sensitive to these toxins, I just didn’t notice a difference. Nevertheless, I do like him. He does a good podcast and he clued me into something that I previously would have thought was completely insane, but now am starting to think is key to keep my brain working optimally – eating a high fat diet. A diet that is high in fat (60-70% of calories), is almost by definition low in carbs, and this means that when eating a high fat diet, it is likely that one is at least partially and some of the time in a state of ketosis. For those of you who don’t know, ketosis is what it is called when the Continue reading >>
What Are Ketone Bodies And Why Are They In The Body?
If you eat a calorie-restricted diet for several days, you will increase the breakdown of your fat stores. However, many of your tissues cannot convert these fatty acid products directly into ATP, or cellular energy. In addition, glucose is in limited supply and must be reserved for red blood cells -- which can only use glucose for energy -- and brain tissues, which prefer to use glucose. Therefore, your liver converts many of these fatty acids into ketone bodies, which circulate in the blood and provide a fuel source for your muscles, kidneys and brain. Video of the Day Low fuel levels in your body, such as during an overnight fast or while you are dieting, cause hormones to increase the breakdown of fatty acids from your stored fat tissue. These fatty acids travel to the liver, where enzymes break the fatty acids into ketone bodies. The ketone bodies are released into the bloodstream, where they travel to tissues that have the enzymes to metabolize ketone bodies, such as your muscle, brain, kidney and intestinal cells. The breakdown product of ketone bodies goes through a series of steps to form ATP. Conditions of Ketone Body Utilization Your liver will synthesize more ketone bodies for fuel whenever your blood fatty acid levels are elevated. This will happen in response to situations that promote low blood glucose, such as an overnight fast, prolonged calorie deficit, a high-fat and low-carbohydrate diet, or during prolonged low-intensity exercise. If you eat regular meals and do not typically engage in extremely long exercise sessions, the level of ketone bodies in your blood will be highest after an overnight fast. This level will drop when you eat breakfast and will remain low as long as you eat regular meals with moderate to high carbohydrate content. Ketone Bodi Continue reading >>
The Beginner’s Guide To Exogenous Ketones
Have you been wondering what exogenous ketones are? If so, you’re not the only one. The keto-dieting world has been buzzing with information about developments on exogenous ketones for awhile now, with many brands producing exogenous ketones that are used by Keto lifestylers around the world. But the majority of Keto dieters don’t completely understand what exogenous ketones are or how they can benefit their diet (or dieting options). In this post, we’ll provide you with easy to read information about exogenous ketones. With this knowledge, you’ll be able to utilize exogenous ketones in your diet, and teach others about their value. Let’s start with the label! The Definition of Exogenous Ketones Two words: exogenous and ketones. The word exogenous describes something that is developed from external factors; something outside of the usual production. So in terms of ketones, this means that exogenous ketones are synthetic: created outside of your body by scientists and then ingested for accelerated ketosis. We assume that you already know what ketones are, but just in case, we’ll give you a brief description of this term as well. Ketones, are organic compounds produced by in your body when your system experiences starvation, or when you restrict carbohydrates and increase fats, which inhibits a starvation-like state that produces ketone bodies. These ketones are an ideal fuel source for your body and your brain. Studies have suggested that when your body is in a ketogenic state, it utilizes oxygen more efficiently in the generation of energy. In short, ketones are secret weapons for anyone looking to take their body’s fueling system to the next level! To restate the point: Exogenous Ketones are ketone supplements. They’re created outside of your body and i Continue reading >>
Fueling Up: Glucose, Ketones & Your Brain
Last week, Accera, Inc. reported that its drug AC-1204 failed in a phase 3 clinical trial for Alzheimer's disease. Unlike recent high-profile drug failures from Lilly and Merck, Accera's drug was not targeting beta-amyloid plaques. Instead, it attempted to slow the progression of Alzheimer's by affecting how neurons get and use energy. The failure of Accera's drug is raising questions about whether targeting the energy system in neurons makes sense as an approach for treating Alzheimer's disease. Glucose (sugar) supplies most of the energy to the brain. But as we age, our brains can become less efficient at converting glucose into energy. In Alzheimer's patients, glucose utilization is even more compromised. However, when there is insufficient glucose, the brain can use a backup fuel source—ketones [1]. Accera's AC-1204 attempted to harness this backup system. AC-1204 is a formulation of caprylic acid, which is a type of medium chain triglyceride (MCT) commonly found in foods such as coconut oil. The body can convert MCTs into ketones, the brain's alternative energy source. Some evidence suggests that in early Alzheimer's patients, the brain can still use ketones, even if it is less able to use glucose [2]. Accera reported that its trial may have failed because AC-1204 failed to increase the concentration of ketones in the blood, which affects the ability of the brain to use them as energy. The Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF), the nonprofit behind Cognitive Vitality, is funding several Alzheimer's treatments that target the brain's energy system in more direct ways. At Imperial College London, Dr. Paul Edison is conducting a clinical trial to test liraglutide, a diabetes drug that appears to increase the brain's ability to use glucose. Dr. Christian Holsc Continue reading >>
Ketones To Combat Alzheimer’s Disease
Despite decades of efforts to develop a drug that prevents or cures Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most prevalent form of dementia afflicting our aging population, there is currently no treatment for this devastating condition. Emerging research suggests that such a miracle treatment might already exist, not in the form of a pill, but as a simple dietary change. A growing number of studies report that interventions to improve metabolic health can alleviate symptoms and reduce brain pathology associated with AD. A popular theory posits that AD has multiple causes, but their common thread may involve metabolic dysfunction. Indeed, markers of poor metabolic health, such as diabetes, inflammation and high cholesterol, are major risk factors for AD. Just like our muscles, the brain requires energy to function properly. Both neurons and muscles have the unique capacity to metabolize ketones as an alternative fuel source when glucose is in short supply, for instance during fasting or on a low-carbohydrate diet. In the 1920s scientists discovered that a high fat diet promoting ketogenesis controlled epilepsy, and ketosis remains one of the most effective treatments for the condition. This raised the possibility that ketones may also be neuroprotective against other diseases that stem from aberrant neural metabolism, such as AD. Since then, research has confirmed that ketones do in fact alter brain metabolism in ways that reduce neuropathology and relieve behavioral symptoms. Ketones alleviate symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease Over the past decade, several studies have supported the clinical value of ketosis in cognitively impaired patients. In a 2004 study twenty individuals with AD or Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) were treated with placebo or medium chain triglycerides, a t Continue reading >>
Ketogenic Diet Benefits
Just here for exogenous ketones? Click here to see some Exogenous Ketone Salt Products that I like a lot. (Use coupon code: “FEEDABRAIN” for a discount). What is Ketosis, and What is a Ketogenic Diet? We hear the word “keto” thrown around a lot nowadays in the health and fitness world, and not everyone fully understands what it means. When most people say “I’m doing keto”, they mean they are on a ketogenic diet. Ketogenic simply means “creating ketones”. You might be wondering what a ketone is. When we eat carbohydrates and sugars, our bodies convert these nutrients into glucose or other simple sugars to power our cells via the creation of ATP (adenosine triphosphate). Check out our Full Article on ATP to learn more. How Does Our Body Make Endogenous Ketones? To put it simply, ATP is like a little battery that stores energy, and our cells use these batteries to power just about every reaction in every cell of our bodies. However, our bodies can use fats to power our cells as well. When we eat fats or fatty acids, our liver converts these into ketones. Our cells cannot utilize fat right off the bat, but they can use ketones to create ATP after our liver has converted it. A ketogenic diet is typically described as a high fat, moderate protein, and low carbohydrate diet. The Atkins Diet is usually the first thing that pops into people’s heads when they think “low carb diet”, and while Dr. Atkins popularized the diet in modern times, the ketogenic diet has been around for a very long time. The History of the Ketogenic Diet Many people believe so called “low carb diets” are just another fad diet, but we have been studying the ketogenic diet in the United States as far back as the 1920’s for its use in suppressing drug-resistant seizures! I suppo Continue reading >>
Are Carbs Helping Or Destroying Your Brain?
Your brain is a complicated organ. Extremely complicated. In fact, the human brain is complicated enough that the human brain can’t even understand the human brain. Modern science has discovered many interesting factoids about how our brains function, including things like the location of our memory center, the location of our speech center, where long term memories are formed, and how sleep restores neurological function. Yet despite a very deep understanding of this mysterious organ, scientists routinely debate the answer to an incredibly basic question: Are carbohydrates good or bad for your brain? It’s a simple question, really. But the answer is complicated. Very complicated. Attempting to understand how to fuel your brain optimally is a challenging task indeed. Read 10 articles on the internet and you’re presented with 10 different answers. Read 10 more articles and you’re bound to get extremely confused. In the quest for understanding what foods fuel your brain optimally, there seem to be two main reoccurring themes, shown below. In order to get to the bottom of this debate, let’s dig into basic brain physiology. Theme #1: Your brain loves carbohydrates Your Brain Is A Glucose Hog Make no mistake, your brain is the most selfish organ in your body. Think of your brain as a metabolic pig – constantly taking energy from the bloodstream and storing none of it for itself. It’s no wonder that your brain is one of the hungriest organs in your body – more than 80 billion neurons are sending and receiving electrical signals 24 hours a day, creating complex thoughts and emotions. Even when you are asleep, neurons in your brain are busy sending a flurry of electrical signals from one region to the next, consolidating memories and information from the previou Continue reading >>
Understanding Ketone Bodies And The Role Of Raspberry Ketones
Before we delve into what raspberry ketones are, and how they work, we feel it is important to understand that ketones aren’t exclusive to red raspberries. Ketone bodies are actually a naturally occurring compound in our body. What Are Ketones? Ketone bodies are the metabolic end products of our body’s fatty acid metabolism. The liver breaks down fatty acids in our body as a way to provide us energy when blood-glucose levels are low. Ketone bodies are the by-products of this process. They become available to the body as an alternative energy source. Ketones are naturally occurring in our body, going all the way back to birth. Ketone bodies are essentially three water-soluble compounds. The liver transports two of these, acetoacetate and beta-hydroxybutyrate, to other tissues where they can be reconverted to acetyl-CoA to supply energy. The third compound, acetone, cannot be reconverted to acetyl-CoA. It is instead excreted in urine or exhaled while breathing. The Body And Energy It is commonly known that glucose (sugar), just like ketones, are another source of fuel and energy within the body. The carbohydrates that we consume in our diet ensure that glucose is present in our bloodstream. This is the first place your body will turn to when looking for fuel. The problem is the human body does not store glucose very well without consistent replenishment. This isn’t a problem for most people, since we as a nation tend to consume an unhealthy amount of sugars and carbohydrates, and don’t burn them off with sufficient exercise. In cases where glucose is less available, for instance if we engage in strenuous exercise, or we are fasting, or trying out a low-carbohydrate diet, most tissues turn to fatty acids for an additional energy source. However the human brain cann Continue reading >>
