Exogenous Ketones: What They Are, Benefits Of Use And How They Work
Exogenous ketones have become a popular nutritional supplement since their introduction in 2014. Like with any new supplement, though, there tends to be a lot of misinformation that you have to sift your way through to find the reliable data. So, this article does the hard work for you and gets right to what the true benefits and drawbacks of exogenous ketones are. We also cover what forms of ketones to consider, how they function in the body, and their role in future research. What Are Ketones? Our bodies use ketones via our mitochondria to generate energy. They are an alternative fuel source to glucose. Ketones are simple compounds because of their small molecular structure and weight. Specifically, they are organic (carbon-based) compounds that contain a central carbon atom double-bonded to an oxygen atom and two carbon-containing substituents, denoted by “R” (see chemical structure below). In humans, there are 3 different ketones produced by the mitochondria of the liver. These are also often referred to as ketone bodies. The three ketones are: Acetone Acetoacetic Acid Beta-Hydroxybutyric Acid (also known Beta Hydroxybuyrate or BHB). Other chemical names include 3-hydroxybutyric acid or 3-hydroxybutyrate. BHB is not technically a ketone since it contains a reactive OH-group in place of where a double-bonded oxygen normally would be as you can see in the diagram below. Yet, BHB still functions like a ketone in the body and converts into energy much like acetoacetate and acetone. This happens via the acetoacetate and acetyl-CoA pathway. Note that acetone conversion to acetyl-CoA is not efficient due to the need to convert acetone to acetoacetate via decarboxylation. However, BHB still functions like a ketone in the body and can be converted to energy (via acetoace Continue reading >>
Everything You Need To Know About Exogenous Ketones 1
The use of exogenous ketones (BHB Salts) are becoming more and more popular in the keto community. However, there is a lot of misunderstanding around what exogenous ketones are and how they work. In this guide, we will go in depth on what exogenous ketones are, how to use them and the benefits they can provide. 1 Information provided in this article is for educational purposes only and is not intended to treat, cure, or diagnose any disease or condition and is not a replacement for medical advice or a doctor-patient relationship. Be sure to talk to your doctor before embarking on any new diet. The mention of or reference to any individual researcher in this article should not be taken as an endorsement from that individual. All statements contained in this article have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. What is the ketogenic diet? The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet that shifts the body into a metabolic state called “ketosis” in which it burns fat as the primary source of energy. This article will review the basics of the ketogenic diet and how exogenous ketones may help boost your efforts in weight management, athletic performance, and enhanced cognition. There are three types of ketogenic diets: the Standard Ketogenic Diet (SKD), Cyclical Ketogenic Diet (CKD), and Targeted Ketogenic Diet (TKD). Those trying to lose weight or improve their overall health generally choose the SKD, which limits carbohydrate consumption to 50-60 grams per day, depending on how much exercise you do. Athletes tend to choose the CKD, which allows for carbohydrate loading one to two days per week to enable faster muscle growth, or the TKD, which allows for carbohydrate lo Continue reading >>
Your Brain On Ketones
The modern prescription of high carbohydrate, low fat diets and eating snacks between meals has coincided with an increase in obesity, diabetes, and and increase in the incidence of many mental health disorders, including depression, anxiety, and eating disorders. In addition, many of these disorders are striking the population at younger ages. While most people would agree that diet has a lot to do with the development of obesity and diabetes, many would disagree that what we eat has much to do with our mental health and outlook. I believe that what we eat has a lot to do with the health of our brains, though of course mental illness (like physical illness) has multifactorial causes, and by no means should we diminish the importance of addressing all the causes in each individual. But let's examine the opposite of the modern high carbohydrate, low fat, constant snacking lifestyle and how that might affect the brain. The opposite of a low fat, snacking lifestyle would be the lifestyle our ancestors lived for tens of thousands of generations, the lifestyle for which our brains are primarily evolved. It seems reasonable that we would have had extended periods without food, either because there was none available, or we were busy doing something else. Then we would follow that period with a filling meal of gathered plant and animal products, preferentially selecting the fat. During the day we might have eaten a piece of fruit, or greens, or a grub we dug up, but anything filling or high in calories (such as a starchy tuber) would have to be killed, butchered, and/or carefully prepared before eating. Fortunately, we have a terrific system of fuel for periods of fasting or low carbohydrate eating, our body (and brain) can readily shift from burning glucose to burning what ar Continue reading >>
Ketogenic Diet: 25 Proven Benefits And How To Know If It’s Right For You
The ketogenic diet has been touted for its many health benefits such as weight loss, cognitive function, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer. In this post, we cover: Different ways to get into ketosis Physiology and pathways that are changed when you are in ketosis, which explains how the ketogenic diet derives its benefits Genetic factors that may affect the safety and effectiveness of ketosis 17 Health conditions that may be helped by the ketogenic diet Negative effects of ketosis and how to mitigate them Ketogenic Diets Improve Cognitive Function and Brain Health Ketogenic Diet as a Cancer Treatment Ketogenic diets are defined by a low carbohydrate (typically under 50 grams/day) and high fat intake, leading to an elevation of free fatty acids and ketone bodies in the blood (R). The first ketogenic diets in the medical literature are noted in publications in the 1920s, although wider popularity and increased research was not seen in medical literature until the 1960s (R). Variations of the diets have remained popular for the past 20-30 years, with proponents claiming that the diets boost weight loss and energy while offering protection from certain metabolic diseases (R). A ketogenic diet and fasting affect the body similarly. Both deplete the body’s glucose reserves, so the body starts turning fatty acids into ketones (R). When the body doesn’t have enough carbohydrates from food, it burns fat by producing ketones or ketone bodies (R, R). In non-diabetics, ketosis can be achieved in 3 ways, i.e. Fasting or severe caloric restriction (R) Prolonged physical exercise in fasted state, depending on intensity and duration (R, R2) Nutritional ketosis, i.e. by consuming a very low carbohydrate diet Supplementation, such as by supplementing with medium chain triglyceri Continue reading >>
The Ketogenic Diet: A Remedy For Brain Disorders
Researchers, clinicians, and patients have long experienced success with the ketogenic diet in treating epilepsy. However, the mechanisms and mediators that allow the ketogenic diet to act as an antidote for epilepsy are not entirely known. In the search for understanding, the ketogenic diet has been implicated as a possible therapy for other brain disorders including Alzheimer’s disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, brain cancer, depression, and Parkinson’s disease. The efficacy of the ketogenic diet in treating these brain disorders has recently been shown in cell culture, rodent, and human research studies. Alzheimer’s Disease Alzheimer’s disease, also referred to as Type III diabetes, is a type of dementia where symptoms of memory loss and intellectual difficulties develop and progress over time. Additionally, older adults with Alzheimer’s disease are at an increased risk of developing epilepsy (1). The development of the disease involves degeneration of neurons via the accumulation of extracellular plaques. This happens when amyloid protein and alterations in mitochondrial homeostasis, along with the decline in cerebral glucose metabolism, begin to malfunction (2,3). In other words, the progression of the disease is a result of the degeneration of nerve cells from the build-up of dysfunctional proteins (amyloids) which can alter the metabolism of the brain. In the cell culture model, which is the study of cells isolated from animal or human tissues to investigate a specific occurrence, amyloid-β proteins (the dysfunctional proteins that characterize Alzheimer’s disease) were added to hippocampal neurons to induce toxicity and eventually promote cell-degeneration. However, when ketone body β –hydroxybutyrate (BHB) was applied to the contaminated ce Continue reading >>
Keto For Mental Health: Using A High-fat, Low-carb Diet For Alzheimer's, Depression, And Anxiety With Amy Berger, Ms, Cns, Ntp -- #013
This week's episode is dedicated to learning more about how a ketogenic diet can improve and even reverse cognitive diseases like Alzheimer's and dementia and also mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. This is an important subject to discuss, not only to help those we know who have already been diagnosed, but also in prevention for ourselves and loved ones. To do so, I enlisted the help of Amy Berger, MS, CNS, NTP and author of The Alzheimer's Antidote, as a guest on the show to bring her knowledge on the topic and so much more about her low-carb journey. We even have differing opinions on a few subjects as it relates to keto vs. low-carb! TOPICS: How Amy got started with a low-carb, ketogenic diet Why she loves eating a low-carb diet Our differing opinions on amounts of dietary fats and carbs The "paralysis by analysis" effects of a keto diet in today's world Alzheimer's as type 3 diabetes Why the keto diet works in Alzheimer's patients Keto for depression and anxiety The role exogenous ketones can play in these diseases IMPORTANT LINKS: The Alzheimer's Antidote by Amy Berger, MS, CNS, NTP More from Amy Berger Find Amy on Twitter @tuitnutrition More from Shawn Mynar Shawn's Instagram Shawn's Facebook Precision Xtra Blood Ketone Meter Precision Xtra Blood Ketone Test Strips Continue reading >>
Inflammation, Ketones And Depression
New theories on how inflammation may be a cause of depression, and how the ketogenic diet may be a novel treatment option Depression is the most commonly diagnosed neuropsychiatric disorder, (Chen, 2017) characterized by persistent feeling of sadness, loss of interest and hopelessness. Is it estimated that >16 million people in US have suffered from a depressive episode in the past year, which represents 6.7% of all American adults. The cause of depression has typically been blamed on a chemical imbalance in the brain, specifically a decrease in the monoamine neurotransmitters (serotonin, noradrenaline and dopamine). Most of the anti-depressant medications work by increasing the levels of these monoamines neurotransmitters. It is estimated that a third of depressed patients treated with these anti-depressant medications however, do not improve. (Miller, 2016) (Yamanashi, 2017) So maybe the pathophysiology of depression is not that simple. Scientific evidence now suggests that inflammation plays a role in the pathophysiology of depression. Psychosocial stress is a very common risk factor for the development of depression. Studies have shown that stress, especially early life-trauma, is associated with an increase risk for developing depression. (Miller, 2016) Stress has been shown to cause many pathological changes in the body including increased inflammation. When the body is stressed, the NLRP3 inflammasome is activated. When activated the NLRP3 inflammasome causes the release of the pro-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin 1 beta, interleukin -6 and tumor necrosis factor alpha). These pro-inflammatory cytokines, which are markers for inflammation, have been noted to be significantly higher in the brains of patients with depression and in people who have committed suici Continue reading >>
#018 Keto Prime, Depression + Carb Ups, And Keto Side Effects
Solo episode, chatting about exogenous ketones, what to do when you experience depression after a carb-up, steps on removing birth control, how to test ketones, side effects of keto, and how long to do keto until you decide it’s not working for you. TOPICS:: ** Bulletproof Keto Prime. (05:46) ** Depression after a carb-up. (16:09) ** Side effects of going keto. (26:22) ** How to know when keto isn’t working. (38:34) NOTES:: Show notes: healthfulpursuit.com/podcast/e18. Leave a review at healthfulpursuit.com/review. Episode suggestions: [email protected] PARTNERS:: Get nourished with Vital Proteins: amzn.to/2sEKNKQ. Paleovalley instant 20% off: paleovalley.com/keto. Thrive Market Free Almond Butter (US-only): thrivemarket.com/hp. SHOW LINKS:: Start your high-fat, keto life: bit.ly/TheKetoBundle. Free 7-day keto meal plan: healthfulpursuit.com/ketomeal. Bulletproof chocolate fuel bars: bit.ly/2jtMBPl. Bulletproof keto prime: bit.ly/2j7KkJf. 30-day keto experience video: healthfulpursuit.com/jyf2W. Continue reading >>
Exogenous Ketone Supplements Reduce Anxiety-related Behavior In Sprague-dawley And Wistar Albino Glaxo/rijswijk Rats
Go to: Introduction Anxiety disorders, such as generalized anxiety disorder, phobia and panic disorder, are the most prevalent type of mental disorders (Li, 2012). Anxiety can be associated with psychiatric morbidity, disability, increased healthcare burden and mortality in the general population (Teri et al., 1999). These symptoms can cause significant distress interfering with a person’s quality of life, while they commonly occur along with other mental or physical illnesses, which may mask anxiety symptoms or aggravate them. Some symptoms, like fear and worry, occur in all anxiety disorders including generalized anxiety disorders, panic disorder and social anxiety disorder (Stahl, 2003; Mula, 2013). Our knowledge relating to exact cause and pathomechanism(s) of anxiety disorders is far from complete; however, it is known that the amygdala is determinant in the experience of fear and anxiety by mediating the autonomic and endocrine responses through the output to the hypothalamus, and avoidance behavior through the output to the periaqueductal gray matter (Stahl, 2003; Engin and Treit, 2008; Li, 2012; Mula, 2013). Previous studies also show that serotonergic, glutamatergic as well as GABAergic system have a role in the regulation of anxiety (Nagy et al., 1979; Kakui et al., 2009; Li, 2012; Dias et al., 2013). Anxiety and depression are common problems affecting people with epilepsy and Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and can exacerbate symptoms of Glucose transporter type-1 deficiency syndrome (GLUT1 DS). Comorbidity between anxiety, depression and AD has been recognized (Teri et al., 1999; Hamid et al., 2011; Mula, 2013), and anxiety plays a key role in suicidality among patients with depression (Placidi et al., 2000). Interestingly, the same brain regions involved in Continue reading >>
Pruvit Reviews
Pruvit reviews and the Keto OS Supplement have been nothing short of amazing! Some Pruvit reviews are of weight loss and others are of how the Keto OS supplement help them with pain, inflammation, energy, migraine control, and more. It’s important to note that the Keto OS supplement is not just a weight loss product. Most Pruvit reviews of the Keto OS supplement involve weight loss. Not everyone loses weight quickly when they take Keto OS. To better understand why Keto OS is not a weight loss product please watch the video “Keto OS is not a weight loss product” I personally find the Pruvit reviews that aren’t about Pruvit weight loss the most convincing of all the Pruvit reviews! If Keto OS can/will help people have more energy, mental focus, and all the other thing; it’s worth it’s weight in gold. Below are some Pruvit Reviews of The Keto OS Supplement Pruvit Reviews of Keto OS and Weight Loss Salena Trabuc “There are some parts of your life very few people ever see or know about. For me that is depression and anxiety. I was approached by a dear friend of mine about therapeutic ketones. I was hopeful that this would be my ticket to shed some bodyfat to compete again. Little did I know it would change so much more. Over the last 18 days my life has drastically changed. I am no longer constantly craving sweets and unhealthy carbs. I have an energy that is steady and unlike anything I have ever felt. My restless leg sensations are gone. I lay at night waiting for them to begin but they don’t. My workouts have been explosive. I have lost a total of 9 pounds. My shoulder pain is decreased. But most of all I feel the best I have ever felt in terms of mood. That looming depression that has been there for at least 15 yrs is gone. That rising anxiety that I seen Continue reading >>
My Thoughts On Exogenous Ketones
Should you supplement with exogenous ketones? What are the benefits? Which product is best? Are there people that shouldn’t use exogenous ketones? There is so much health information out there that when you want to determine whether or not something is good for you it can be challenging to know what’s what. Magic pills, super supplements and promises to a better life are yours for three payments of two hundred dollars. I do not wish to add to the aggravation, which is why I never endorsed exogenous ketones. Then, my mind was changed by many of you. Now, I can say that I’ve personally experimented with this ketogenic supplement and see that it can be helpful for some ketogenic people. Not sure what exogenous ketones are? Basically, they’re a supplement that deepens your state of ketosis by providing supplemental ketones. They can be especially helpful for kicking keto flu and assisting your body in becoming adapted. If you decide to supplement with exogenous ketones, my personal choice is Perfect Keto exogenous ketones. Why Perfect Keto? Well, to start, they are offering us an exclusive 15% off your first order of their exogenous ketones with the coupon code HEALTHFUL. So there’s something. BENEFITS TO EXOGENOUS KETONE SUPPLEMENTATION After personally trying Perfect Keto’s exogenous ketones, I see how they could be extremely useful for those dealing with things like: the keto flu, various conditions preventing certain people from going ketosis (fibromyalgia, thyroid, etc.), needing ketones for therapeutic purposes (for epilepsy, cancer, etc.), beginners on keto trying to get into ketosis for the first time, and those who need to extend a fast for medical reasons. What exogenous ketones are NOT is an absolute fix-everything supplement because not everyone need Continue reading >>
How To Increase Athletic Performance With Exogenous Ketones
Traditional sports nutrition wisdom tells endurance athletes that loading up on carbohydrates prior to long-distance training/events is ideal for optimal performance. However, as sports nutrition research grows, we are learning that there may be more efficacious ways to fuel your endurance training goals. Enter exogenous ketones (Ketone Supplements). The unique nutritional benefits of exogenous ketones, particularly beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) salts, are extensive, ranging from nootropic (brain enhancing) properties, enhanced glucose utilisation, physical performance improvements, and reduced inflammation. For endurance athletes, exogenous ketones present a superior nutritional supplement adjunct to pre-training carbohydrate ingestion. If you’re not familiar with what exactly exogenous ketones are and how they work, be sure to check out our FREE Exogenous Ketone eBook that teaches you everything you’ll need to know before moving forward. Why Endurance Athletes Should Use Exogenous Ketones Before we jump into the data behind exogenous ketones and endurance training, let’s get a better grasp of what exactly exogenous ketones do in the human body. In short, ketones are an alternative energy source for your body, specifically mitochondria - the ‘engine’ of cells. While endurance athletes typically think of carb-based sports beverages as the ideal energy source for aerobic exercise, recent studies suggest that exogenous ketones, like BHB salts, bolster the benefits of carbohydrates. In other words, combining ketones with carbohydrates results in better performance and recovery than carbohydrates alone. In fact, adding Essential Amino Acids (EAA’s) like that found in AMINO SWITCH™ may prove to be even more effective as previous studies support the combination of Continue reading >>
Ketones For Ketone's Sake?
Minor Update: Sorry, sometimes I hit Publish instead of Close when I'm in a rush and want to make sure I have most recent version saved. I had intended to include this video -- Instant Ketosis -- along with this "report" on the MLM angle in my post -- Pruvit Review – Another Ketones Based MLM Company? My first thought from that title is a question: "There are others?" The tagline on this article reads: Will Pruvit's core products and MLM-modeled opportunity have what it takes to make it in the ketones health space? Let's prove it one way or another for you. I want to also make very clear that I am NOT encouraging anyone to get into this or any other MLM -- matters not the code words used to sell something. Indeed I warn strongly against such. If you search on MLM truth, or MLM scams, or MLM fraud, or any number of short phrases, you'll hit on ... well hits too numerous to count. Here's one I suggest: MLM-theTruth.com 5 Step Eval Furthermore, if you're still tempted by any MLM pitch, look into the people behind the MLM. Chances are you'll find they were involved in previous MLMs and often in very diverse fields. For example, Logan Stout -- who heads up the "paleo" (as in Paleo f(x) Norrises and others) MLM IDLife -- has a long list of Ponzi schemes to his credit, and his most recent before IDLife was an energy company. My reason for mentioning this is that it seems as if "exogenous ketones" has skipped even the "infomercial miracle" route and gone straight to the MLMs. This does not engender faith that the product is solid, because MLMs are not about selling product. Ketones are A fuel that can be "burned" by cells to provide the energy needed for running the works in various cells. In a starving person, ketones are virtually essential to substitute for some of the glu Continue reading >>
Tim Ferriss: What Ketosis Does To Your Brain, Why He’s Not Doing Crossfit, And How To “evaluate” Your Husband
Tim Ferriss, the bestselling author of The 4-Hour Workweek, The 4-Hour Body, and The 4-Hour Chef returns to Fat-Burning Man this week (click here to listen to his first appearance on FBM where we talk about eating crickets and more). The New York Times calls him “A cross between Jack Welch and a Buddhist monk,” and Wired Magazine says he’s “The Superman of Silicon Valley.” Not too shabby, Tim. Tim’s got a new show in the works, including the launch of a new TV series that’s a sort of combination of Jackass, Mythbusters, and A Beautiful Mind. Before we get to the show, here’s the review of the week for my new book, The Wild Diet. 5 STARS— More than recipes…By Michael Wesselson April 13, 2015 I bought this book after listening to Abel’s “Fat-Burning Man” podcast for months. Abel takes a practical and positive approach to eating well and exercise. I have lost 3 inches in my waist from following his simple plan for 3 months. I look better and feel fantastic. I decided to buy “The Wild Diet” book so I could explore new and different recipes and still stay true to my new way of eating. There is a lot more than recipes in this book and I enjoyed having extra information on why this diet works and why traditional American eating and dieting does not. It is especially useful to have this resource because so many friends and family want to know what I have done to lose weight and look so good. Thank you Abel! Thanks, Michael! Get your friends to try the new cheesecake recipe – there’s no turning back… If you haven’t picked up a copy of The Wild Diet, please check it out on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Apple iBooks, or anywhere books are sold. And don’t forget to leave a review – I read every one! On this show with Tim, we talk about: How to Continue reading >>
Conditions Shown To Benefit From A Ketogenic Diet
Obesity and heart disease, Alzheimer’s and cancer have something significant in common — they’re all rooted in insulin and leptin resistance By eating a high-quality fat, low-carbohydrate diet, you achieve nutritional ketosis; a metabolic state in which your body burns fat rather than glucose as its primary fuel. Maintaining nutritional ketosis may have health benefits in diseases such as obesity, diabetes, cancer, epilepsy, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, ALS, MS, autism, migraines, traumatic brain injuries, polycystic ovary syndrome and much more By Dr. Mercola Obesity and top killers such as diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer's and cancer have something significant in common — they're all rooted in insulin and leptin resistance. In other words, the underlying problem is metabolic dysfunction that develops as a result of consuming too many net carbohydrates (total carbs minus fiber) and/or protein. Sugars found in processed foods and grains are the primary culprits, and the standard American diet is chockfull of both. Once you develop insulin and leptin resistance, it triggers biochemical cascades that not only make your body hold on to fat, but produce inflammation and cellular damage as well. Hence, whether you're struggling with weight and/or chronic health issues, the treatment protocols are the same. This is good news, as it significantly simplifies your approach to improving your health. You won't need a different set of strategies to address each condition. In short, by optimizing your metabolic and mitochondrial function, you set yourself squarely on the path to better health. So how do you correct these metabolic imbalances? Your diet is key. The timing of your meals can also play an important role. Nutritional Ketosis May Be Key for Optimal Health By e Continue reading >>
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