Ketone Esters

The Perks Of Fasting, With None Of The Work

“If there’s a downside, it is kind of crazy tasting,” said Geoff Woo, the founder of HVMN, a Silicon Valley company that makes nootropics, or performance-enhancing supplements. We were in a conference room in The Atlantic’s office building, and he was bracing me for my trial run of his latest product. It was a small, clear vial labeled “Ketone,” a new type of energy drink his company is releasing this week. Its nutrition label says it contains 120 calories, but no carbs, no fat, and no protein. Instead, it’s all ketones, the chemical that Woo and his company are calling a “fourth food group.” He hopes the drink will allow people to reap the benefits of occasional fasting—high ketone levels inside the body—without actually having to not eat. I unscrewed the top and, college-days muscle memory kicking in, chugged it like a shot of Captain Morgan. It tasted like cough syrup that had been poured into a garbage bag and left in the sun. “Augh!” I cried. “I compare it to a combination of a liquor shot with nail-polish remover,” Woo said. Woo’s coworker, Brianna Stubbs, went to fetch me a glass of water. “We’ve done a lot of work to make it better,” she said. Within an hour, the drink was supposed to help improve my athletic performance by changing how my body burned energy during exercise. Some people also say it helps them feel more energetic and focused on their work. About 25 minutes after I drank Ketone, Woo and Stubbs pricked my finger to see if it was working. My blood sugar, which had verged on diabetic levels from some pineapple I had eaten that morning, was down to near-normal levels. Meanwhile, my ketones, which had been practically nonexistent before imbibing—measuring just 0.2 millimolar—had soared to 4.9. “It would have Continue reading >>

New Important Article On Ketone Ester From Dr. Richard Veech Nih

A groundbreaking research study of a ketone ester in an Alzheimer’s mouse model was released for publication January 4, 2012, in Neurobiology of Aging by Yoshira Kashiwaya, M.D. and others in the laboratory of Dr. Richard L. Veech at the NIH in Rockville, Maryland. This study showed that, compared to animals fed a normal control diet, the Alzheimer’s model mice who were fed the ketone ester (D-beta-hydroxybutyrate-(R)-1,3-butanediol) had significantly less amyloid and tau protein that form the plaques and tangles in the Alzheimer’s brain, and the animals showed reduced anxiety, and improved learning and memory compared to the mice fed the control diet. The Alzheimer brain in people becomes resistant to insulin beginning at least ten to twenty years before symptoms appear and this affects the ability of the brain cells to use glucose causing them to malfunction and die. It was discovered in the late 1960’s in the laboratory of George Cahill, M.D. (now deceased) that the brain easily switches over to using ketone bodies as an alternative fuel during starvation when glucose supplies are used up. This new research is the culmination of decades of research that followed, and, for the first time, shows that ketones could lessen the changes that occur in the brain and also improve cognitive function in this disease. In addition to acting as an alternative fuel, ketones mimic some of the effects of insulin and are also anti-inflammatory. Inflammation is another key feature affecting the Alzheimer’s brain. Toxicity studies have already been conducted of the ketone ester in people showing there are no adverse effects and it has been approved by the FDA as “Generally Regarded as Safe (GRAS)”. Funding is now urgently needed to mass produce this ketone ester and conduc Continue reading >>

Want To Accomplish More? Drink Ketoneaid’s Ketone Esters

Want to accomplish more? Drink KetoneAid’s ketone esters A few weeks ago I received an email from Frank Llosa, founder of Ketone Aid, asking me if I wanted to try his new ketone esters. He’d found me after I posted a recent article on drinking ketones for productivity, so he knew I was a fan of this industry already… But even though I’ve been on a ketogenic diet for years and experimented with various ketone products, I’d never heard of ketone esters before, so that made me reasonably skeptical. I thought about just telling him no and sticking with products that I knew, but I was curious to see what a ketone ester even was… So I decided to look into it a little more, and after researching this product for 15 minutes, I quickly realized why I’d never heard of this before… BECAUSE IN THE PAST, IT COST $6,000 PER BOTTLE! This quickly changed my mind and made me very excited to give it a shot, so I responded to Frank and within 3 days I’d received a brand new bottle of ketone esters. I thought about drinking the bottle right away, but I was about ready to start writing a book and knew that if these were anything like ketone salts… Then they’d skyrocket my productivity and be helpful for writing, so I decided to wait until then. Fast forward 3 weeks and I was now ready to start writing my book…. And I wanted to start things off right, so on day 1 I quickly slammed the ketone esters and within 15 minutes, I can honestly say I’d entered the most productive time of my life. The Benefits I know some people take ketones to help with weight loss, and it does help, but I’ve always been a fan of ketones for the mental aspect of it. It just seems like ketones make me smarter, as I have a significant increase in mental clarity and a noticeable difference in Continue reading >>

Of The Keto Diet?

There are many awesome benefits that come with adopting a low-carb ketogenic diet, such as weight loss, decreased cravings and even possibly reduce disease risks. With that being said, it’s also good to talk about possible ketosis side-effects when ingesting these specific ketone supplements, so you know fully what to expect when you get started on this mission. If you’ve already heard about some of the side-effects that come with this special diet and are starting to freak out, don’t panic. We’re going to break down everything you need to know when it comes to what your body will experience when using these supplements for the first time. It’s important to remember, not everyone experiences side-effects when starting a ketogenic diet and thankfully, the symptoms are all very temporary and it can pass very quickly. It varies with the individual, but just to make sure all your bases are covered, we’re going to break down each possible side effect that you could possibly experience. 1. Flu Symptoms Within the first 2-4 days of beginning this diet, a common side-effect is known as the “ketosis flu” or “induction flu” because it mimics the symptoms of the actual flu. This means you might experience: Headaches Lethargy Lack of motivation Brain fog or confusion Irritability Although these symptoms typically go away completely within a few days, they are also completely avoidable if you stay very hydrated and increase your salt intake and like always, be sure you're eating enough fat. 2. Dizzyness & Drowsiness As you start dumping water, you'll lose minerals such as salt, potassium and magnesium. Having lower levels of these minerals will make you tired, lightheaded or dizzy. You may also experience muscle cramps, headaches and skin itchiness. Fatigue Continue reading >>

The Race To Make A Ketone Supplement

Two brilliant scientists are racing to be the first to commercialise exogenous ketones. The applications include athletic performance and metabolic therapies for CNS oxygen toxicity, epilepsy, and neurodegenerative diseases. In the red corner, Dr. Richard Veech, one of the greatest living minds in basic biochemistry. In the blue corner, the also brilliant renegade chemist Patrick Arnold. Stuck somewhere in the middle is superhuman researcher Dominic D’Agostino, associate professor in the department of molecular pharmacology and physiology at the University of South Florida, and a visiting research scientist at the IHMC. Patrick clearly has the head start, and I’ve been supplementing with his KetoForce and KetoCaNa products for over two years for bike races. Imagine my horror then when Dr. Veech appeared on the Bulletproof and Ben Greenfield podcasts to claim that Patrick’s racemic ketone salts were “harmful and inhibitory” and “a dumb for convenience of manufacturing”. Caution is warranted. A racemic mixture is one that includes both the D and L enantiomers. The source of the D and L labels was the Latin words dexter (on the right) and laevus (on the left). You may also have seen the labels R and S. R comes from rectus (right-handed) and S from sinister (left-handed). The physiological form of beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) is the D form. This is the same reason why Tommy would never recommend synthetic vitamins (vitamin E is a good example), because you get a racemic mixture and the inactive form tends to inhibit the more active form. L-BHB is also metabolised. BHB is not like the synthetic vitamins. Through some elegant radiotracer studies, Dr. Veech’s colleague Dr. Henri Brunengraber showed that the L-form is neither harmful nor inhibitory, and is also me Continue reading >>

The Ketogenic Diet Now Comes In A Tiny Bottle, But Dietitians Are Skeptical

HVMN Don’t want to fast to try the ultra-trendy, high-fat, low-carb ketogenic diet? A San Francisco startup thinks you should take a shot of its elixir instead — even though the science behind it is dubious, experts say. The supplement company HVMN (that’s Silicon Valley-shorthand for “human”) unveiled its newest product on Monday: HVMN Ketone, a 2.3-ounce vial of a substance called ketone ester. It’s supposed to almost immediately put you in ketosis, a metabolic state where the body is forced to burn fats instead of carbohydrates. By loading the body with “an ultra-efficient form of fuel,” as the company says, it’s supposed to help you perform better in workouts and think more clearly. But even though HVMN says the drink is “proven to improve athletic performance and recovery,” nutrition experts say it is highly unlikely that a ketone supplement can single-handedly put you in ketosis. They also say there is little evidence that being in ketosis helps athletes. The public won’t get its first taste of it until next month. But registered dietitian Ben Sit is skeptical. “I have not yet found one ketone ester supplement that has been able to successfully put someone into the state of ketosis, no matter what dosage they take,” Sit, president of Evolved Sport and Nutrition, told BuzzFeed News. HVMN, formerly known as Nootrobox, is among a handful of consumer product startups that bill themselves as part of the loosely defined biohacking movement. Backed by tech venture capitalists, these companies, which include Bulletproof Coffee and Soylent, hawk food and supplements to busy, health-conscious people who have a quantify-everything mindset. HVMN, which raised $2 million in 2015 from Andreessen Horowitz (also a BuzzFeed investor), is best-known for Continue reading >>

Incredible Fuel Could Treat Countless Diseases, If Only It Was Funded

This could be as impactful as the discovery of penicillin That’s the first thing that comes to mind when learning about the history-altering work of NIH scientist (for over 45 years) Dr. Richard Veech, a man the general public has probably never heard of. Why haven’t you heard of him? Because he’s dedicated to science, not sales. So, what do scientists and entrepreneurs have in common? They both dedicate their lives to making a difference, discovering ways to make the world operate more effectively. But there’s an important cultural distinction between the two: Entrepreneurs’ success is tied to dollars, while scientists’ success is tied to discovery. Remember how penicillin altered history? We might be at that moment in history again, but with a “ketone ester” drink invented by Dr. Veech, that has insanely widespread uses. Imagine a drink that could treat Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, diabetes, epilepsy, concussions, heart failure, all while helping elite endurance athletes break world records. Then, imagine that it’s a formula perfected over decades, but only now ready in an era where genetics is sexiest of sciences, so this liquid goes underfunded and underproduced. It seems too good to be true, but it’s not. It’s real. Add to the issue of funding is an overly modest old scientist who said he would literally run if someone called him a hero for his work. Next, toss in imitation products that use salt-filled caffeinated versions of Dr. Veech’s decades old, already discarded work and you might be left very confused. If a breakthrough sports drink and patient treatment exists, would anyone even believe it? So what is this ketone ester? Ketones are human’s back up fuel system that kicks in when humans starve, or at least run out of sugar. The bod Continue reading >>

A Copd Patient’s Journey Into The World Of Ketone Esters!

A few years ago, a movie came out called Limitless. This was a movie about a super pill that supercharged Bradley Cooper’s brain and made him superhuman. I remember watching that movie thinking, how far are we away from this movie being a reality? After my recent experience, I would say we’re almost there. Those of you who have followed my journey would know for the last 9 months I have been following a ketogenic diet, to see what effects being in a state of ketosis would have on my disease, COPD. Scientists have for some years been experimenting with producing supplements that will put you in a state of ketosis regardless of what your diet is. There is now a range of ketone supplements that can put you in a moderate range of ketosis. But what are the benefits of taking these supplements? Ketones are anti-inflammatory so the theory is being in ketosis lowers inflammation and can help treat many chronic diseases. It is also claimed being in ketosis improves cognitive function. So where is the science you ask? Scientists studying 23 elderly people with mild cognitive impairment showed a ketogenic diet improved verbal memory performance after 6 weeks compared to a standard high carbohydrate diet. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 152 patients with mild- to moderate Alzheimer’s disease were given either a ketogenic agent or a placebo, while maintaining a normal diet. 90 days later, those receiving the ketogenic agent showed marked cognitive improvement compared to placebo, which was correlated with the level of ketones in the blood. The current range of ketone supplements I have tried put me in a moderate range of ketosis, between .5 – 1.5 millimolar (mM) depending on the dose. I do notice reduced symptoms for my disease when my blood ketones are over 1 m Continue reading >>

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 >>

All About Ketone Supplements!

Something new and emerging has finally hit the market. Something that is going to be a real game changer, that we have never seen before and, for a great amount of people, something that actually works. This supplement goes beyond assisting weight loss, that's merely a side effect to what therapeutic advantages it can offer. From slowing the progression of Alzheimer's, to decreasing inflammation and even controlling seizures and treating cancer patients. What if I told you it was possible to detect ketones in the blood and urine just 1 hour after ingesting a ketone supplement? Well, if you're like me you would probably dismiss it as too good to be true, like I initially did. But you would also be open minded and curious enough to read a little more about it before dismissing it entirely.... Right? Right. So real talk. You came here to find out what the deal is with this product I've been taking and thats just what I'm going to tell you. So lets get to it. This ketone product is whats referred to as an exogenous ketone. Exogenous meaning coming from an outside source as opposed what we're use to talking about, which are endogenous ketones that are formed by the body when diet is manipulated. These exogenous ketones are made up from β-hydroxybutyrate (aka BHB) and are often paired with sodium to act as a buffer since ketones are naturally acidic on their own. BHB Salt is a product of β-hydroxybutyrate, an organic compound that is extracted via acid hydrolysis, and then bonded with salt to create the base of the product you actually take. Once a little MCT oil (and flavor to mask the terrible taste) is added, it is packaged and shipped to you in a powder form to simply add to water and drink. Here's the long version of what BHB is: Beta-Hydroxybutyric acid (also known Continue reading >>

Regular Article A Ketone Ester Diet Exhibits Anxiolytic And Cognition-sparing Properties, And Lessens Amyloid And Tau Pathologies In A Mouse Model Of Alzheimer's Disease

Abstract Alzheimer's disease (AD) involves progressive accumulation of amyloid β-peptide (Aβ) and neurofibrillary pathologies, and glucose hypometabolism in brain regions critical for memory. The 3xTgAD mouse model was used to test the hypothesis that a ketone ester–based diet can ameliorate AD pathogenesis. Beginning at a presymptomatic age, 2 groups of male 3xTgAD mice were fed a diet containing a physiological enantiomeric precursor of ketone bodies (KET) or an isocaloric carbohydrate diet. The results of behavioral tests performed at 4 and 7 months after diet initiation revealed that KET-fed mice exhibited significantly less anxiety in 2 different tests. 3xTgAD mice on the KET diet also exhibited significant, albeit relatively subtle, improvements in performance on learning and memory tests. Immunohistochemical analyses revealed that KET-fed mice exhibited decreased Aβ deposition in the subiculum, CA1 and CA3 regions of the hippocampus, and the amygdala. KET-fed mice exhibited reduced levels of hyperphosphorylated tau deposition in the same regions of the hippocampus, amygdala, and cortex. Thus, a novel ketone ester can ameliorate proteopathic and behavioral deficits in a mouse AD model. Continue reading >>

Ketone Salts Vs Ketone Esters With Dr. Dominic D’agostino

Full Transcript: [3:19] Introduction [7:02] About Dr. Dominic D’Agostino [9:25] The Difference Between Ketone Esters and Ketone Salts [18:08] How Do They Commercialize the Ketones From Their Labs? [23:55&25:00&27:01] Three Unique Compounds and Others You Can “mix” with Ketones [29:00] What Occurs on a Physiological Level That Would Allow the Consumption of Branched Chain Amino Acids to Maintain Ketosis or Elevate It? [37:44] Sun in your Pocket – The Human Charger [39:17] Four Sigmatic [41:07] Why Some People Including Dr. Veech Believe Ketone Esters to be Dangerous and That MCT Oil Blocks Beta-Hydroxybutyrate Absorption or Utilization [47:50] Are There Any Evidence of People Experiencing Medical Issues with Using Ketone Salts or Esters? [60:05] Why Ephedrine Can Be Safely Used for Fat Loss and Dom’s Own Experience With It [65:40 & 1:05:41] Can You Combine Glucose with Ketones to Enhance Performance? [72:15] Why Esters are More Expensive Than Salts? Are There Ways to Make Either More Cost Effective? [1:12:14] Why are Ketone Esters More Expensive Than Ketone Salts? [1:28:40] End of Podcast Ben: Hey, you smart cookie, it’s Ben Greenfield. You better be a smart cookie because we put our propeller hats on in today’s episode with Dominic D’Agostino we get into ketosis. And speaking of ketosis as a nutritional therapy, I’m headed down to Vancouver in March and you should join me. March 3rd through the 5th. I’m speaking at this thing called the NTA Conference. Do you think I should keep you hanging on the edge of your seat wondering what NTA stands for? It’s actually Nutritional Therapy Association, you guessed it. They do therapy practitioner and consultant certifications meaning they teach people how to be nutritionists but it’s not like run of the mil Continue reading >>

What Is The Difference Between A Ketone Salt And A Ketone Ester?

I added the topic Ketogenic diet to the question to make it clear this question relates to food and not that much to an organic ketone function In humans, there are 3 different ketones produced by the mitochondria of the liver. Acetone Acetoacetic Acid Beta-Hydroxybutyric Acid (also known Beta-Hydroxybuyrate or simply BHB). As you can see from the structures BHB has no ketone-function (at least if you look at it from an organic chemistry perspective.) But it serves the same purpose in your body so that’s why they still consider it a ketone. It can be converted to energy (via acetoacetate and then acetyl-CoA) and can be used by the brain when glucose levels are low. Most food supplements rely on a form of BHB as an extra source of ketone You have two types: Ketone Salts: the organic acid function of BHB converted to, for example, the sodium salt. Salts are more soluble in water and it improves the absorption. Ketone Esters: just the organic ester of BHB. For instance: These esters will be converted to BHB in your body. Apparently these Ketone esters are used primarily in research and not used often in commercial supplements and most people do not like the taste of Ketone esters. The whole fuzz about Chris Froome in the Tour the France a few years ago was about ketone additives. They attribute a number of benefits to these Ketone additives: athletic performance enhancement, more efficient weight loss, cancer prevention, cognitive improvement and anti-inflammatory properties. The next wonder cure apparently. But I’m not the specialist in this field so I’m not going to comment further. PS most of this answer is copied from “Exogenous Ketones: What They Are, Benefits of Use and How They Work - Ketosource “ made a few adjustments to summarize and make it clear for m Continue reading >>

The Different Types Of Ketone Supplements

Within the last few years, ketone supplements have become a popular way to support those following a ketogenic diet and striving to maintain a healthy level of ketosis as much as possible. However, a lot of people still don’t really know about the different types of ketone supplements out there and how they can be beneficial for when you go keto. Understanding ketone supplementation is important because you want to make sure you’re getting the most bang for your buck and avoiding any products that don’t do what they claim. Before describing specific ketone supplements, it will help us to refresh on what are exogenous ketones, and why we should take them. This way, we can better understand the role of these ketone bodies for our own health and weight loss goals. What Are Exogenous Ketone Supplements? Ketone supplements are often referred to as exogenous ketones, meaning they are created externally—outside of the body. This is opposed to the ketones your body produces when carbs are restricted and you’re in a state of ketosis. Basically, exogenous ketones are created in a lab and made into supplement form for you to ingest. There are three ketones the body produces when on a ketogenic diet: acetoacetate, beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), and acetone. The ketone found in exogenous ketone supplements is BHB. That’s because the body can use it most efficiently. Now let’s take a look at why exogenous ketones are important and beneficial to a keto diet. Benefits of Exogenous Ketone Supplements There will be times when maintaining a steady ketogenic state isn’t realistic 24/7, so the purpose of ketone supplements is to provide the body with extra ketones to use when you aren’t currently in ketosis. Ketone supplements can be a huge help when transitioning into a stat Continue reading >>

013: Frank Llosa – Ketone Esters For Insane Ketosis

[2:33] What are ketones and what can and should ketone supplements be used for? [4:01] What makes Ketone Aid different from other exogenous ketone supplements? What’s the difference between endogenous and exogenous ketones? [12:31] Why do we want to get into ketosis and even higher levels of ketosis? [13:50] With KetoneAid, since you’re not getting the SALT load so it allows you to intake more ketones [14:34] What does it mean to get into “deeper” or “increased levels” of ketosis [17:20] Why don’t we see many Ketone Ester products out there? Ketone Esters for $40,000!! [18:45] How do Ketone Esters taste? [20:34] My first experience with Ketone Aid [23:40] Why you should be following the instructions EXACTLY [24:02] The benefits I personally noted from Ketone Aid + results of my Ketone Levels! [28:45] How little it takes to notice a benefit cognitively. [28:57] Ketone Aid was actually NOT made for Keto people! Here’s why? [31:47] Can you get into ketosis without ketone supplements? [33:30] Who should be using ketone esters and what are they beneficial for? [36:53] The unreal benefits for athletic performance! [39:12] How much is it? Does it always work? Continue reading >>