How Ketones Function
JisatsuHoshi
Posts: 421 Member
How Ketones Function in Your Body
Source: (http://itsthesatiety.com/2012/09/29/ketosis-in-a-nutshell-part-2-crazy-little-things/)
-They can be burned as a fuel. There are three fuel types the body can use – glucose, fatty acids and ketones. The neurons in the brain can only burn glucose and ketones. The brain uses a lot of energy every day. During fasting or starvation, the body would have to break down a lot of protein to supply the brain with enough glucose for all its energy needs. In prolonged fasting or starvation, the muscles would be consumed at a quick rate. Persistence of muscle strength and survival are much longer because ketones can replace a lot of the glucose the brain needs. Ketones can not supply all your needs for glucose. Glucose must be at least at low normal levels in the blood at all times and is produced by the liver as needed (unless metabolic or liver function is very impaired by illness, drugs or genetic metabolic illness).
-This allows the dietary glucose supply to be low – in fact, there is no need for glucose from the diet. (Sugars and starches are the source for glucose in the diet. Starch is pure glucose.) This has profound implications for the management of all forms of diabetes and pre-diabetes and impaired insulin function. It also has profound implications in sweet addiction and food addiction. The body requires much less insulin than when glucose is being absorbed from food as a major part of the diet.
-Ketones aren’t glucose – they don’t need the glucose transport system, and so are not hindered by insulin resistance. For example, this has implications in Alzheimer’s Disease as research is exploring the theory that part of what is going on in Alzheimer’s Disease is “Type 3 diabetes” – that is, insulin resistance of the brain and abnormal insulin metabolism in the brain.
-Ketones are burned for energy differently than glucose. Also, they produce less stress in the mitochondria and cells. This means there is potential for ketones to be useful to cells that are damaged or stressed or with abnormal metabolism.
-Burning ketones for energy requires less oxygen to produce a given amount of energy than when burning glucose. This means ketones have the potential for benefit in situations of low oxygen supply – such as injured tissue or stroke.
-Ketones are being studied for potential direct effects besides as a fuel – such as increasing adenosine production and thereby suppressing abnormal excitability in the brain.
Source: (http://itsthesatiety.com/2012/09/29/ketosis-in-a-nutshell-part-2-crazy-little-things/)
-They can be burned as a fuel. There are three fuel types the body can use – glucose, fatty acids and ketones. The neurons in the brain can only burn glucose and ketones. The brain uses a lot of energy every day. During fasting or starvation, the body would have to break down a lot of protein to supply the brain with enough glucose for all its energy needs. In prolonged fasting or starvation, the muscles would be consumed at a quick rate. Persistence of muscle strength and survival are much longer because ketones can replace a lot of the glucose the brain needs. Ketones can not supply all your needs for glucose. Glucose must be at least at low normal levels in the blood at all times and is produced by the liver as needed (unless metabolic or liver function is very impaired by illness, drugs or genetic metabolic illness).
-This allows the dietary glucose supply to be low – in fact, there is no need for glucose from the diet. (Sugars and starches are the source for glucose in the diet. Starch is pure glucose.) This has profound implications for the management of all forms of diabetes and pre-diabetes and impaired insulin function. It also has profound implications in sweet addiction and food addiction. The body requires much less insulin than when glucose is being absorbed from food as a major part of the diet.
-Ketones aren’t glucose – they don’t need the glucose transport system, and so are not hindered by insulin resistance. For example, this has implications in Alzheimer’s Disease as research is exploring the theory that part of what is going on in Alzheimer’s Disease is “Type 3 diabetes” – that is, insulin resistance of the brain and abnormal insulin metabolism in the brain.
-Ketones are burned for energy differently than glucose. Also, they produce less stress in the mitochondria and cells. This means there is potential for ketones to be useful to cells that are damaged or stressed or with abnormal metabolism.
-Burning ketones for energy requires less oxygen to produce a given amount of energy than when burning glucose. This means ketones have the potential for benefit in situations of low oxygen supply – such as injured tissue or stroke.
-Ketones are being studied for potential direct effects besides as a fuel – such as increasing adenosine production and thereby suppressing abnormal excitability in the brain.
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