Ketones and Brain Fuel Explained
Your brain needs a constant supply of energy to think clearly, remember things, and stay focused. Normally, it runs on glucose from carbohydrates you eat. But when carbs are low, your body makes ketones from fat, and these become a powerful backup fuel especially good for the brain.
Ketones are small molecules your liver creates during low-carb times like fasting or a ketogenic diet. The main ones are acetoacetate, beta-hydroxybutyrate or BHB, and acetone. BHB is the most common in your blood, making up over 70 percent of ketones. They form when your body breaks down fatty acids because glucose is scarce.
What makes ketones special for the brain? They easily pass through the blood-brain barrier, a protective shield that keeps most things out of your brain. Once inside, they give steady energy without the ups and downs of sugar. This leads to better focus, concentration, and memory for many people.
Ketones are also more efficient than glucose. For example, 100 grams of BHB produces about 10.5 ATP molecules, the energy packets cells use. The same amount of glucose only makes 8.7 ATP. Ketones create fewer harmful free radicals too, about 30 percent less than glucose, so they cause less cell damage.
As you get older or face brain issues like Alzheimer’s, glucose use in the brain can falter. Ketones step in as a cleaner fuel. They boost mitochondria, the cell power plants, and help brain connections grow stronger. Studies show ketogenic diets improve thinking skills in Alzheimer’s patients, with gains on tests like MMSE.
You can raise ketones through a high-fat, low-carb keto diet, intermittent fasting for at least 12 hours, or even supplements. Fasting turns body fat into ketones, a superior brain fuel over glucose. Over time, your body gets better at using them, keeping energy stable.
Organs like the heart, muscles, and kidneys also thrive on ketones, but red blood cells and the liver itself do not. The brain loves them most since it cannot use fats directly.
Sources
https://primaryimmune.org/about/?id=k_keto-now-the-shark-tank-endorsement-that-changed-everything
https://www.oreateai.com/blog/indepth-analysis-of-changes-in-ketone-levels-during-a-ketogenic-diet/5178cd2d7e5b05c12325139ca99815a9
https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/doctors-guide-eating-cognitive-longevity
https://prekure.com/blog/lifestyle-health-science/mitochondria-brain-health-energy/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK499830/
https://globalcitieshub.org/en/zguidesy/Keto-Fuel-gummies
