Ketones

     

     The cells of the body can survive on two fuels: glucose and ketones. Ketones are made when the body breaks down fat. In the course of history food was rarely available all the time as it is in the United States at the present time. The body has the ability to store extra calories and them burn them for fuel when an individual does not have readily available food. This is called fasting.

     A great many studies have been done on animals showing that caloric restriction or fasting prolongs lifespan and reduces the incidence of a number of diseases including cancer. Indeed, fasting is the most powerful means of increasing lifespan in animals.

     Feeding the body with ketones has been shown to be a valuable tool for treating some cases of epilepsy that do not respond to medication. Others have suggested that the addition of ketones to the diet can benefit those with mental decline and even Alzheimer's.

     Ketones have also been used to benefit Type 1 Diabetes, strenuous exertion, Parkinson's, cancer, and obesity. The Atkins diet was based upon generating ketones.

     Ketones can be generated in the body by avoiding food. After three days there are almost no carbohydrates available and the body will transit into a ketone metabolism. This is obviously difficult for many people to do. Another problem is that our world is filled with fat loving pollutants that become stored in our body fat. When we fast, these toxins are released. After five days of fasting the ability to detoxify these pollutants begins to decline rapidly.

     Ketones can also be generated by consuming a low carbohydrate diet. One can consume foods which contain ketones or supplement with ketones. 

     Production of energy in the mitochondria or energy factories of the cells is dependent upon Coenzyme Q10 and associated factors found in the NeoLife supplement. B Complex vitamins are also required. This is true of energy production from glucose or ketones. Using either of these for fuel generates free radicals which can damage energy production in the cells. CoQ10 prevents this free radical damage in the mitochondria.

     One of the problems of a high fat diet is that we must distinguish between good fats and bad fats. Promoters of ketone metabolism often fail to distinguish between omega-3 rich fats and omega-6 rich fats. Poor quality fats can also damage the mitochondria as discussed in my previous newsletter.