Abstract
The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, very low-carbohydrate, moderate-protein diet that will induce a state of ketosis. Ketosis is a metabolic state characterized by elevated ketone body production in response to the absence of carbohydrates. Some drawbacks of the ketogenic diet are that it can be difficult to adhere to due to its restrictive nature, and it can also cause some undesirable side effects like gastrointestinal distress and increases in apoB-lipoproteins. In order to maximize the benefit of ketosis and to minimize side effects, supplementing with exogenous beta-hydroxybutyrate may induce a state of temporary ketosis without undesirable side effects. In the present study, 22 healthy male and female adults consumed 12.75 grams of beta-hydroxybutyrate salts or maltodextrin placebo twice daily for 90 days. Comprehensive blood safety analysis, body composition, bone densitometry, psychological and immune surveys, and blood pressure were administered at baseline, 30, 60, and 90 days. There were no significant differences in any measures collected, indicating that exogenous beta-hydroxybutyrate had no detrimental impact on fasting blood values such as electrolyte levels, glucose, hemoglobin A1c, complete blood count, body composition, bone density, psychological well-being, immune status, or blood pressure. We conclude that supplementing with exogenous beta-hydroxybutyrate is safe and well-tolerated by healthy adults.
Highlights
The ketogenic diet is categorized as a high-fat, very-low carbohydrate, and moderate protein dietary strategy that is meant to mimic a fasted state by restricting carbohydrate intake
Research has commonly defined the intakes of a ketogenic diet as less than 50 grams of carbohydrates per day, or 5 to 10 percent of total caloric contribution coming from carbohydrates, with fat contributing up to 90 percent of total caloric intake [1, 2]
In order to reach a state of nutritional ketosis, blood ketone concentration should be between 0.5 millimolar and 3.0 mM [3]
Summary
The ketogenic diet is categorized as a high-fat, very-low carbohydrate, and moderate protein dietary strategy that is meant to mimic a fasted state by restricting carbohydrate intake. In order to reach a state of nutritional ketosis, blood ketone concentration should be between 0.5 millimolar (mM) and 3.0 mM [3]. This rise in endogenous ketones is dependent on macronutrient availability of glucose and fatty acids, and the hormonal signaling of glucagon, insulin, and cortisol. Research has demonstrated that the application of the ketogenic diet can have therapeutic benefits on diseases that impact metabolism [9]; reduce the incidence of seizures in children with epilepsy [11], improve outcomes of certain neurogenerative diseases like Parkinson’s Disease [12], may help control glycolytic phenotype of various cancers by limiting glucose availability
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