Give ketone to the heart? It may be beneficial

There is growing evidence that ketone bodies can be beneficial for patients with heart disease regardless of the delivery method used to increase ketone delivery to the heart. A. Journal of the American College of Geology a review paper examines emerging evidence regarding the effects of ketone bodies on the heart and the potential for ketone therapy as a cardiovascular intervention in patients with heart disease.

In the last few years, ketone bodies have entered the popular dictionary through the “keto diet,” which includes a very low-carbohydrate and high-fat diet that the body craves. applied to ketosis. This is a metabolic state with more ketone bodies circulating in the body as a result of less glucose, or sugar, in the bloodstream to supply fuel, causing the body to transition to fat metabolism as energy. Recent research has shown that a keto diet may contribute to an increased risk for heart disease if the foods consumed do not contain healthy heart fat.

The review considers the therapeutic benefits of circulating ketone levels through multiple mechanisms, including a keto diet. The researchers consider both the potential benefits and concerns associated with the keto diet with respect to all mechanisms for increasing ketone levels in the body, providing new therapeutic pathways. -new to increase ketosis without the annoying effects of a keto diet.

“We found that data from experimental and human studies suggest that ketone bodies have a protective effect on patients with heart disease. As heart disease remains a major killer worldwide, its Demonstrating new ways to offer heart protection is vital for this patient population, “said B. Daan Westenbrink, MD, Ph.D., a cardiologist and translational scientist at the University of Groningen Medical Center in the Netherlands. and senior author of the paper. “While the keto diet has become increasingly popular, there are concerns about unbalanced effects on the heart. However, the administration of ketones may be an alternative to the keto diet as a means of boost ketone bodies for their protective effects. “

Ketone bodies are excreted by the liver, primarily in response to prolonged employment, insulin deficiency and extreme exercise. Ketones provide extra energy to many organs, and in real situations ketone bodies could make up about 5-20% of the body’s total energy expenditure.

Under normal conditions, a healthy heart consumes very little glucose as an energy source. However, in the early stages of structural heart disease there is a shift from fatty acids to glucose utilization. This metabolic reprogramming leads to starvation of heart muscle energy, contributing to the development of heart failure. According to the researchers, a failing heart seems to reprogram its metabolism to become more dependent on ketone bodies as a source of fuel.

According to the researchers, ketones may have a positive effect on common cardiovascular risk factors, including blood pressure, body weight, blood glucose or blood sugar, and cholesterol, although research suggests going forward. Research has also shown that ketone bodies may provide additional cardiovascular benefits affecting endothelial function, inflammation, cardiac remodeling and mitochondrial function.

These benefits may be achieved through the keto diet, but long-term adherence to the diet is low, often due to gastrointestinal distress. Other options are in a keto diet or the introduction of ketone precursors to achieve ketosis, which includes the ingestion of ketone salts or ketone esters.

“With several pathways to achieve ketosis, ketone bodies have clinical implications that need further investigation,” Westenbrink said. “Further therapeutic approaches are needed to harness the beneficial effects of ketosis. I believe in the coming years we will have a better grip on which ketone bodies can be maximized and used in the treatment and prevention of heart disease. ”