Google "what are the health benefits of ketones" and you'll get dozens of hits promising everything from epilepsy control to improved heart health to more effective muscle-building at the gym.
Researchers at the University of Alberta are examining the evidence to understand how ketone biology - including ketone-based therapies - may shape the management of cardiometabolic diseases including Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and coronary artery disease.
The good news is that there's a lot of research underway, but much of it is still inconclusive.
A part of normal biology
Most people learn about ketones through the ketogenic diet, says Amir Tabatabaei Dakhili, assistant professor in the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. It's a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet that forces the body to burn fat for energy, producing ketones in the process.
"What people don't know is that ketones are part of normal biology," explains Tabatabaei Dakhili. "When food intake drops during fasting, exercise and some illnesses, the body shifts and starts producing ketones in the liver, mostly to keep the brain active, but also to fuel other organs."
Ketones are also now understood to be involved in the signalling pathway that can influence inflammation and regulate genes, but most of this research is still not definitive, says Tabatabaei Dakhili, who is a member of the Alberta Diabetes Institute and the Cardiovascular Research Institute.
Ketones were first discovered in people with uncontrolled Type 1 diabetes, so they were associated with poor health.
"Insulin not only regulates glucose but also keeps ketone production in check, so without insulin there is nothing to regulate them," Tabatabaei Dakhili explains. "Ketones make the blood acidic, which is life-threatening."
