Studies

There is growing interest in the metabolism of ketones owing to their reported benefits in neurological and more recently in cardiovascular and renal diseases. As an alternative to a very high fat ketogenic diet, ketones precursors for oral intake are being developed to achieve ketosis without the need for dietary carbohydrate restriction. Here we report that an oral D-beta-hydroxybutyrate (D-BHB) supplement is rapidly absorbed and metabolized in humans and increases blood ketones to millimolar levels. At the same dose, D-BHB is significantly more ketogenic and provides fewer calories than a racemic mixture of BHB or medium chain triglyceride. In a whole body ketone positron emission tomography pilot study, we observed that after D-BHB consumption, the ketone tracer 11C-acetoacetate is rapidly metabolized, mostly by the heart and the kidneys. Beyond brain energy rescue, this opens additional opportunities for therapeutic exploration of D-BHB supplements as a “super fuel” in cardiac and chronic kidney diseases.

Currently, there is considerable interest in ketone metabolism owing to the benefits for human health. Conventionally, strict dietary restrictions on carbohydrates are required to increase plasma ketone levels, while supplementation with D-ß-hydroxybutyric acid (D-BHB) can easily increase plasma ketone levels. We hypothesized that a daily intake of D-BHB could promote weight loss, especially through fat reduction. Herein, D-BHB (OKETOAT™) was produced via a proprietary fermentation process from sugar. In this ran- domized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, we assessed the safety and fat-reduction effects after 12 wk of daily ingestion of D-BHB (2.9 g) in 22 healthy Japanese adults and 22 control participants. Blood samples were collected pre- and post-treatment.

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) remains a major health concern with limited therapeutic options. Growing evidence supports the multiple benefits of ketones in heart disease, but their impact on HFpEF remains unknown. We investigated whether increasing ketones can help to manage HFpEF. Using the ZSF1 rat model of HFpEF, 16-week-old rats were randomly assigned to one of three subgroups: (i) control diet; (ii) ketogenic diet (KD); or (iii) control diet with added exogenous ketone salts (KS) in their drinking water for 10 weeks. We found that both KD and KS ameliorated the HFpEF phenotype by improving structural echocardiographic parameters, lowering glycaemia and lipid profiles, and reducing HFpEF-related fibrosis and hypertrophy without impacting in vivo diastolic function. Nevertheless, ex vivo cardiomyocyte preparations showed improved calcium handling and myofilament relaxation, suggesting benefits at the cellular level. Interestingly, KD still proved effective, despite the potentially adverse increase in fat mass.

We investigated the effects of d – β-hydroxybutyric acid (D-BHB) on sleep quality in healthy Japanese adults. In this randomized, placebo-contr olled, doub le-b lind, parallel-gr oup study, each group comprised 30 healthy Japanese adults. Participants received 1.5 g of D-BHB (low D-BHB group), 2.9 g of D-BHB (high D-BHB group), or a placebo beverage (placebo group) for 14 days. Before and after the intervention, the Oguri–Shirakawa–Azumi sleep inventory, middle-aged and aged version (OSA-MA), and sleep state test were conducted. After 14 days, compared to the placebo group, the OSA-MA scores for “Sleepiness on rising” and “Frequent dreaming” wer e significantl y higher in both the low and high D-BHB gr oups. Additionall y, the scor e for “Initiation and maintenance of slee p”w as significantly higher in the low D-BHB group, and the score for “Refreshing on rising”was significantly higher in the high D-BHB group. We found that D-BHB can impr ov e slee p quality in healthy J apanese adults.

Real Ketones has developed various proprietary exogenous ketone supplement formulas based on its patented Quad Ketone backbone technology for the purposes of accelerating weight loss, fat loss, enhancing lean to fat ratios, improving body composition and bolstering key metabolic markers for improving one’s health. Real Ketones continues to invest significant funds into advancing the knowledge of the benefits of the daily ingestion of exogenous ketones and discovering the most efficacious formulas for its products.

The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, very low-carbohydrate, moderate-protein diet that will induce a state of ketosis, but because of its restrictive nature, it may be difficult to adhere to, especially in adolescents. Supplementing with exogenous beta-hydroxybutyrate salts may induce a state of temporary ketosis without any undesirable side effects, thereby promoting the benefits of ketosis and minimizing adherence requirements to a ketogenic diet. To date, beta-hydroxybutyrate supplementation in healthy adolescents has not been explored. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the safety of exogenous beta-hydroxybutyrate salt supplementation in a healthy adolescent population. In the present study, 22 healthy male and female adolescents consumed 3.75 g of beta-hydroxybutyrate salts or maltodextrin placebo twice daily for 90 days. Comprehensive blood safety analysis, bone densitometry, happiness and emotional intelligence surveys, and blood pressure were assessed at Pre, Day 45, and Day 90. There were no significant differences detected in subjects supplementing with beta-hydroxybutyrate salts, indicating that exogenous beta-hydroxybutyrate salts had no detrimental impact on fasting blood safety metrics, bone density, happiness, emotional intelligence, or blood pressure. We conclude that supplementing with exogenous beta-hydroxybutyrate salts is safe and well-tolerated by healthy adolescents.