Ketosis & BHB: Metabolic Diet Therapies, Brain Cancer & Exercise | Dominic D'Agostino | Episode 267

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How ketosis and ketogenic diets work and how these tools can improve metabolic health, brain function, and even cancer management.

Topics Discussed:

• Organs have different fuel preferences: brain strongly prefers glucose, heart prefers fatty acids, skeletal muscle is flexible and likes fat/ketones.
• Humans evolved with high metabolic flexibility; regular ketosis was normal for ancestors, but today most people never experience it.
• “Keto flu” is largely glucose withdrawal plus electrolyte/sodium loss; proper salt and hydration prevent most symptoms.
• Classic medical ketogenic diet is ~90% fat (historically saturated); modern versions often use more monounsaturated fats, MCTs, and higher protein.
• Saturated fat is not inherently atherogenic in the context of weight stability or caloric deficit; excess calories from any source can dysregulate metabolism.
• Exogenous ketones (e.g. BHB) provide energy, reduce ROS, stabilize membranes, increase inhibitory tone (GABA), and have hormone-like signaling effects independent of diet.
• Cancer cells often show Warburg effect (damaged mitochondrial respiration → heavy reliance on glycolysis); lowering glucose and raising ketones can stress cancer cells.
• True keto-adaptation for athletic performance requires 6–12 weeks; after that, elite athletes can match or exceed prior high-carb performance at sub-maximal and endurance efforts.

Practical Takeaways:

• Therapeutic carbohydrate restriction (50–100 g/day for many people) plus occasional fasting or ketone supplements can restore metabolic flexibility with far fewer side effects than strict keto.
• Prioritize whole-food fats (eggs, fatty fish, beef, olive oil, butter/lard) and minimize processed keto products loaded with seed oils.
• Supplementing BHB (salts or esters) or MCT oil can ease the transition into ketosis, boost ketones without strict dieting, and may support brain and metabolic health.
• Regularly check basic blood markers (glucose, lipids, electrolytes) and consider an OmegaQuant test; optimizing metabolic health is one of the strongest preventable steps against cancer, neurodegeneration, and heart disease.

Supplemental Ketone (BHB):

• KetoCitra—Ketone body BHB with potassium, calcium & magnesium, formulated with kidney health in mind. Use code MIND20 for 20% off.

*Not medical advice.

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