"Exogenous" Ketones

Okay . . . so to refresh our conversation from yesterday. "Endogenous" ketones are what the body makes naturally.

And "exogenous" ketones are a "synthetic" source that comes from outside the body. Meaning some form of supplement.

Now . . . these supplements contain only "beta-hydroxybutyrate" ketones . . .

Whereas "endogenous" ketones (natural ketones) contain 3 elements

Acetoacetate - which is created first when fat is metabolized

Beta-hydroxybutyrate - which is created from acetoacetate

And Acetone - which is a spontaneously created side product of acetoacetate

And are all needed naturally for optimal health.

Now . . . the "exogenous" ketone body B-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) is synthesized in the liver from fatty acids and represents an essential carrier of energy from the liver to our cells when supplies of glucose are too low (eliminating carbohydrates).

Okay . . . and supplement manufacturers make these "exogenous" ketone "salts" by adding artificial ketones to electrolytes, such as calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium. And the ketone "salts" can be found in keto drinks, pills and powders.

But . . . because ketones bodies are "acidic", a prolonged excess of the molecules in the blood can lead to a pathological form of ketosis, called "ketoacidosis", which the blood becomes too acidic.

This is the important part . . . so please be aware . . . this occurs when the body starts breaking down fat at a rate that is "much too fast". The liver then tries to process the fat into a fuel called ketones, which causes the blood to become too acidic.

Now . . . the body's natural way to reduce acid in the blood, is by expelling it through the heart and lung elimination process of carbon dioxide when we exhale.

But what if the body has "too much" of this ketone acid . . . and can't reduce this acidic level???

Well . . . as blood becomes too acidic . . . the parts of the brain that regulate breathing are stimulated to produce faster and deeper breathing. This is a natural mechanism of the body and brain to try and increase the amount of carbon dioxide "exhaled" to correct the overload of ketones. Which can all lead to respiratory problems if this system can't expel fast enough for the demand.

The kidneys also try to compensate by excreting more acid in the urine.

And for those of you that get up in the middle of the night multiple times to pee . . .

This is the same process for you . . . the body is TOO acidic!!!!! But that's a story for another day.

And this is why I suggest to my clients to test their urine ketone levels frequently.

Click here if you need to buy "ketone urine test strips".

So in closing . . . I'm not a fan of trying to supplement the body with synthetic supplements to "speed" up this natural process of losing weight.

I personally think the natural avenue of a "ketogenic diet" is best.

And I know many times people use these method due to not understanding the mechanics of the human body and not understanding what the trigger points are that cause the weight gain in the first place.

So here's our safety tip for today . . . If you do commit to taking these supplements . . .

PLEASE . . . keep track of your "ketone urine levels"!!!!

This will determine if you have too may ketones in the blood which causes acidity and too much carbon dioxide to accumulate. We'll talk more about the part "acidity" plays in weight issues in the days to come.

Tomorrow I have one more piece of this puzzle about "ketones" and "insulin" and then we'll talk about calories.

As always, feel free to contact me here