![]() In reality, however, there is one caveat - humans have one of the most energy-hungry brains on the planet, and fatty acids are not an adequate fuel source for brain cells. ![]() Theoretically, the combination of glycogen and fat allows the human body to survive for weeks without food. Stored glycogen, for example, allowed them to last for a good chunk of the day without the need for food, while stored fat provided a more sustained source of fuel for more extended periods of time. To prepare for the inevitability of food scarcity, animals evolved the ability to use and store different fuel sources. Sometimes, they would go for days to weeks without food when plants and animals were scarce. The survival of our ancestors depended on their ability to hunt and forage for food all year around. The human species evolved to handle a much more unpredictable food environment then we have access to today. From an evolutionary perspective, ketones are an absolutely necessary fuel alternative. Now that we know what ketones can do to help the body, let’s figure out why our bodies even have the ability to enter ketosis. Why Ketosis? (From An Evolutionary Perspective) However, this is not the legitimate reason why we evolved the ability to get into ketosis. When we consider the evidence altogether, it is obvious as to why the body would prefer to burn ketones for fuel. If you’d like to dig deeper into the benefits of the ketogenic diet, check out this article. (What I haven’t mentioned is that ketones and ketosis have also been shown to be useful in the treatment of certain types of cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.) For more information on ketones and their benefits, click here. In other words, ketones help prevent excessive neuronal activity that can cause uncontrollable behaviors that are common in neurological disorders like epilepsy, autism, and Parkinson’s disease.Īlthough this section doesn’t reflect everything that ketosis can do for the body, this is what research has found so far. As a result of burning ketones, the brain also experiences a shift in the balance between two neurotransmitters called GABA and Glutamate. Studies have also found ketones to be a neuroprotective antioxidant that can help reverse and prevent brain damage while triggering the proliferation of new brain cells and new connections between existing brain cells. Ketones also increase mitochondrial efficiency and production, which improves the ability of ketone burning cells to produce energy and resist aging. For starters, ketones burn much more efficiently than sugar, providing us with a more efficient source of energy while forming less reactive oxygen species. ![]() To get a better idea of why we have the ability to burn ketones for fuel, let’s approach these questions from two perspectives - health and evolution.įrom a health perspective, ketones have been found to have many unique properties that sugar can not emulate. If it is true that ketosis isn’t necessary for optimal health, then this raises a couple of questions: What’s the purpose of ketosis? And wouldn’t we do just fine by burning fat and sugar for fuel? In fact, many people will go throughout life without ever entering ketosis while maintaining optimal health. As long as sugar is available (and you don’t consume exogenous ketones or medium chain triglycerides), your body will do just fine using glucose as its primary fuel source. In general, the body will not enter ketosis as long as there are enough carbs available from the diet or stored glycogen (the storage form of sugar) to provide the cells with energy. People will typically enter ketosis when they restrict carbohydrates (i.e., by following the ketogenic diet) or eat little to no calories (i.e., fasting for multiple days). Ketosis is the metabolic state when blood ketone levels reach a certain level (around 0.5 mmol/L). ![]()
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