Brain Fuel Upgrade: How Fasting Ignites Ketone Energy

Switching your brain’s fuel from glucose to ketones during intermittent fasting may sound technical, but it’s actually a natural, efficient process that taps into your body’s fat stores to produce ketones like BHB and AcAc—clean, stable energy molecules with potential cognitive benefits. These ketones cross the blood-brain barrier and may support sharper mental focus by delivering steady fuel, reducing oxidative stress, calming inflammation, and even boosting brain-protective factors like BDNF. This metabolic shift helps explain the mental clarity many report during IF and highlights why consistency and smart nutrition during eating windows are so important. Far from being just a backup system, ketones might be a superior brain fuel, helping create a more resilient and high-performing mind through a well-aligned intermittent fasting practice.

In our main guide about impact Intermittent Fasting (IF) has on focus, we touched on one of the most intriguing ways IF might boost your brainpower: by changing its primary fuel source. We mentioned shifting away from relying purely on glucose (sugar) and tapping into the power of ketones. It sounds almost like science fiction – upgrading your brain’s fuel supply! But what does that actually mean? How does abstaining from food for a period of time magically creates these alternative energy molecules, and why should someone aiming to improve focus care?

Your brain, despite being only about 2% of your body weight, is an energy glutton, consuming roughly 20% of your daily energy expenditure. Its default fuel is glucose, taken from the carbohydrates you eat. It needs a constant, stable supply to keep firing on all cylinders – powering thoughts, memories, decisions, and maintaining that elusive state of concentration. When glucose delivery becomes erratic – think blood sugar spikes and crashes after certain meals – your focus often takes a nosedive right along with it. That mid-afternoon slump or feeling of brain fog? Unstable glucose supply can definitely be a contributor.

Now, imagine having a backup generator for your brain, one that kicks in when the primary power source (glucose) runs low, providing a smoother, potentially more efficient, stream of energy. That’s essentially the role ketones can play. When you practice Intermittent Fasting and go long enough without eating (typically 12+ hours, though it varies), your body undergoes a remarkable metabolic shift [8]. It starts breaking down stored fat and converting it, primarily in the liver, into ketone bodies – molecules like beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) and acetoacetate. These aren’t just waste products; they are potent energy sources that can travel through your bloodstream, cross the heavily guarded blood-brain barrier, and be used by your brain cells [7].

This article is your deep look into that process. We’re going beyond just saying “IF makes ketones.” We’ll explore how ketogenesis ramps up during fasting, understand the difference between your brain running on sugar versus ketones as brain fuel, and investigate the compelling reasons why this metabolic switch might translate directly into sharper focus, enhanced mental clarity, and improved cognitive performance [2]. We’ll even touch on how ketones might do more than just provide energy, potentially acting as signaling molecules with anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects [6, 10]. Understanding this mechanism is key to appreciating one of the core ways IF could be your ally in the fight for focus.

Beyond Sugar: Why Your Brain Needs More Than Just Glucose

We often think of sugar (glucose) as the brain’s one true love when it comes to fuel. And for the most part, that’s true. In our typical modern eating patterns, glucose derived from carbohydrates is the readily available, easily utilized energy source that powers neurons and synapses, underpinning everything from basic functions to complex thought and, yes, our ability to focus.

The Brain’s Usual Grub: Glucose as the Go-To Fuel

When you eat carbohydrates, they get broken down into glucose, which enters your bloodstream. Your brain readily takes up this glucose – it doesn’t even need insulin to do so, unlike most other tissues. This glucose is then used in cellular respiration to generate ATP (adenosine triphosphate), the universal energy currency of the cell. It’s a relatively quick and efficient process when glucose is plentiful. This reliance is why severe drops in blood sugar (hypoglycemia) can rapidly impact cognitive function, leading to confusion, dizziness, and difficulty concentrating. Your brain needs fuel, constantly.

The Energy Hog Upstairs: Why Consistent Fuel is Non-Negotiable

As mentioned, the brain is disproportionately energy-hungry. It’s working 24/7, even while you sleep, managing bodily functions, processing sensory input, consolidating memories, and dreaming. This high energy demand means it’s incredibly sensitive to fluctuations in its fuel supply.

When blood glucose levels swing wildly – spiking after a sugary snack and then crashing – the brain feels it. That familiar feeling of brain fog, irritability, or sudden inability to maintain concentration after certain meals is often linked to this glucose roller coaster. Providing a consistent, stable source of energy is therefore very important for maintaining steady cognitive performance.

When Glucose Runs Low: Introducing the Need for Plan B

So, what happens when readily available glucose isn’t there? This occurs naturally during periods of fasting – whether it’s the overnight stretch between dinner and breakfast, or the longer intentional fasting windows practiced in Intermittent Fasting. Initially, the body taps into stored glucose (glycogen) primarily in the liver. But these stores are limited, typically lasting maybe 12-24 hours depending on activity levels [4].

Once glycogen runs low, the body needs an alternative strategy to fuel the energy-demanding brain. It can’t easily run on fatty acids directly, as they don’t cross the blood-brain barrier efficiently. This is where the brilliance of our evolutionary wiring comes in. The body initiates Plan B: it starts converting those fatty acids into ketone bodies, creating a fuel source that can cross the blood-brain barrier and keep the lights on upstairs [8]. This metabolic switch isn’t just a starvation response; it’s a sophisticated adaptation ensuring our ancestors could maintain mental sharpness even when food was scarce – pretty crucial for survival, and potentially, for modern-day focus too.

Enter the Ketones: Your Body’s Clever Backup Generators

So, Plan B involves ketones. But what are these mysterious molecules that suddenly appear when you start intermittent fasting? They aren’t some exotic substance; they are naturally produced compounds your body makes from fat when carbohydrate intake is very low or absent for a significant period. Think of them as your body’s cleverly designed backup power generators, ready to kick in when the main grid (glucose) is down.

What Are Ketones, Exactly? Meet BHB and AcAc

When people talk about ketones, they’re usually referring to three main types produced during ketogenesis (the process of making ketones):

• Acetoacetate (AcAc): One of the first ketone bodies produced from fatty acid breakdown in the liver.
• Beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB): Synthesized from acetoacetate. BHB is the most abundant ketone body in the bloodstream during ketosis and is readily transported into the brain to be used for energy. It’s also the one most often measured in blood ketone tests.
• Acetone: Produced spontaneously from acetoacetate, acetone is less utilized for energy and is often excreted via the breath (responsible for the characteristic “keto breath” some people notice) or urine.

Unlike fatty acids, AcAc and BHB are water-soluble, meaning they can easily travel through the bloodstream without needing special carriers. This allows them to reach various tissues, including the highly selective brain.

The Magic Switch: How Fasting Triggers Ketogenesis

The production of ketones isn’t random; it’s a finely tuned metabolic response orchestrated by hormonal signals, mainly low insulin and increased glucagon, which occur during fasting. Here’s a simplified breakdown:

1. Glucose & Insulin Drop: As you fast, blood glucose levels fall. This leads to a significant drop in insulin, the hormone responsible for storing energy.
2. Fat Release: Low insulin signals fat cells (adipose tissue) to release stored fatty acids into the bloodstream.
3. Liver Takes Over: These fatty acids travel to the liver.
4. Ketogenesis Begins: In the liver mitochondria, fatty acids undergo a process called beta-oxidation, breaking them down. When carbohydrate availability is low, the liver converts the products of this breakdown into AcAc and BHB.
5. Ketones Enter Circulation: These newly created ketone bodies are released from the liver into the bloodstream, ready to be used as fuel by tissues like the brain, heart, and muscles.

This elegant process allows your body to efficiently tap into its vast fat reserves to provide energy when external fuel isn’t coming in – a key feature of the intermittent fasting metabolic switch [8].

How Long Does it Take? Reaching Ketosis Through IF

The time it takes to enter a noticeable state of ketosis (where ketones become a significant fuel source) varies based on several factors:

• Length of Fast: Typically, it takes at least 12-16 hours of fasting for liver glycogen to deplete enough for significant ketogenesis to begin [4]. Longer fasts (like 24 hours or more, as in ADF discussed here) generally lead to higher ketone levels.
• Diet Composition: A lower-carbohydrate diet even during eating windows can help deplete glycogen faster and promote quicker entry into ketosis during the fast.
• Activity Level: Exercise can deplete glycogen stores more rapidly, potentially shortening the time needed to start producing ketones.
• Individual Metabolism: Metabolic rates and efficiency vary from person to person.

While mild ketosis might begin within a standard 16-hour fast, deeper levels often require longer fasting periods or sustained very low-carb intake (like a ketogenic diet).

Crossing the Border: Getting Ketones Into Your Brain

Okay, so your liver is busy churning out ketones like BHB and AcAc during your fast. That’s great, but how do these energy molecules actually get into the brain, arguably the most protected organ in your body? They need to cross a formidable barrier, a highly selective security checkpoint known as the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Understanding this crossing is key to appreciating how ketones become brain fuel.

The VIP Pass: The Blood-Brain Barrier Explained

Think of the blood-brain barrier as the brain’s highly exclusive bouncer. It’s a tightly packed layer of specialized cells lining the capillaries within the brain, reinforced by other cells like astrocytes. Its job is crucial: protect the sensitive neural environment from potentially harmful substances, pathogens, and fluctuations circulating in the general bloodstream, while selectively allowing essential nutrients (like glucose, amino acids, and, yes, ketones) to pass through. Most molecules simply can’t get past this barrier; they lack the necessary “VIP pass.”

Special Transporters: How Ketones Get Access (MCTs)

So how do ketones get their pass? They don’t just diffuse randomly across the BBB. They rely on specific protein transporters embedded within the cell membranes of the BBB. These transporters are called Monocarboxylate Transporters (MCTs), particularly MCT1 and MCT2 are important for ketone transport into the brain [2, 3].

• Upregulation During Fasting/Keto: Interestingly, the expression of these MCTs on the blood-brain barrier isn’t static. Evidence suggests that during prolonged fasting or adherence to a ketogenic diet (which mimics the metabolic state of fasting), the brain actually increases the number of these MCTs [8]. It’s like the brain senses the shift in available fuel and installs more “loading docks” specifically designed to import ketones efficiently. This adaptation helps the brain become better at utilizing ketones over time.
• Efficient Transport: Once transported across the BBB via MCTs, ketone bodies can then be taken up by neurons and other brain cells (like astrocytes) to be used for energy production within the mitochondria.

Why This Matters: Ensuring Your Brain Can Use Ketones

This transport mechanism is vital. If ketones couldn’t efficiently cross the blood-brain barrier, their production during fasting would be far less beneficial for cognitive function. The existence and adaptability of MCTs ensure that when glucose is scarce, the brain has a reliable way to import and utilize this crucial alternative fuel source generated from fat stores. It highlights the body’s intricate system for maintaining brain energy homeostasis, a system actively leveraged during intermittent fasting. The ability to effectively transport and use ketones is a cornerstone of the proposed benefits of ketones for cognition.

Premium Unleaded? How Ketones Might Fuel Your Brain Better

We’ve established that during fasting, your body can make ketones, and your brain can import them thanks to specialized transporters. Now for the million-dollar question: is this alternative fuel actually better for your brain than its usual glucose supply? While “better” is complex, compelling evidence suggests that ketones, particularly BHB, might offer some distinct advantages, potentially explaining the mental clarity and improved focus many report with intermittent fasting.

Glucose vs. Ketones: A Metabolic Showdown

Let’s compare how the brain uses these two fuels at the cellular level:

• Potential for More ATP (Energy Currency) Per Unit Oxygen? Some biochemical analyses suggest that metabolizing ketones (specifically BHB) might yield slightly more ATP (the cell’s energy molecule) for the amount of oxygen consumed compared to metabolizing glucose. While the exact calculations can get technical and debated, this hints at potentially greater metabolic efficiency when the brain runs on ketones [2, 10]. Think of it as getting slightly better mileage from your fuel.
• Producing Fewer Reactive Oxygen Species (Less ‘Exhaust’): Cellular energy production inevitably creates byproducts called reactive oxygen species (ROS), or free radicals. Excessive ROS contribute to oxidative stress, which can damage cells and is implicated in aging and neurodegeneration. Research indicates that ketone metabolism might generate fewer ROS compared to glucose metabolism [8, 9]. This “cleaner burn” could reduce oxidative stress in the brain, contributing to healthier neuron function and potentially less brain fog.

Stabilizing the Grid: Avoiding Blood Sugar Roller Coasters

Beyond cellular efficiency, using ketones offers a major advantage in energy stability. Glucose levels can fluctuate significantly depending on meals, leading to energy peaks and crashes that directly impact focus. Ketone levels, once ketosis is established during fasting, tend to remain much more stable, providing a consistent, non-fluctuating energy source for the brain [5]. This stable “power grid” likely contributes significantly to the feeling of sustained mental clarity and reduced concentration dips reported by many IF practitioners. It helps you get off the blood sugar roller coaster.

The Subjective Feeling: Linking Ketones to Clarity

While measuring ATP production or ROS directly is complex, the subjective experience reported by many individuals in ketosis (whether through fasting or ketogenic diets) often includes:

• Reduced brain fog
• Sharper focus and concentration
• More stable mood and energy levels

While placebo effects and other confounding factors exist, the consistency of these reports aligns well with the proposed biochemical advantages of using ketones as a primary brain fuel. This metabolic shift, facilitated by IF, appears to be a key mechanism behind its potential cognitive enhancement benefits, offering a plausible biological explanation for why timing your meals might genuinely help you improve focus.

More Than Just Fuel: Ketones as Signaling Molecules

The story of ketones and the brain gets even more interesting. Emerging research reveals that ketone bodies, especially beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), aren’t just passive fuel sources. They also act as powerful signaling molecules, actively influencing cellular processes and gene expression in ways that can benefit brain health and resilience, potentially contributing further to the focus-enhancing effects of intermittent fasting.

BHB’s Side Hustle: Influencing Gene Expression

One of BHB’s most fascinating “side hustles” is its ability to act as an inhibitor of a class of enzymes called histone deacetylases (HDACs) [2, 8, 9].

• A Quick Look at HDAC Inhibition: HDACs normally act like molecular brakes on gene expression, keeping certain genes tightly wound up and turned “off.” By inhibiting HDACs, BHB essentially releases these brakes, allowing specific genes to be expressed more readily.
• Potential Implications for BDNF and Resilience: Which genes get turned up? Intriguingly, HDAC inhibition by BHB has been linked to increased expression of genes involved in stress resistance and antioxidant defense within the brain. Perhaps most relevant to our discussion on focus, this mechanism is also thought to contribute to increased production of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) [1]. So, ketones might not only fuel the brain efficiently but also actively signal it to produce more of its own growth and protection factors. This adds another layer to how IF-induced ketosis could support cognitive function and resilience.

Calming the Storm: Potential Anti-Inflammatory Effects

Chronic inflammation is bad news for the brain, contributing to brain fog and impairing focus. Ketones, particularly BHB, appear to have direct anti-inflammatory properties.

• Targeting Inflammasomes: Research suggests BHB can directly inhibit the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome, a key cellular complex involved in triggering inflammatory responses [6, 8]. By dampening this inflammatory pathway, ketones might help reduce neuroinflammation.
• Reduced Oxidative Stress: As mentioned earlier, the “cleaner burn” of ketones likely reduces the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), thereby lowering oxidative stress – another major driver of inflammation and cellular damage.

This dual action – potentially suppressing inflammatory triggers and reducing oxidative stress – positions ketones as beneficial molecules for maintaining a calmer, healthier brain environment conducive to clear thinking.

Protecting the Troops: Neuroprotective Aspects

The combination of efficient energy supply, reduced oxidative stress, anti-inflammatory effects, and potentially enhanced BDNF production points towards a significant neuroprotective role for ketones [7, 10]. Studies (predominantly preclinical, but influential) have shown that ketones can help protect neurons against various insults, including excitotoxicity (damage from overstimulation) and metabolic stress. This protective quality might not only contribute to long-term brain health but could also enhance neuronal function and resilience day-to-day, supporting more robust cognitive performance and focus, especially under demanding conditions. So, when you fast and produce ketones, you’re not just switching fuel; you might be actively bolstering your brain’s defenses.

Connecting Ketones Back to Your IF Journey for Focus

We’ve journeyed deep into the world of ketones – how they’re made during fasting, how they get into the brain, and why they might be a superior fuel and signaling molecule for cognitive function. Now, let’s zoom back out and connect this knowledge directly to your intermittent fasting practice, specifically aiming to improve focus. How can understanding ketones help you optimize your IF approach?

Which IF Schedules Promote More Ketosis?

As we explored in our companion article comparing IF schedules, different fasting protocols induce varying levels of ketosis:

• 16/8 Method: Generally produces mild levels of ketones, especially once adapted. May be sufficient for stable energy and some cognitive benefits for many.
• 5:2 Diet: The two low-calorie days likely induce moderate ketosis, potentially offering a stronger ketone-related stimulus twice a week, but with potential focus disruption on those days.
• Alternate-Day Fasting (ADF): Tends to produce the highest and most sustained ketone levels due to the full fasting days, offering the strongest theoretical ketone-related benefits but with significant challenges in adaptation and sustainability.

Understanding this helps you choose a schedule that balances the desire for ketone benefits with practical achievability.

Fueling Your Brain During Your Eating Window

Even when using IF, what you eat during your non-fasting periods matters for optimizing brain fuel. While not strictly necessary to be “keto” during your eating window, focusing on whole foods, healthy fats (like avocados, nuts, olive oil), quality proteins, and limiting refined carbs/sugars can:

• Help stabilize blood sugar, reducing the glucose roller coaster effect.
• Potentially make the transition into fasting-induced ketosis smoother each day.
• Provide essential nutrients that support overall brain health and cognitive function.

For more on best foods for enhanced brain focus, check out “Top 10 Brain Boosting Foods for Your IF Eating Window“.

Is Deeper Ketosis Always Better for Focus? The Balance Point

While higher ketone levels might offer stronger biochemical effects, pursuing deep ketosis (e.g., via ADF or very strict ketogenic diets) isn’t necessarily the ultimate goal for everyone seeking better focus. There’s likely a point of diminishing returns where the effort or side effects outweigh the cognitive benefits. Many people find the mental clarity and stable energy from the mild-to-moderate ketosis achieved with sustainable IF protocols like 16/8 perfectly adequate. The goal is metabolic flexibility – the ability to efficiently switch between glucose and ketones – rather than necessarily staying in deep ketosis 24/7.

Leveraging the Metabolic Switch for Cognitive Gains

Ultimately, understanding ketones as brain fuel empowers your IF journey. You know why you might feel sharper after adapting – it’s not just placebo; there’s real metabolic machinery at work. You can choose an IF schedule that supports ketone production to a level that feels sustainable and beneficial for you. You can make smarter food choices during your eating window to complement the process. Recognizing the power of this intermittent fasting metabolic switch turns IF from a simple eating schedule into a targeted tool for potentially upgrading your brain’s energy supply and unlocking that coveted peak focus.

Quick Takeaways: Ketones & Your Brain on IF

• Backup Fuel: When fasting depletes glucose, your liver converts fat into ketones (like BHB & AcAc) as an alternative brain fuel.
• Ketogenesis: This process is triggered by low insulin levels during fasting (typically 12+ hours).
• Brain Access: Ketones cross the protective blood-brain barrier via special MCT transporters, which can increase with adaptation.
• Potential Efficiency: Ketone metabolism might be slightly more energy-efficient and produce fewer damaging byproducts (ROS) than glucose metabolism in the brain.
• Stable Energy: Ketones provide a more stable energy source than glucose, potentially reducing brain fog and energy crashes linked to blood sugar swings.
• More Than Fuel: BHB acts as a signaling molecule, potentially boosting BDNF (brain health factor) and having anti-inflammatory effects.
• Schedule Matters: Longer/more intense fasts (ADF, 5:2) generally produce more ketones than shorter ones (16/8), but sustainability and focus during fasting are key considerations.
• Metabolic Flexibility: The goal is often efficient switching between glucose and ketones, achieved through consistent, sustainable IF practice.

Conclusion

The idea of changing the fuel your brain runs on might sound complex, but as we’ve explored, ketones are a natural and elegantly designed part of our metabolic toolkit, especially relevant during intermittent fasting. We’ve peeled back the layers on ketogenesis, seeing how fasting signals the liver to transform stored fat into powerful energy molecules like BHB and AcAc. We learned how these ketones get VIP access across the blood-brain barrier, ready to power our demanding cognitive processes when glucose runs low.

More than just backup generators, we’ve uncovered compelling reasons why ketones might be premium brain fuel. From potentially yielding more energy with less waste (oxidative stress) to providing a blissfully stable power supply that avoids the focus-killing glucose roller coaster, the metabolic advantages are clear. Add to that BHB’s impressive side hustle as a signaling molecule – potentially boosting protective factors like BDNF and calming inflammation – and the link between IF-induced ketosis and enhanced mental clarity becomes much stronger [6, 8, 10]. This isn’t just about avoiding energy slumps; it’s about potentially creating a healthier, more resilient, and higher-performing brain environment.

Understanding this ketone connection adds a crucial dimension to the advice given in our main guide, Unlock Peak Focus: Intermittent Fasting Brain Hacks, and our comparison of schedules. It helps explain why different fasting lengths might feel different cognitively and why consistency matters for developing metabolic flexibility. It underscores the importance of fueling well during your eating window to support this entire process.

So, the next time you’re practicing intermittent fasting and notice that feeling of sharp, sustained focus, you can appreciate the sophisticated metabolic shift happening behind the scenes. Your body isn’t just burning fat; it’s potentially providing your brain with an upgraded fuel source – clean-burning, stable, and possibly even protective ketone energy. Embracing this natural process through a sustainable IF practice could be a powerful step towards achieving the cognitive enhancement and control you’re seeking. It’s another fascinating piece of the puzzle in using timed eating to optimize not just your body, but your mind.

Fueling Thoughts: Your Experience with Ketones & Clarity?

Did this dive into ketone power resonate with you? If you’ve practiced IF or followed a ketogenic diet, have you noticed that distinct feeling of mental clarity or stable energy people often associate with ketones?

• Was there a specific fasting length where you felt the “switch” happen?
• How did the potential “ketone clarity” compare to your focus levels when relying primarily on glucose?
• Any tips for smoothing out the transition into using ketones more effectively?

Share your experiences and questions about brain fuel in the comments below!

If you found this explanation of ketones helpful, please share it! Understanding the “why” behind IF’s effects can be empowering.

Your Ketone Questions Answered

1. Do I need to be on a strict ketogenic diet to get brain benefits from ketones via IF?
   • No. While a ketogenic diet maximizes ketone production, intermittent fasting alone (especially protocols like 16/8 or longer) can induce mild to moderate ketosis, potentially sufficient to provide ketones as brain fuel and offer cognitive benefits like improved focus and stable energy [8]. You don’t need to eliminate carbs entirely during your eating window, though limiting refined carbs helps.
2. How can I tell if I’m producing ketones during my fast?
   • Subjective signs can include reduced hunger (after adaptation), stable energy, mental clarity, and sometimes “keto breath.” For objective measures, you can use urine strips (less accurate for nutritional ketosis), breath analyzers (measure acetone), or blood ketone meters (measure BHB, most accurate). However, chasing high numbers isn’t always necessary for focus benefits.
3. Are there any downsides to the brain running on ketones?
   • The main downside is the initial adaptation period (“keto flu” or IF adaptation), which can temporarily include brain fog, fatigue, and headaches as the brain gets used to the new fuel [8]. Once adapted, most people report positive effects. Very high, uncontrolled ketone levels (ketoacidosis) are dangerous but typically only occur in Type 1 diabetes or other specific medical situations, not from nutritional ketosis via IF in healthy individuals.
4. Does BHB supplementation offer the same brain benefits as fasting-induced ketones?
   • Exogenous ketones (supplements) can raise blood BHB levels and provide fuel, potentially offering some short-term cognitive effects. However, they don’t replicate all the benefits of intermittent fasting, such as stimulating autophagy or the full hormonal shifts (like lower insulin). They also don’t promote the body’s own ability to become metabolically flexible. Think of them as a potential temporary tool, not a replacement for the benefits derived from fasting itself.
5. Can exercising during my fasting window increase ketone production for my brain?
   • Yes, exercising in a fasted state can deplete glycogen stores faster, potentially accelerating the liver’s switch to ketogenesis and modestly increasing ketone production [1]. This could enhance the availability of ketones as brain fuel sooner in your fast or slightly deepen the level of ketosis achieved within a given fasting window (like 16 hours). Listen to your body when combining fasting and exercise.

References

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3. Pierre, K., & Pellerin, L. (2009). Monocarboxylate transporters in the central nervous system: distribution, regulation and function. Journal of Neurochemistry, 108(6), 1370-1380.
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6. Youm, Y. H., Nguyen, K. Y., Grant, R. W., Goldberg, E. L., Bodogai, M., Kim, D., … & Dixit, V. D. (2015). The ketone metabolite β-hydroxybutyrate blocks NLRP3 inflammasome–mediated inflammatory disease. Nature medicine, 21(3).
7. Martin, B., Mattson, M. P., & Maudsley, S. (2006). Caloric restriction and intermittent fasting: Two potential diets for successful brain aging. Ageing Research Reviews, 5(3).
8. Anton, S. D., Moehl, K., Donahoo, W. T., Marosi, K., Lee, S. A., Mainous III, A. G., … & Mattson, M. P. (2018). Flipping the Metabolic Switch: Understanding and Applying the Health Benefits of Fasting. Obesity, 26(2).
9. Shimazu, T., Hirschey, M. D., Newman, J., He, W., Shirakawa, K., Le Moan, N., … & Verdin, E. (2013). Suppression of oxidative stress by β-hydroxybutyrate, an endogenous histone deacetylase inhibitor. Science, 339(6116).
10. Veech, R. L., Chance, B., Kashiwaya, Y., Lardy, H. A., & Cahill Jr, G. F. (2001). Ketone bodies, potential therapeutic uses. IUBMB life, 51(4).