Ketones help solve cellular energy dysregulation by improving “mitochondrial function,” reducing premature cell death and protecting and energizing neurological tissues. Research into the benefits of ketones has established that ketones: -Improve Brain and Cognitive Function – Ketones are an effective treatment for epilepsy and are now being tested on other brain disorders such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and ALS. -Provide Neuroprotection for the Brain – Ketones protect this vital organ from trauma, concussions, aging, and reduced capacity. -Optimize Energy – Using ketones and glucose together allows optimal use of the body’s two energy engines to boost performance. -Control Glucose – Ketones put less pressure on the body to produce insulin, thereby decreasing the risk and impact of type 2 diabetes. -Provide Anti-aging Effects – Ketones cleanse and “de-junk” cells by producing 10 times fewer free radicals that cause cell damage and premature cell death. -Facilitate Fat Loss – Ketones support low-carb diets by minimizing the “keto flu” and keeping metabolism high during a calorie-reduced diet that consumes fat stores. -Inhibit Cancer Growth – Many types of cancer cells have difficulty utilizing ketones as a fuel source, thereby retarding their abnormal growth rates. GETTING KETONES INTO OUR NUTRITION The average American will never see starvation or famine, the conditions that historically triggered the endogenous production of ketones. Indeed, more people will die worldwide this year of obesity-related diseases than from hunger.13 Virtually no U.S. citizen will experience the consecutive days of starvation or undergo the multi-day fast required to trigger their ketone engine. Until recently, short of starvation, the only other recognized way of including ketones in the diet was to induce the body to make them endogenously through a low-carbohydrate, “ketogenic-type” diet that forces glucose and insulin levels down, thereby inducing the body to burn fatty acids to make ketones for energy. This approach requires strict dietary compliance, making its widespread adoption impossible given the present American diet. Recent research in this field, however, has established an alternative method for including ketones in the average person’s nutritional profile. By adding ketones to the diet (consuming exogenous ketones), many of the advantages of ketosis can be obtained. Utilization of ketones will help return us to our natural state of nutritional energy balance.