What Are BHB Salts?
Your body is just like your car. If you were given the option to choose either a fuel that leaves a thick trail of smoke and damages your car slowly or a fuel that enhances your car’s mileage and also helps it to run smoothly, which one would you choose? The answer is obviously the second option. Similar is the case when it comes to your own body. Unfortunately, a majority of the people choose the first option for their body. When you talk about sources of energy for your body, there are basically 2 sources, ketone bodies, and glucose. Choosing the latter will invariably increase your body weight and damage your health gradually.
What Do You Mean By Beta-Hydroxybutyrate (BHB)?
If you change your diet to include more fat than carbs, your body automatically switches to the stored fat inside your body for its primary source of energy. This is the time when your body makes BHB beta-hydroxybutyrate, which is one of the 3 ketone bodies made by your body. The other ketone bodies include acetoacetate, which comprises almost 20% of the ketones in your blood and acetone, which comprises around 2% of ketones. The remaining 78% of your blood is BHB. Although both BHB and acetone are derived from acetoacetate, the former is the primary ketone body which is used as an energy source. The sole reason behind this is its high stability and abundance. On the other hand, acetone is lost largely through sweat and respiration.
Your body manufactures 2 different types of BHB. The D-BHB is produced in high amounts and is mainly used by your body cells for its energy source. It is responsible for anti-aging effects. On the other hand, the L-BHB is produced in smaller quantities and is more responsible for the synthesis of fatty acids.
Reasons that Support the High Efficiency of BHB
There are several reasons that support the fact that BHB is highly efficient as a primary source of energy for your body. Some of the reasons are discussed below.
- BHB is highly efficient at improving gene expressions by unlocking several crucial proteins, which boost the antioxidant protection and longevity.
- Another important function of BHB is its efficiency at preventing the growth of various types of tumors in your body that can cause cancer.
- BHB can also improve the insulin sensitivity of your body that can reverse the insulin resistance by lowering the insulin and glucose levels in your blood.
- BHB is highly effective at boosting the cognitive functions of your brain. According to tests, your brain can quickly absorb ketones, which prove effective at protecting synapses, neurons, and also lowers neuroinflammation, as well as, prevents neurodegeneration.
- BHB blocks the various activities of the complex NLRP3 inflammasome that is responsible for some of the major inflammation in your body.
Ketone diet is getting highly popular amongst health enthusiasts. It not just helps to lower your body weight by utilizing the stored fat, it also helps to boost your brain functions and improves your overall health.
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