Adding Ketones to Improve Diabetes?
Working backward from results is rarely useful in solving the underlying problem. Adding ketones to a human body that already has disrupted glucose metabolism is unlikely to fix the problem of glucose metabolism. The immediate change in lab values might look good, but we aren’t doing anything to fix the underlying problem. Higher levels of ketone bodies in the system are typically associated with better health – but this is because the physiologic processes of these bodies are producing ketone bodies. Simply adding them in doesn’t cause upstream repair. In my previous career as an OB/GYN, I spent a lot of time with patients who were dealing with the possibility of an early, unsuccessful pregnancy. The biggest red flag that the pregnancy wasn’t progressing normally was a b-hcg level that wasn’t rising appropriately. We could have injected these women with b-hcg and made the level rise, but it wouldn’t have changed the outcome. The marker (b-hcg level) was a result of an upstream problem. We have to think about non-communicable diseases the same way. Changing the markers (lab tests) isn’t the solution. If you want to learn more, click on the links below:
