Ketosis & BHB: Metabolic Diet Therapies, Brain Cancer & Exercise | Dominic D'Agostino | 267
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Show Notes
Wide release date: December 12, 2025.
Topics Discussed:
* Organs have different fuel preferences: brain strongly prefers glucose, heart prefers fatty acids, skeletal muscle is flexible and likes fat/ketones.
* Humans evolved with high metabolic flexibility; regular ketosis was normal for ancestors, but today most people never experience it.
* “Keto flu” is largely glucose withdrawal plus electrolyte/sodium loss; proper salt and hydration prevent most symptoms.
* Classic medical ketogenic diet is ~90% fat (historically saturated); modern versions often use more monounsaturated fats, MCTs, and higher protein.
* Saturated fat is not inherently atherogenic in the context of weight stability or caloric deficit; excess calories from any source can dysregulate metabolism.
* Exogenous ketones (e.g. BHB) provide energy, reduce ROS, stabilize membranes, increase inhibitory tone (GABA), and have hormone-like signaling effects independent of diet.
* Cancer cells often show Warburg effect (damaged mitochondrial respiration → heavy reliance on glycolysis); lowering glucose and raising ketones can stress cancer cells.
* True keto-adaptation for athletic performance requires 6–12 weeks; after that, elite athletes can match or exceed prior high-carb performance at sub-maximal and endurance efforts.
Practical Takeaways:
* Therapeutic carbohydrate restriction (50–100 g/day for many people) plus occasional fasting or ketone supplements can restore metabolic flexibility with far fewer side effects than strict keto.
* Prioritize whole-food fats (eggs, fatty fish, beef, olive oil, butter/lard) and minimize processed keto products loaded with seed oils.
* Supplementing BHB (salts or esters) or MCT oil can ease the transition into ketosis, boost ketones without strict dieting, and may support brain and metabolic health.
* Regularly check basic blood markers (glucose, lipids, electrolytes) and consider an OmegaQuant test; optimizing metabolic health is one of the strongest preventable steps against cancer, neurodegeneration, and heart disease.
About the guest: Dominic D’Agostino, PhD, is an associate professor at the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine in the Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology
Related Episode:
* M&M 224: Cancer Biology: Metabolism, Mitochondria & Energy | Thomas Seyfried
Supplemental Ketone (BHB):
* KetoCitra—Ketone body BHB with potassium, calcium & magnesium, formulated with kidney health in mind. Use code MIND20 for 20% off.
*Not medical advice.
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* Episode transcript below.
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