What Is Beta-Hydroxybutyrate (BHB) and Why I Decided to Write a Comprehensive Memoir Book About It. BHP Is Mother Nature’s Masterpiece. It Is a Molecule That Restores, Protects, and Propels. So I Believe It Deserves a Book.
The Molecule Nature Designed to Heal Your Body and Supercharge Your Mind
While studying biochemistry at a postgraduate level, the most interesting and life-changing subjects for me were ketogenesis, gluconeogenesis, and nutritional biochemistry.
I will cover these biochemical concepts in different chapters of this book titled Ketosis + BDNF: The Healing Molecules That Saved My Life. How I Reversed Metabolic Syndrome, Restored Brain Health, and Regained Vitality After 50.
My goal in writing this book is not to overwhelm with technical detail but to show the nuances, the real-life pros and cons of self-induced ketosis, and how, when practiced wisely, it can offer a path to both healing and performance.
I understood that ketosis is not starvation, but a natural, adaptive state, one that has been safely used for nearly a century in medical nutrition therapy for conditions such as epilepsy, and more recently for obesity and metabolic syndrome.
At the same time, ketosis is not a universal solution. For most people, it can be deeply beneficial, but in certain circumstances, it may not be appropriate.
For example, patients with type 1 diabetes or those with advanced forms of type 2 diabetes face unique risks because their insulin regulation is impaired. In such cases, the risk of ketoacidosis — a dangerous, uncontrolled rise in ketones — requires careful medical supervision.
Ketosis was life-changing for me because it helped me to overcome abdominal obesity, prediabetes, chronic inflammation, arthritis, mood swings, hunger pangs, cognitive decline, and brain fog.
Therefore, I thought it would be beneficial to distill my 300,000-page research journal and health transformation memoir into a 40,000-word practical book.
What Are Ketone Bodies, and Why Does Beta-Hydroxybutyrate Stand Out?
When the body runs low on carbohydrates and begins burning fat for fuel, it produces three special molecules known as ketone bodies: acetoacetate, acetone, and beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB). Each plays a role, but they are not equal in impact.
Acetoacetate is the pioneer — the first ketone formed in the liver from fatty acids, capable of being used for energy almost immediately. Acetone is more of a side effect, a volatile by-product that mostly escapes through your breath and contributes little to energy. And then there is BHB — the molecule that truly changes the game.
Although chemists point out that BHB is not technically a ketone, it behaves like one in the body and becomes the most abundant and stable of the trio. It circulates at the highest levels in the blood during ketosis, crosses easily into tissues — even across the blood–brain barrier — and provides a steady, clean-burning source of fuel. Unlike glucose, which creates energy highs and lows, BHB delivers consistency.
But BHB is more than fuel. It acts as a signaling molecule, turning down inflammation, switching on genes that protect against stress, and stimulating the release of BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) — a growth factor that helps the brain form new connections, repair itself, and stay sharp as we age. In other words, while all ketone bodies matter, BHB is the one that powers both body and brain with lasting effects.
Think of it this way:
Acetoacetate lights the fire, acetone is the smoke, but BHB is the flame that warms, heals, and sustains.
For me, this was not abstract biochemistry — it was lived reality. I chose ketosis as a lifestyle because human beings evolved to rely on ketogenesis and gluconeogenesis for survival.
Our ancestors did not eat three meals a day; they cycled naturally between feasting and fasting, and ketones carried them through. Yet in the modern world, we still debate whether this natural state is safe, with some dismissing it as unnecessary or even dangerous.
Through decades of research and personal experimentation, I learned otherwise. By embracing ketosis, I discovered how BHB could quiet inflammation, sharpen cognition, and restore balance to a body once slipping into metabolic decline.
I have been living a keto lifestyle for many years, as documented in numerous stories before. This unique lifestyle is about nutritional biochemistry, where we eat low carbs with adequate healthy fats and moderate bioavailable proteins, stick to a specific eating window, and get moving with moderate and tailored workouts.
I was not the only one. Friends who experimented with fasting reported a similar lift in energy. A colleague told me her migraines eased when she extended her fasting window. A family friend struggling with metabolic syndrome saw insulin drop after a short ketogenic trial.
These anecdotes confirmed what the literature described: BHB was not an isolated phenomenon. It was a shared human pathway waiting to be tapped.
A Drop of Blood, A Moment of Truth
I still remember the first time I pricked my finger and tested my ketone levels. The number on the meter was small — 1.2 mmol/L — but for me it was a turning point. That tiny digital readout gave me proof that ketones were real, measurable, and active in my body. It was no longer a theory. It was evidence I could hold in my hands.
What made that moment possible was not only my curiosity but also the quiet revolution in self-monitoring technology. Back in 1965, the first blood glucose test strip — called Dextrostix — was developed.
At the time, it was designed for physicians, not patients. In the 1970s, bulky and inaccurate glucose meters appeared, still far from practical for everyday use.
By the 1980s, everything began to change. Test strips required smaller drops of blood. Meters became faster, more accurate, and affordable enough to move into homes.
Self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) became a standard of care, empowering people with diabetes to take charge of their health.
Alongside this shift, ketone testing strips emerged, first in clinical use, then slowly becoming available to the public in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
The development of combined glucose and ketone monitors was especially significant. For the first time, ordinary people could measure two of the body’s most important fuels at home.
For those managing diabetes, it was life-saving. For me, it was life-changing. I was no longer forced to guess what fasting or dietary changes were doing to me. I could measure, observe, and learn in real time.
It is easy to take this for granted now. Today, glucose and ketone meters are sold in pharmacies worldwide. But back then, pricking my finger and seeing ketones appear on the screen felt almost futuristic.
It gave me the courage to keep experimenting, because I was no longer navigating blindly. Science was in my hands, and it spoke through a single drop of blood.
When I started periodic fasting from seven to ten days, I entered a deep state of ketosis. It made me euphoric. When BPH reached 5.5 or 7.3 mmol/L in my bloodstream, everything looked more beautiful and brighter.
Beyond Fuel: The Essence of BHB
The numbers, 1.2 (mild), 5.5 (moderate), or 7.3 (Deep) mmol/L, were not just a metric for me. They represented a molecule my liver had made in response to fasting, energized my cells, and signalled my genes to lower inflammation.
Beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) is one of three ketone bodies, produced when carbohydrate intake is low or absent. Most textbooks describe glucose as the brain’s preferred fuel, but BHB tells a different story. During fasting, up to 70% of the brain’s energy can come from ketones. That means the brain thrives, even in scarcity.
Yet BHB is more than just a substitute fuel. In 2013, Dr. Eric Verdin and his team showed in Science that BHB functions as a signaling molecule, turning genes on and off.
It activates antioxidant pathways, suppresses inflammation, and enhances cellular resilience. To me, this explained why my inflammation markers fell as my ketones rose, and why the pain in my joints began to ease.
In plain language: BHB does not simply keep the lights on. It rewires the house for efficiency and protection.
The Ups and Downs of My Ketosis Experiments
Of course, my first experiments with BHB were not perfect. Early fasts before adapting my body to fat sometimes left me dizzy and irritable, especially when I broke them with the wrong foods.
I didn’t know about the importance of salt when fasting, so I had keto flu like many beginners. But it was quick and easy to fix it by just adding a pinch of Himalayan or sea salt to my water.
I learned quickly that a sugary meal, especially fruits, could drop ketones to near zero in 20 minutes, taking my clarity with them. Other times, I pushed too hard, extending fasts before my body was ready.
But there were also days when everything clicked. A 16-hour fast raised my ketones gently, leaving me energized. A three-day fast sent them soaring, creating a sharpness of thought I had never known. A ten-day fast put me in a euphoric state, making me a prolific writer and a compassionate person.
Exercise in a fasted state spiked them even higher, giving me bursts of creativity that spilled into my writing. These cycles taught me that BHB was both fragile and powerful — fragile because it could vanish with one poor choice, like a sugary food or beverage, or be powerful because it could unlock mental states that felt like a gift.
Science That Guided Me
Landmark studies gave me confidence that my observations were real. In the 1960s, Dr. George Cahill at Harvard showed that ketones could sustain the human brain for weeks of fasting, proving that we are metabolically flexible by design.
In 2013, Verdin’s Science paper confirmed that BHB inhibits histone deacetylases, activating protective genes. Around the same time, Cell Metabolism studies revealed that BHB improves mitochondrial efficiency, lowering oxidative stress and producing cleaner energy.
I often felt this directly. The crashes that used to follow carbohydrate-heavy meals disappeared. My energy stretched smoothly across the day, as though my cells had switched from burning kindling to burning a steady log fire.
In 2017, Nature Medicine published findings that BHB may mimic the effects of caloric restriction, extending lifespan in animal models. That spoke to me deeply. My goal was not only to reverse the disease but also to live with vitality as I aged.
Every study felt like a mirror. When my glucose stabilized, I recalled clinical trials showing improved insulin sensitivity during fasting. When my brain fog cleared, I remembered BHB’s role in reducing oxidative stress. The literature and my life were telling the same story.
The practical impact of BHB on my life was profound. My waistline shrank, my fasting glucose normalized, and my insulin sensitivity returned. Arthritis pain eased, and inflammation markers fell.
But the most precious gift was mental clarity. For the first time since my twenties, I could focus, remember, and create without being dragged down by fatigue.
BHB gave me back the confidence that my mind was not permanently damaged. It reminded me that healing is possible even after years of decline.
How About Man-Made beta-hydroxybutyrate?
In recent years, scientists and entrepreneurs have developed man-made forms of beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), often sold as ketone salts, esters, or ethers, and now found in drinks, powders, and even energy bars.
These products deliver BHB directly into the bloodstream without requiring fasting or a ketogenic diet. Within 20 minutes, blood ketone levels can rise, giving a quick sense of mental clarity or physical energy.
While these supplements can be helpful, especially for beginners or those who cannot fast or sustain strict low-carb eating, they do not fully replicate the benefits of natural ketosis.
When the body makes BHB endogenously — through fasting, carbohydrate restriction, or exercise — the entire metabolic machinery shifts: insulin levels drop, fat oxidation increases, mitochondria adapt, and inflammation decreases.
Simply drinking BHB raises ketones in the blood but does not activate the same hormonal, genetic, and metabolic pathways that natural ketosis engages.
That does not make them useless. For some people, ketone supplements can be a bridge — a way to experience a taste of ketosis before committing to lifestyle changes.
They may help athletes during endurance training, busy professionals seeking sharper focus, or patients needing short-term energy support when dietary restrictions are not feasible.
Still, the deep healing and metabolic rewiring I experienced came from producing BHB naturally. Supplements may provide sparks, but lifestyle-based ketosis provides the enduring flame.
Used thoughtfully, both approaches have their place, but it is important to understand the difference.
Conclusions and Key Takeaways
For me, BHB became more than a molecule. It was a symbol of resilience and adaptability. It showed me that my body carried within it ancient pathways designed not for fragility but for survival. It taught me that decline was not inevitable, that vitality could be rebuilt.
Looking back, my relationship with BHB holds lessons that others may explore with curiosity and professional guidance.
Begin by learning the story of BHB. It is not only a fuel but a messenger, calming inflammation and supporting your mitochondria. If you experiment, start gently. Try narrowing your eating window or skipping one meal, and notice what changes.
Use the tools available. Glucose and ketone meters, once rare, are now affordable and accessible. Measuring gives you feedback, but do not let numbers dominate your life. They are guides, not verdicts.
Pay attention to both numbers and feelings. A meter might show 1.0 mmol/L, but your true measure lies in whether your mind feels sharper or your energy steadier. Respect the fragility of ketones. They rise and fall with choices, and setbacks are part of the process.
Above all, see BHB not as a fad but as part of your biological inheritance. It connects you to the resilience of your ancestors, who survived scarcity by turning adversity into strength.
When I first saw that small number on my ketone meter, I did not realize I was standing at the edge of a transformation.
That molecule — beta-hydroxybutyrate — was the bridge between my declining twenties and my renewed decades of health.
Without the evolution of testing technology, I might never have found it. Without curiosity, I might never have pursued it.
BHB was not just a miracle molecule for me. It was a message written into human biology, waiting for me to read it. And once I did, it saved my life.
Some readers have told me that fasting worsens their reflux, especially when combined with coffee or certain trigger foods. For me, the opposite was true.
Long fasts gave my digestive system its first real rest in decades, and my reflux, bloating, and discomfort disappeared.
This contrast reminds us that fasting is not a one-size-fits-all practice. Our bodies respond differently, and learning to listen and adapt is part of the process.
My goal is to offer you the same life-changing insights I discovered, presented in a way that is both clear and practical.
I offer nuanced perspectives shaped by lived experiences and the growing scientific literature in the last four decades.
I wrote this memoir with complete honesty and transparency from the heart, mind, and spirit, sharing both the highs and lows to empower you with knowledge, hope, and tools to explore.
If you approach this book with an open mind, it may challenge what you have been told and help you craft a healthier and happier future at any age.
I will soon share the beta version as digital (EPUB, PDF, MOBI) and audio (MP3) on my discount bookstore and also in my Health and Wellness Network publication on Substack for members.
Sample Chapters on This Platform
I shared two previous chapters and linked them here if you missed them:
Ketosis + BDNF: The Healing Molecules That Saved My Life
How I Reversed Metabolic Syndrome, Restored Brain Health, and Regained Vitality After 50medium.com
When My Body Began to Fail Me at a Tender Age
A Sample Chapter from “Ketosis + BDNF: The Healing Molecules That Saved My Life — How I Reversed Metabolic Syndrome…medium.com
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A New Clinical Trial Found a Low-Carb Diet Better Than the Dash.
Perfect Storm in a Teacup: Can Intermittent Fasting Increase Heart Disease Risk by 91%?
Here’s Why I Focus on Nutritional Biochemistry Rather Than Diets
I wrote several stories about ketosis and the ketogenic lifestyle, reflecting my experiences and literature reviews, which you can find in the following list:
Ketosis and Ketogenic Lifestyle
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I wrote many stories explaining the fundamental requirements of the brain and nervous system with nuances in previous stories, so I link them as reference here:
Here’s How to Make the Nervous System More Flexible and Functional
Here’s How I Train My Brain Daily for Mental Clarity and Intellectual Productivity.
You can find many relevant stories about brain health and cognitive performance on this list.
Brain Health and Cognitive Function
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You may also check out my 70+ healthy weight management stories, in which I used ketosis as a powerful tool for fat loss and muscle building.
Weight Loss / Muscle Gain
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