Brief Summary
This video explores the potential of various supplements and compounds like magnesium, alpha lipoic acid, berberine, apple cider vinegar, and ketones to improve insulin sensitivity and metabolic health. It highlights the mechanisms through which these substances, particularly apple cider vinegar and ketones, can influence glucose control, stimulate AMPK, and offer benefits for brain function and metabolic regulation. The discussion also touches on the growing evidence supporting the use of exogenous ketones and the importance of understanding their signaling effects, as well as the interplay between glucose, ketones, and brain function.
- Apple cider vinegar and berberine are effective in improving insulin sensitivity.
- Ketones are beneficial signaling molecules with growing evidence supporting their value.
- The brain can adapt to using ketones, potentially increasing resilience to low glucose levels.
Supplements for Insulin Sensitivity
Several supplements, including magnesium, alpha lipoic acid, berberine, and apple cider vinegar, can improve insulin sensitivity. Berberine is effective, and apple cider vinegar is a personal favorite due to its acetic acid content, a short-chain fatty acid. Short-chain fatty acids are often lacking in modern diets that are low in fermented foods.
The Power of Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar, being a source of short-chain fatty acids, reduces hepatic gluconeogenesis, which helps control glucose levels, especially in individuals with type 2 diabetes who have high glucagon levels. It inhibits the liver from producing excess glucose and stimulates AMPK, similar to how exercise opens GLUT4 to allow glucose uptake in muscles without needing insulin. Apple cider vinegar can also promote mitochondrial biogenesis and uncoupling. Consuming a couple of tablespoons before a starchy meal can lower the glucose curve significantly.
Short-Chain Fatty Acids and Ketones
Short-chain fatty acids like acetate from acetic acid and lactate from lactic acid act as signaling molecules. Beta-hydroxybutyrate, a ketone, functions both as a nutrient and a signaling molecule, eliciting anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, partly through a G-protein coupled receptor. Studies show that exogenous ketones can improve metabolic markers and PCOS symptoms, likely due to their signaling effects rather than bioenergetics.
The Growing Evidence for Ketones
The evidence supporting the value of ketones is rapidly growing. Ketones are beneficial signaling molecules that can help control metabolic response by promoting satiety and enhancing mitochondrial uncoupling, which helps the body burn glucose faster. While ketogenic diets can be restrictive, exogenous ketones offer a viable alternative for those seeking the benefits of ketones without adhering to a strict ketogenic diet.
Ketones and Brain Function
The appropriate dose of ketones is important to activate beneficial signaling pathways without causing glucose levels to drop too low. The brain can adapt to using ketones, potentially increasing resilience to low glucose levels. However, in individuals who have not adapted to ketones and have low ketone levels, a sudden drop in glucose can cause a panic response in the brain, as it deprives the brain of its primary fuels: glucose and ketones.
