The cells that make up the various organs in our bodies communicate within themselves and to each other using small molecules. At the most basic level, these signals control everything that happens in our body. We have known for a very long time that ketones are a healthy and efficient energy source for our bodies. However, more recently, researchers have discovered that ketones serve as more than just energy for our cells – they also function as very important signaling molecules.

Ketone signaling is now known to elicit many healthy effects, in large part by mediating our body’s own protective antioxidant defenses. This helps protect our cells from many types of age-related and environmental damage. Ketone signaling has been shown to be responsible for many of the therapeutic effects of calorie restriction and the ketogenic diet, which suggests that taking exogenous ketones in a supplement would mimic these benefits.