BETA - HYDROXYBUTYRATE (BHB)

Other Names:

Beta-Hydroxybutyric Acid, Beta-OHB, BHB, Calcium-D,L-3-Hydroxybutyrate, D-3-Hydroxybutyrate, D-Beta-Hydroxybutyrate, D-Beta-Hydroxybutyric Acid, D-BHB, DL-Beta-Hydroxybutyrate, Glyceryl-Tris-3-Hydroxybutyrate, L-Beta-Hydroxybutyrate, L-Beta-Hydr...
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BETA-HYDROXYBUTYRATE BHB Overview Information

Beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) is a chemical that is made by the body. It provides energy when not enough carbohydrates or sugars have been eaten.

BHB can also be made in the lab and taken as a supplement. It seems to help the brain and nerves work better. It might also provide energy to muscles to improve exercise ability.

BHB is used for dry eye, athletic performance, migraine, Alzheimer disease, Parkinson disease, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.

BETA-HYDROXYBUTYRATE BHB Uses & Effectiveness

We currently have no information for BETA-HYDROXYBUTYRATE BHB Uses & Effectiveness

BETA-HYDROXYBUTYRATE BHB Side Effects & Safety

When taken by mouth: BHB is possibly safe when taken as a single dose of 380 mg/kg. Some people might have stomach upset, diarrhea, constipation, and stomach pain. These side effects are more likely to happen when very high doses are used. There isn't enough reliable information to know if BHB is safe when more than one dose is used.

When applied into the eye: BHB is possibly safe. An eye drop containing 1% BHB has been used without side effects for up to 4 weeks.

Special Precautions & Warnings:

Pregnancy and breast-feeding: There isn't enough reliable information to know if BHB is safe to use when pregnant or breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid use.

BETA-HYDROXYBUTYRATE BHB Interactions

We currently have no information for BETA-HYDROXYBUTYRATE BHB Interactions

BETA-HYDROXYBUTYRATE BHB Dosing

There isn't enough reliable information to know what an appropriate dose of BHB might be. Keep in mind that natural products are not always necessarily safe and dosages can be important. Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult a healthcare professional before using.

View clinical references for this vitamin or supplement Sources

References:

Achanta LB, Rae CD. ß-Hydroxybutyrate in the brain: One molecule, multiple mechanisms. Neurochem Res. 2017;42(1):35-49. View abstract.

Beylot M, Chassard D, Chambrier C, et al. Metabolic effects of a D-beta-hydroxybutyrate infusion in septic patients: inhibition of lipolysis and glucose production but not leucine oxidation. Crit Care Med. 1994;22(7):1091-8. View abstract.

Clarke K, Tchabanenko K, Pawlosky R, et al. Kinetics, safety and tolerability of (R)-3-hydroxybutyl (R)-3-hydroxybutyrate in healthy adult subjects. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol. 2012;63(3):401-8. View abstract.

Cox PJ, Kirk T, Ashmore T, et al. Nutritional ketosis alters fuel preference and thereby endurance performance in athletes. Cell Metab. 2016;24(2):256-68. View abstract.

Evans M, Cogan KE, Egan B. Metabolism of ketone bodies during exercise and training: physiological basis for exogenous supplementation. J Physiol. 2017;595(9):2857-2871. View abstract.

Evans M, Patchett E, Nally R, Kearns R, Larney M, Egan B. Effect of acute ingestion of β-hydroxybutyrate salts on the response to graded exercise in trained cyclists. Eur J Sport Sci. 2018;18(3):376-86. View abstract.

Gautschi M, Weisstanner C, Slotboom J, Nava E, Zürcher T, Nuoffer JM. Highly efficient ketone body treatment in multiple acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency-related leukodystrophy. Pediatr Res. 2015;77(1-1):91-8. View abstract.

Gross EC, Sandor P, Fischer D. Preliminary data on exogenous ketone bodies in migraine prevention. Cephalalgia 2017; 37(1S) 52-171.

Hashim SA, VanItallie TB. Ketone body therapy: from the ketogenic diet to the oral administration of ketone ester. J Lipid Res. 2014;55(9):1818-26. View abstract.

Hiraide A, Katayama M, Sugimoto H, Yoshioka T, Sugimoto T. Effect of 3-hydroxybutyrate on posttraumatic metabolism in man. Surgery. 1991;109(2):176-81. View abstract.

Holdsworth DA, Cox PJ, Kirk T, Stradling H, Impey SG, Clarke K. A ketone ester drink increases postexercise muscle glycogen synthesis in humans. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2017;49(9):1789-1795. View abstract.

Kawakita T, Uchino M, Fukagawa K, et al. Randomized, multicenter, double-blind study of the safety and efficacy of 1%D-3-hydroxybutyrate eye drops for dry eye disease. Sci Rep. 2016;6:20855. View abstract.

Kemper MF, Srivastava S, Todd King M, Clarke K, Veech RL, Pawlosky RJ. An ester of ß-hydroxybutyrate regulates cholesterol biosynthesis in rats and a cholesterol biomarker in humans. Lipids. 2015;50(12):1185-93. View abstract.

Malhi MS, Duerson F, Salabei JK, Okonoboh P. Starvation Ketoacidosis Induced by Ketogenic Diet and Consumption of Ketone Supplement. Cureus. 2021;13(6):e15778. Published 2021 Jun 20. View abstract.

McNally MA, Hartman AL. Ketone bodies in epilepsy. J Neurochem. 2012;121(1):28-35. View abstract.

Myette-Côté É, Caldwell HG, Ainslie PN, Clarke K, Little JP. A ketone monoester drink reduces the glycemic response to an oral glucose challenge in individuals with obesity: a randomized trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 2019;110(6):1491-1501. View abstract.

Newman JC, Verdin E. ß-Hydroxybutyrate: A signaling metabolite. Annu Rev Nutr. 2017;37:51-76. View abstract.

Newport MT, VanItallie TB, Kashiwaya Y, King MT, Veech RL. A new way to produce hyperketonemia: use of ketone ester in a case of Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimers Dement. 2015;11(1):99-103. View abstract.

Pawan GL, Semple SJ. Effect of 3-hydroxybutyrate in obese subjects on very-low-energy diets and during therapeutic starvation. Lancet. 1983;1(8314-5):15-7. View abstract.

Plecko B, Stoeckler-Ipsiroglu S, Schober E, et al. Oral beta-hydroxybutyrate supplementation in two patients with hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia: monitoring of beta-hydroxybutyrate levels in blood and cerebrospinal fluid, and in the brain by in vivo magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Pediatr Res. 2002;52(2):301-6. View abstract.

Prins PJ, Koutnik AP, D'Agostino DP, et al. Effects of an Exogenous Ketone Supplement on Five-Kilometer Running Performance. J Hum Kinet 2020;72:115-127. View abstract.

Putananickal N, Gross EC, Orsini AL, et al. Efficacy and safety of exogenous beta-hydroxybutyrate for preventive treatment in episodic migraine: A single-centred, randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind crossover trial. Cephalalgia 2022;42(4-5):302-311. View abstract.

Reger MA, Henderson ST, Hale C, et al. Effects of beta-hydroxybutyrate on cognition in memory-impaired adults. Neurobiol Aging. 2004;25(3):311-4. View abstract.

Simeone TA, Simeone KA, Stafstrom CE, Rho JM. Do ketone bodies mediate the anti-seizure effects of the ketogenic diet? Neuropharmacology. 2018;133:233-241. View abstract.

Soto-Mota A, Norwitz NG, Evans RD, Clarke K. Exogenous d-ß-hydroxybutyrate lowers blood glucose in part by decreasing the availability of L-alanine for gluconeogenesis. Endocrinol Diabetes Metab 2022;5(1):e00300. View abstract.

Stefan M, Sharp M, Gheith R, Lowery R, Wilson J. The Effect of Exogenous Beta-Hydroxybutyrate Salt Supplementation on Metrics of Safety and Health in Adolescents. Nutrients 2021;13(3):854. View abstract.

Thomsen HH, Rittig N, Johannsen M, et al. Effects of 3-hydroxybutyrate and free fatty acids on muscle protein kinetics and signaling during LPS-induced inflammation in humans: anticatabolic impact of ketone bodies. Am J Clin Nutr. 2018;108(4):857-67. View abstract.

Valayannopoulos V, Bajolle F, Arnoux JB, et al. Successful treatment of severe cardiomyopathy in glycogen storage disease type III With D,L-3-hydroxybutyrate, ketogenic and high-protein diet. Pediatr Res. 2011;70(6):638-41. View abstract.

Van Hove JL, Grünewald S, Jaeken J, et al. D,L-3-hydroxybutyrate treatment of multiple acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency (MADD). Lancet. 2003;361(9367):1433-5. View abstract.

Van Rijt WJ, Heiner-Fokkema MR, du Marchie Sarvaas GJ, et al. Favorable outcome after physiologic dose of sodium-D,L-3-hydroxybutyrate in severe MADD. Pediatrics. 2014;134(4):e1224-8. View abstract.

Waldman HS, Basham SA, Price FG, et al. Exogenous ketone salts do not improve cognitive responses after a high-intensity exercise protocol in healthy college-aged males. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2018;43(7):711-7. View abstract.

Walsh JJ, Neudorf H, Little JP. 14-Day Ketone Supplementation Lowers Glucose and Improves Vascular Function in Obesity: A Randomized Crossover Trial. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2021;106(4):e1738-e1754. View abstract.

Woods WG, Pawan GL, Semple SJ, Ralphs DN. Effect of intravenous 3-hydroxybutyrate on postoperative nitrogen balance. Hum Nutr Clin Nutr. 1983;37(5):391-4. View abstract.

Woolf EC, Syed N, Scheck AC. Tumor metabolism, the ketogenic diet and ß-hydroxybutyrate: novel approaches to adjuvant brain tumor therapy. Front Mol Neurosci. 2016;9:122. View abstract.

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