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the body would preferentially reserve all glucose for the brain No, because the brain can use ketone bodies as fuel. Some other organs (such as the heart) cann
by DrScump 7y ago
the body would preferentially reserve all glucose for the brain
No, because the brain can use ketone bodies as fuel. Some other organs (such as the heart) cannot.
- kingkawn 7y agoAlways happy to find out new understandings of physiology and biochemistry so I dove back into some research this morning after seeing your comment. The brain does use ketones in starvation sitautions, but it always needs to use some glucose, so over time the available glucose ends up redirected there. From what I can find it appears that the heart does utilize ketone bodies for fuel, contrary to what you are asserting. There is correlation to heart failure, possibly from stress in utilizing an energy source with less efficient bioavailability. For simplicity here's the wiki link as a summary https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketone_bodies https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketone_bodies I'd love to see the research that shows your point in more detail.