Ketones Beyond Diet: Exogenous Ketone Supplementation for Brain Energetics and Neurological Health
A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Nutrition and Neuro Sciences".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 October 2026 | Viewed by 270
Editors
Interests: ketone supplementation; nutraceutical applications; brain energetics and neurological health; β-hydroxybutyrate
Interests: traumatic brain injury; acute brain injury; stroke; ketones; ketogenic diet
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Ketogenic diets and exogenous ketone supplementation are therapeutically significant for tackling obesity, chronic diseases and metabolic disorders. They initiate nutritional ketosis by shifting from a glucose utilization to ketone production pathway. Ketone bodies like β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), acetoacetate and acetone produced in vivo during systemic ketosis mitigate metabolic stress. Ketone bodies also cross the blood–brain barrier via monocarboxylate transporters and assist brain energetics during heightened metabolic demand and impaired glucose utilization settings.
Beyond serving as an alternative source of energy besides glucose, ketone bodies act as signaling molecules that support neurological health by reducing oxidative stress and inflammation, enhancing mitochondrial function and improving cellular resilience. However, their therapeutic impacts and clinical effectiveness vary, largely depending on the active ingredient, dosage, formulation, administration and specific patient population.
This Special Issue will synthesize and advance the evidence base on exogenous ketone supplementation for brain energetics and neurological health, ranging from mechanistic insights to human translational research. We welcome original research (experimental and observational), systematic reviews and meta-analyses that address comprehensive neuropharmacology, safety and tolerability, target biomarkers and neurological endpoints to inform future clinical trials.
Dr. Alice Raphael Karikachery
Dr. Niraj Arora
Dr. Bradley Ferguson
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- exogenous ketones
- ketogenic diet
- ketone supplementation
- brain injury
- stroke
- clinical trials
- brain energetics
- neurological health
- β-hydroxybutyrate
- ketosis
- metabolism
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