Review: Ketones, the Fourth Fuel, Warburg to Krebs to Veech, by Travis Chistofferson (2020)

Dr. Mercola recommended this book; I found it very good. It’s old-time science journalism, where complicated, technical topics are turned into stories of the people, their relationships, real-world trials and tribulations. Nor is it dumbed down too much.

From an Amazon review, “An artfully written, in-depth history of the pioneers of ketone research over the past 250 years. An exquisitely detailed explanation of the science behind it all, in language even non-scientists will understand.”

From an Amazon review, “Ketones ultimately come from the breakdown of fat; they don’t require insulin to enter cells. Once inside the cell, ketones find their way into the same biochemical pathway as glucose (the Kreb’s cycle) to produce ATP (cell energy). Ketones enter the Kreb’s cycle more efficiently, with fewer in-between steps required than glucose. Ketones produce more ATP than an equivalent amount of glucose. It’s as if humans were meant to be fat-burning creatures. A ketogenic diet can put us into fat-burning mode.”

The author’s intent is to paint the whole thru-line of the uncovery of cellular respiration and energy production at the cell level; starting just prior to the French Revolution, with, Lavoisier. Readers can easily skip thru history sections already well known to you.

I learned ketones as a positive mainstream thing is no older than 20 years, not really a mainstream science thing until 2108. While “body hackers” and “life extension” researchers have been praising ketogenic diets at least since the 1990s, to everyone else, the benefits of ketones are VERY NEW.

Also good is — if you have original ideas about biochemistry, the book offers enuf detail — not too much — so you can clarify and expand on your own original ideas about cellular energy and how to optimize it thru diet. For example, the book strengthened my conviction “healing all the way healthy” has three main Best Practice stages:

- First Dr. Reams, get you pH and lymph chemistry into the A Range,

- Second Dr. Revici, check your oil body, are you unbalanced towards either EFAs or sterols (a big cancer precursor)?

- Third Ketogenic diet, replace as many carbs with coconut oil, healthy oils; and, cooked non-starchy vegs as you can. Get carbs down to 10% or less of your diet.

The above make sense to do in this order. If you do all these, you will keep all your teeth. Food-diet will no longer be a constant big question mark in your daily life.

What the book says about the Standard American Diet (SAD)

My takeaway was in a carbs first, primarily carb diet, carbs turn into glucose. At the molecule level, glucose is a planar molecule:

dg-glucose in Wikipedia

Apparently these flat-shaped molecules scratch and cut, especially in the small capillaries. They are too much like slivers of glass. After age 35, this constant damage from glucose is harder and harder to repair quickly.

Travis agrees Alzheimer’s is a type of diabetes of the brain; he calls it Diabetes type 3. Many other types of dementias and Parkinson’s have areas of the brain not taking up glucose normally as fuel, leading to malfunction and ultimately death of brain cells.

How I arranged my foods so keto worked for me

In early 2022 I was eating too may carbs. I grew up on SAD diet. I could find nothing other than carbs which would satisfy me (probably keeping my blood sugar up). I would eat good oils but noticed no significant change.

Eventually I realized I was craving oils yet not digesting them.

So I added juice of half a lemon to my heavy oils mid-day meal.

Boom. I started digesting and assimilating more oils. I ate fewer carbs.

Then I switched from juice of half a lemon to 1500mg of ascorbic acid powder mixed in with my oil-rich meals. Try both and see which works better for you.

My health improved noticeably (much better poop appearance, slight rash on back, old mole falling off, temporary drippy nose, meaning my etheric body is addressing something old I can now expel).

From an Amazon review, “Travis’ ability to transport us from the beginning of the story to modern times in a seamless manner, makes us part of the discovery proces; like, we possess the same sort of “insider information” others lack about diet, cell respiration and energy production. I appreciate how he treats me like a peer when he explains the science behind ketosis instead of lecturing me. If you are truly eager to know more about ketones and ketosis, not just be some mindless drone pursuing the latest fad, I can recommend this book highly.”

Keto is not just a fad. It now has 250 years of science to back it up.

Like he did with cancer in Tripping over the Truth, Travis once again takes us on a journey of the science and research behind his subject. He’s not just regurgitating the same lines we all have already heard about why ketones and ketosis are a vital part of our overall health and well being.