Keto, Muscle & Cancer w/ Dom D'Agostino, PhD

Therapeutic Uses

The therapeutic potential of ketone supplements is vast, especially for children with specific disorders. Dom D'Agostino emphasizes the importance of considering the etiology of underlying disorders when designing these supplements. He notes the challenge of creating palatable formulations for children, who are often picky eaters, and highlights the need for supplements that can be easily approved by regulatory agencies 1. D'Agostino also discusses the role of beta hydroxybutyrate in cellular metabolism, explaining how it can shift cells to a more reductive state, which is generally beneficial but can also lead to reductive stress in certain conditions 2.

We want to work with things that obviously have therapeutic potential but can be tracked and gone through the regulatory agency to get the market as soon as possible to help some of these kids.

--- Dom D'Agostino

His lab employs a top-down approach, studying substances in animal models to validate their efficacy before delving into cellular mechanisms.

   

Toxicity Risks

Ketone supplements, particularly ketone esters, pose potential toxicity risks when consumed in large quantities. Dom D'Agostino warns that while ketone esters can be toxic, ketone salts are somewhat self-limiting due to their mineral content, which can cause an osmotic shift in the gut 3. This shift leads to excretion, limiting the amount of ketone salts that can be tolerated.

It's important to understand how much of each of the type of exogenous ketones you can tolerate and then back off on that dose.

--- Dom D'Agostino

He advises understanding individual tolerance levels to formulate safe and effective dosages.