KETONES: AN ALTERNATIVE ENERGY SOURCE

The brain does not have the same ability to use alternative energy sources like fat as other body tissues do. However, the brain can use ketone bodies as a source of fuel, or energy, for nerve cells. A ketone body is a naturally occurring molecule that is produced mainly by the liver from fatty acids.

Axona is digested and metabolized by the liver to form ketone bodies. As a substitute for glucose, ketone bodies can provide up to 60% of the energy requirement of neurons and can even be used in the presence of glucose.