This compound belongs to the group of ketone bodies, substances produced by the body when following a ketogenic diet (high in fat and very low in carbohydrates) or during prolonged fasting. Under these conditions, the body switches its main energy source, glucose, and begins to use fats, which the liver converts into compounds such as beta-hydroxybutyrate.

The study, recently published in the journal Molecular Metabolism, demonstrated in animal models that “beta-hydroxybutyrate not only restores synaptic plasticity, which is key to learning and memory, but also protects neurons from damage caused by palmitic acid, the most abundant saturated fatty acid in the Western diet,” explained Rut Fadó, coordinator of the study and researcher in the Department of Biomedical Sciences at UIC Barcelona and in the area of Pathophysiology of Obesity and Nutrition at CIBER (CIBEROBN) at the University of Barcelona.

In addition to its benefits for the brain, daily administration of this supplement in animal models helped reduce weight gain associated with a high-fat diet. “These findings suggest the potential of beta-hydroxybutyrate as a dietary supplement to prevent or counteract cognitive decline linked to metabolic diseases such as obesity,” concluded the research team.

The study involved three CIBER groups from CIBEROBN and the area of Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), along with researchers from UIC Barcelona, the University of Castilla-La Mancha, the University of Barcelona, and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine (USA).