Do Ketone Supplements Regulate Islet Hormone Secretion?

Abstract

Ketone supplementation has been gaining interest in improving health and treating some diseases, such as diabetes. However, the mechanism of action of how these ketone supplements work is not fully understood. In a recent paper, Banerjee et al. (2024) showed that physiological concentrations of βHB can affect hormone secretion and signalling within pancreatic islets. They showed that acute treatment with βHB increases insulin secretion and decreases glucagon secretion at physiological glucose concentrations. Their studies also suggest chronic βHB treatment may protect human islet cells from cytokine-induced cell death. Although more work is needed, it is possible that physiological concentrations of βHB may influence hormone secretion and signalling within islets.