Metabolic HealthLactate and Ketones Form a Hidden Redox Circuit Linking Organs and Fighting Disease
Scientists have proposed a unifying model showing that lactate and beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), long dismissed as mere metabolic byproducts, actually work as a coordinated redox pair spanning the liver, kidneys, heart, and skeletal muscle. This inter-organ circuit helps the body switch between fuels during fasting, exercise, and stress. When the circuit breaks down, conditions like fatty liver disease, type 2 diabetes, heart failure, and muscle loss can follow. Beyond energy supply, both molecules act as signaling agents that alter gene expression and protein function. Encouragingly, interventions like exercise, ketogenic diets, SGLT2 inhibitors, and NAD-boosting supplements may restore this balance and offer new therapeutic targets.
