What Are Ketones?

β-Hydroxybutyrate, acetoacetate, and acetone are all ketone bodies. Ketone bodies are byproducts of fatty acid breakdown. When insulin deficiency leads to abnormal glucose metabolism, it triggers lipolysis and fatty acid breakdown, resulting in ketone body production. If the rate of ketone body production in the liver exceeds the capacity of extrahepatic tissues to utilize them, blood ketone levels may rise, potentially leading to ketonemia. Additionally, non-esterified fatty acids (NEFAs) in the liver serve as a major source of ketone bodies.