The Study
Renal effects of short‐term ketone monoester supplementation in healthy adults: A randomized, placebo‐controlled study
This study showed that when healthy people took a special ketone drink for 5 days, their kidneys filtered blood a bit faster and got rid of more salt but less potassium. It’s like seeing what happens when you give someone a new food and watch how their body reacts — we can say the drink probably caused these changes, but only in these few people.
Analysis score
Maximum 45 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
When healthy people take a special ketone drink, their kidneys temporarily filter more blood and flush out more salt, but hold onto more potassium — even though they don't lose more salt or potassium over a full day.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 545 / 100
Quality score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. The gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1These changes are temporary and don't lead to long-term salt or potassium loss — so the body quickly balances out the effects.
- 2GFR increased by 6 mL/min; sodium excretion rose by 69 μmol/min; potassium excretion dropped by 31 μmol/min; ketone levels peaked at 3.0–3.7 mmol/L after each dose.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Physiological Reports
Year
2026
Authors
Trine Z Lyksholm, C. Duus, S. Nielsen, H. H. Thomsen, J. Bech
Related Content
Claims (5)
Taking ketone monoester supplements temporarily increases kidney filtration and changes sodium and potassium levels in urine, but the total amount of these electrolytes excreted over 24 hours does not change.
When healthy adults take ketone monoester supplements, their blood β-hydroxybutyrate levels rise to 3.0–3.7 mmol/L and show two clear peaks 30 minutes after each dose, indicating that the supplement reliably induces exogenous ketosis under controlled diet conditions.
Oral ketone monoester supplementation in healthy young adults increases kidney filtration rate and sodium excretion while decreasing potassium excretion during acute measurement periods, without altering total daily sodium or potassium balance.
Taking ketone monoester supplements lowers the amount of potassium lost in urine by 31 μmol/min in healthy adults, even though more sodium is also excreted, which differs from what happens during fasting or ketogenic diets.
When carbohydrate intake is reduced and insulin levels drop, the kidneys excrete more sodium in the urine.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.