By: Marc Lobliner, IFBB Pro

When it comes to protecting your kidneys, the conversation has always revolved around controlling blood pressure, managing blood sugar, and reducing oxidative stress. All important — but now we have a powerful new tool backed by real science: beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB).

And the evidence is stacking up fast.

In a landmark 2024 study published in Heliyon, researchers demonstrated that supplementing with BHB significantly improved markers of kidney function in a rodent model of chronic kidney disease (CKD).
👉 (Study link)

Key findings included:

• Lower serum creatinine and BUN levels — major signs of improved kidney filtration.

• Reduced inflammatory cytokines — directly targeting one of the root causes of kidney damage.

• Enhanced antioxidant defenses — neutralizing free radicals that destroy kidney tissue.

• Suppression of fibrosis-related pathways — slowing scarring inside the kidney.

Translation:
BHB didn’t just slow disease progression — it actively supported kidney tissue repair and protection.

But that’s not the only game-changing study.

In a 2022 study led by Bernard Cuenoud and researchers at Nestlé Health Science, it was demonstrated that the kidneys (and the heart) actively and preferentially uptake exogenous BHB for energy.
👉 (Study: Metabolism of Exogenous D-Beta-Hydroxybutyrate: An Energy Substrate Avidly Consumed by the Heart and Kidney)

Here’s what they found:

• When BHB was introduced into the bloodstream, the kidney rapidly consumed it as a direct energy source.

• BHB uptake by the kidneys was even more efficient than glucose under certain conditions.

• This metabolic preference was observed even in healthy, non-keto-adapted individuals, showing BHB’s versatility.

This is massive.

It means BHB isn’t just protecting the kidneys from inflammation —
It’s literally fueling them.

Healthy energy metabolism is critical in kidneys because these organs are high-energy-demand machines.
When kidneys are stressed — whether from chronic disease, toxins, or age — they often suffer from energy deficits, leading to faster dysfunction and death of nephrons (kidney filtration cells).

BHB can fill that gap, giving the kidneys a clean-burning, antioxidant-rich fuel that directly supports their survival and performance.

Why This Changes Everything

We already knew BHB could:

• Suppress chronic inflammation (blocking NLRP3 inflammasome activation)

• Fight oxidative stress

• Promote autophagy to clean up cellular debris

• Boost mitochondrial biogenesis for better cellular energy

Now, thanks to studies like Cuenoud et al., we know BHB also fuels the kidneys directly, acting almost like a performance enhancer for stressed or aging renal tissue.

And the kicker?
This energy support happens without requiring a ketogenic diet — you can supplement goBHB™ directly and get these benefits even if you're eating carbs.

BHB lowers inflammation
BHB protects kidney tissues
BHB fuels kidneys directly
BHB promotes longevity pathways

The data is no longer just promising — it’s downright transformational.