Fasting is powerful. But not for the reason you think.
New research from leading neuroscientist Dr. Mark Mattson—published in Nature Metabolism—redefines how we understand the benefits of fasting.
It’s not the absence of food alone that improves your health. It’s what happens when your cells switch between burning glucose and ketones—a process Dr. Mattson calls Cyclic Metabolic Switching (CMS).
This metabolic transition, triggered during intermittent fasting, activates adaptive stress-response pathways that prime the body for survival, repair, and resilience. According to Mattson, CMS may be the key to healthier aging, reduced inflammation, and improved brain function.
At the heart of this process? A molecule called β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), the same ketone that powers Kenetik.
New research from leading neuroscientist Dr. Mark Mattson—published in Nature Metabolism—redefines how we understand the benefits of fasting.
It’s not the absence of food alone that improves your health. It’s what happens when your cells switch between burning glucose and ketones—a process Dr. Mattson calls Cyclic Metabolic Switching (CMS).
This metabolic transition, triggered during intermittent fasting, activates adaptive stress-response pathways that prime the body for survival, repair, and resilience. According to Mattson, CMS may be the key to healthier aging, reduced inflammation, and improved brain function.
At the heart of this process? A molecule called β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), the same ketone that powers Kenetik.
What Is Cyclic Metabolic Switching (CMS)?
CMS describes the body’s natural ability to cycle between glucose and ketone metabolism, depending on feeding and fasting states:
- Glucose dominates when food is readily available
- Ketones, like BHB, are produced during fasting or carbohydrate restriction
While longer fasts and ketogenic diets can improve some health markers by kickstarting ketosis, Mattson emphasizes that intermittent fasting reliably engages CMS, as it includes regular cycling between metabolic states. He argues that this switching drives the most profound cellular benefits—not staying in one state indefinitely.
Just like muscles grow through alternating periods of exertion and recovery, metabolic flexibility—the ability to switch efficiently between glucose and ketones—strengthens the body’s capacity to repair, adapt, and resist disease over time.
How CMS Drives Cognitive and Cellular Resilience
When the body enters the ketogenic phase of CMS, it doesn’t just change fuels—it activates a series of protective mechanisms deeply embedded in our evolutionary biology.
In the Brain
CMS boosts production of BDNF (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor), a key molecule that supports the growth and repair of brain cells and is involved in learning, memory, and neuroplasticity. It also reduces oxidative stress and neuroinflammation, both of which are linked to age-related cognitive decline and diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
In the Body
CMS triggers autophagy, a cellular recycling process that clears out damaged components, keeping cells efficient and resilient. It also promotes mitochondrial biogenesis, improving energy efficiency and endurance by producing new mitochondria. Simultaneously, CMS suppresses the NLRP3 inflammasome, a major driver of chronic inflammation.
During the fasting phase of CMS, stress-resistance pathways are activated (AMPK, sirtuins, FOXO); during feeding, mTOR and growth pathways take over, enabling repair and renewal. Over time, this metabolic rhythm improves insulin sensitivity, reduces fat accumulation, and supports cardiovascular and muscular health.
Mattson also highlights how CMS interacts with circadian biology, endocrine signaling (like ghrelin, adiponectin, and FGF21), and the gut microbiome—all of which play roles in immune function, mood, metabolism, and aging.
In short: CMS is not a temporary adaptation—it’s a biological rhythm essential to long-term resilience.
β-Hydroxybutyrate: The Molecule That Makes Fasting Work
At the molecular level, the ketone β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) is the central player in CMS. While BHB is an efficient fuel for the brain and muscles, its real power lies in its signaling effects.
Dr. Mattson describes BHB as a “fastokine”—a molecule released during fasting that sends powerful biochemical messages throughout the body. These signals help coordinate the wide-ranging adaptations associated with CMS.
BHB has been shown to:
- Stimulate BDNF in the brain, enhancing cognitive performance
- Suppress inflammatory pathways, including the NLRP3 inflammasome
- Promote autophagy and protect against oxidative stress
- Enhance mitochondrial function and biogenesis
- Regulate gene expression through epigenetic pathways, including histone acetylation and activation of sirtuins like SIRT3
BHB acts as the master switch—signaling your cells to protect, repair, and renew to drive the benefits that CMS delivers.
Why Most People Don’t Reach CMS Naturally
Despite the popularity of intermittent fasting, many people never produce enough ketones to trigger CMS.
It typically takes 12 to 20 hours of fasting for the liver to deplete glycogen stores and trigger the switch to ketone metabolism. That threshold is influenced by many factors—diet, age, stress, activity level—and can be difficult to reach or sustain in daily life.
Even diligent fasters may fall short of elevating BHB to levels high enough to unlock its full signaling potential, meaning they miss out on many of the benefits CMS is capable of delivering.
Fueling the Switch: Where Kenetik Fits In
Here’s the opportunity: You don’t need to fast intensely to access the benefits of the fasted state—you just need the signal.
Kenetik delivers bioidentical BHB, giving your cells the same molecular cue it would generate during extended fasting. Whether you’re fasting, exercising, or just in need of focused energy, Kenetik helps you tap into CMS pathways—without waiting for glycogen depletion.
Use Kenetik to:
- Enhance your fast: Accelerate and deepen ketone production during fasting windows, boosting clarity, autophagy, and energy.
- Mimic the metabolic switch: Trigger CMS-related pathways even when fasting isn’t feasible—during a busy workday, before a workout, or between meals.
Kenetik doesn’t replace healthy habits—it accelerates and amplifies the biology behind them. It’s a tool for metabolic precision, helping you work with your body’s ancient rhythms in a modern world.
The Future of Health: Metabolic Mastery
The future of health isn’t about extremes. Dr. Mattson’s CMS model shows us that health isn’t just about what we eat—or when we don’t—but about how we cycle between states. It’s about strategic switching, not sustained restriction.
Cyclic Metabolic Switching provides a framework for unlocking resilience, regeneration, and long-term performance. And products like Kenetik make that framework accessible, sustainable, and actionable in real life—whether you’re fasting or not.
