How Exogenous Ketones Can Help Lower Blood Glucose — Especially for Type 2 Diabetics

I have sat with countless clients who walk away from their doctor’s appointment with what feels like a death sentence: “Your blood sugars are too high… you’re prediabetic” or “You’ve been diagnosed as type 2 diabetic.” It hits you hard. But here’s something many doctors won’t always tell you: there are natural, science-backed tools beyond medication. One powerful tool is exogenous ketones (BHB).

What’s the Difference Between Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes

It is important to differentiate between type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

Type 1 is an autoimmune condition where the body’s immune system attacks the pancreas, leaving it unable to produce insulin. People with type 1 require insulin injections to survive and unlike type 2 diabetes it’s not something that can be “reversed” with lifestyle changes.

Type 2 diabetes, however, is very different. In this case, the body still makes insulin, but the cells don’t respond to it properly, which is a term or condition known as insulin resistance. Blood sugar remains high, often for years, until complications start creeping in. The good news? Because insulin production is still present, type 2 diabetes can often be improved or even reversed through diet, lifestyle, and supportive supplements like exogenous ketones.

This hits close to home for me. My father was one of those patients who walked out of the doctor’s office with the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. Within just three months, we were able to normalise his HbA1c, and a year later he had completely reversed his diabetes. Today, his daily blood sugars average below 6. I am so proud of him and proud of the fact that type 2 doesn’t have to be a lifelong sentence.

How Exogenous Ketones Lower Blood Glucose

So how exactly do exogenous ketones help with blood sugar? The fascinating thing is that the effect is almost immediate. When you drink BHB, your blood ketone levels rise within minutes, and alongside that, your blood glucose levels begin to fall. In fact, studies have shown that average blood sugar can drop meaningfully within half an hour of taking ketones.

One of the main reasons for this is that ketones signal to your liver to produce less glucose. In other words, your body doesn’t keep dumping sugar into the bloodstream unnecessarily. At the same time, ketones make your cells more sensitive to insulin, so the insulin you do produce actually works more effectively. The end result is lower, more stable blood sugar.

There’s also the hunger angle. By naturally suppressing appetite, ketones help you eat less often and avoid those big post-meal spikes. Instead of craving sugar or snacking to keep your energy up, your body runs on a cleaner, steadier fuel source.

That’s why for people with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes, exogenous ketones can be such a powerful tool. They don’t just mask the problem, they help address the underlying issue of energy imbalance and insulin resistance.

What Kind of Results People Are Seeing

Clients and studies alike report:

• Lowered fasting blood sugar

• Smaller spikes after meals

• Reduced medication needs (in some cases)

• More stable energy throughout the day (less sugar crash)

In a recent meta-analysis, acute ingestion of exogenous ketones raised blood ketones and significantly lowered blood glucose compared to baseline and placebo conditions. PubMed

Note: Most of these studies are short-term or acute (hours to days). Longer studies are fewer, but the early signs are very promising.

Who Can Benefit Most

You might benefit if:

• You’ve been told you’re pre-diabetic or type 2

• Your blood sugar stays elevated despite diet changes

• You want to reduce medications (under doctor supervision)

• You’re worried about long-term side effects of diabetic medications or can’t afford certain ones

If you’re type 1, ketones can still offer benefits (energy, focus, maybe lower glucose excursions), but because your insulin production is not there, the usage is more complex (and should always be under medical guidance).

Final Thoughts

Exogenous ketones are not a replacement for medical care, but they are a powerful and natural tool that work with your body. They help lower blood sugar, improve insulin sensitivity, reduce spikes, and can make managing type 2 diabetes easier and more sustainable.

If you’re tired of walking out of the doctor’s office feeling like there’s no hope, know that change is possible.

Want to try BHB to help your blood sugars? I make exogenous ketones available only on order — email me at chantal@leanfitketo.com to find out how.

Video Resource

References

• Falkenhain K. et al. Effects of Exogenous Ketone Supplementation on Blood Glucose: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. PubMed

• Kesl SL, Poff AM, Ward NP, et al. Effects of exogenous ketone supplementation on blood ketone, glucose, triglyceride, and lipoprotein levels. BioMed Central

• Ari C. et al. Exogenous ketone supplementation: an emerging tool for lowering blood glucose and improving metabolism. physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com+1