Beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) shows up on a lot of supplement labels. Here's what it actually is.
BHB is a ketone body your liver produces naturally whenever fuel from food runs low — between meals, during exercise, or with reduced carbohydrate intake. Your brain and muscles can burn it directly for energy.
Supplemental BHB is typically bound to a mineral carrier for stability. Burntide uses three: calcium, magnesium and sodium. Balancing across carriers, rather than loading everything onto one mineral, is standard practice in ketone-salt formulation.
Taking BHB doesn't put your body into ketosis on its own — that requires sustained carbohydrate restriction. Supplemental BHB provides the ketone molecule directly, which is a different mechanism.
BHB's role in Burntide is about the "steadier afternoon" customers describe — a supplemental energy source between meals, not a substitute for a proper ketogenic diet if that's your actual goal.