Ketogenic diet could potentially delay the onset of memory loss, finds study

Alzheimer’s disease, a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, involves cognitive deficits and synaptic dysfunction. Beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) has shown promise in delaying mild cognitive dementia onset. This molecule, produced during fat metabolism in humans, aids energy transfer from the liver when glucose is low. Research has suggested that BHB has anti-inflammatory effects on brain cells inflamed by beta-amyloid plaques.

In the study, researchers involved genetically modified APP/PS1 mice who express a mouse/human amyloid precursor protein as well as a mutant human presenilin 1 gene. Both target central nervous system neurons. The mice were bred. Their female and male offspring lived in a 12-hour light and 12-hour dark environment, with up to four mice in a cage eating a standard mouse chow diet for six months. At that age, they were assigned to weight-balanced groups, with each mouse living in a separate enclosure for the remainder of the study, so researchers could control their consumption of food. Mice were given either a keto diet or a carbohydrate-rich standard diet — both diets provided the same number of calories.

The results showed that female mice had higher levels of BHB in their bodies than males, as well as brain enzymes known to support memory. At the same time, male mice who were switched to a late-midlife keto diet exhibited improved spatial memory.

The findings suggested that the ketogenic diet, Ketone supplements, and BHB formulation are most likely to have an impact on this earliest phase of human Alzheimer's disease, and could potentially extend/rescue this phase in humans, as KD/BHB appears to rescue in APP/PS1 mice.

“While the new study presents intriguing findings, more research is needed to understand the impacts and outcomes of a ketogenic diet on people living with, or at risk for, Alzheimer’s,” said Dr. Stefania Forner Ph.D., Alzheimer’s Association director of medical and scientific relations.

Reference: Jacopo Di Lucente, Giuseppe Persico, Zeyu Zhou, Lee-Way Jin, Jon J. Ramsey, Jennifer M. Rutkowsky, Claire M. Montgomery, Alexey Tomilov, Kyoungmi Kim, Marco Giorgio, Izumi Maezawa & Gino A. Cortopassi; Ketogenic diet and BHB rescue the fall of long-term potentiation in an Alzheimer’s mouse model and stimulates synaptic plasticity pathway enzymes; Journal: Nature Communications Biology