The ketogenic diet has become more popular over the past two decades, and a new study shows that it is really healthy for the brain. A ketogenic diet improves cerebral blood flow and the concentration of a substance that repairs brain cells. A researcher says that many people older than 60 years would probably benefit from this diet.
According to a new study, a high-fat and low-carb ketogenic diet is really healthy for the brain. The study examined how a ketogenic diet affects cerebral blood flow and the concentration of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which repairs brain cells and builds the neural network.
Both blood flow and BDNF keep the brain healthy and fit, especially in old age, when lower blood flow and less BDNF are associated with cognitive decline.
A ketogenic diet may enable the brain to stay healthy longer.
“We have previously shown that infusing ketones can increase cerebral blood flow, and this study shows that this also applies to people on a ketogenic diet. This indicates that a ketogenic diet may be a way to reduce the cognitive decline that progresses with age or an unhealthy lifestyle,” explains a researcher behind the study, Mads Svart, Postdoctoral Fellow, Steno Diabetes Center Aarhus, Denmark.
The research has been published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.
Eleven people on a ketogenic diet
The study involved 11 participants with an average age of 57 years, who were healthy and fit, did not have diabetes and had an average body-mass index of 30, which is the borderline value for obesity.
The participants had their cerebral blood flow measured with positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and had a blood sample taken to measure the concentration of BDNF.
This was a crossover study, with half the participants on a ketogenic diet and the other half on a standard diet for three weeks. After three weeks, they switched.
Ketogenic diets have become popular in recent decades, since they often lead to considerable weight loss, but they have also attracted interest in other fields, since ketones provide many health benefits for both the brain and metabolism.
Definitely benefits the brain
The study confirmed the data that Mads Svart and colleagues obtained by giving the participants ketone infusions.
The ketogenic diet improved blood flow in the brain from about 60 to 70 ml per minute per ml of brain tissue – a clinically relevant increase similar to those in other intervention studies.
Mads Svart describes this increase as “not too much and not too little” but one that can help to postpone or prevent cognitive problems.
The concentration of BDNF in the blood increased by about 50%, from 4 µg/ml to almost 6 µg/ml, and BDNF concentrations increased for 10 of the 11 participants versus baseline.
“All things being equal, having more of BDNF in the brain is good, especially if you lack it and thus do not have the necessary mechanism to repair damaged brain cells,” says Mads Svart.
Probably healthy for most people
Are the effects on blood flow and the concentration of BDNF in the brain clinically important for reducing the risk of developing cognitive decline? Yes, says Mads Svart.
Studies involving people with dementia or type 2 diabetes have shown that giving them ketones improves their memory.
“A ketogenic diet may be an option for people from about 60 years, since it provides many health benefits,” notes Mads Svart.
This type of diet may also benefit younger people.
“Physical or mental overload for a longer period tires the brain, and studies have shown that obtaining energy from ketones rather than from carbohydrate or fat sharpens people’s mental attention. This effect seems to be linked to the secretion of dopamine. A ketogenic diet seems to have many health benefits for people in different situations, and we would like to investigate this further through clinical studies to make more informed recommendations,” concludes Mads Svart.
