A man is examining ingredients that are high in carbohydrates, fats and proteins. Getty Image Bank
Research has shown that the keto diet, a low-carb, high-fat diet, delays the early memory decline of Alzheimer’s disease.
The research group of Professor Gino Cortopasi of the University of California at Davis (UC Davis) published on the 19th (local time) in the international academic journal “Communication Biology” the results of a study that confirms this fact in an experiment on affected mice from Alzheimer’s disease.
The keto diet is a so-called “low-carb, high-fat” diet consisting of low carbohydrates, high fat, and a moderate amount of protein. When you follow this diet, your body’s main source of energy changes from glucose to fat. In this process, “ketone” is produced, an acid produced in the process of using fat as an energy source. The keto diet was previously developed as a seizure-suppressing diet and is currently used to treat recurrent seizures in adolescents.
The research team, which in a previous study had found that rats on a keto diet had a 13% longer lifespan, looked at the effect of the keto diet on synapses, the areas where neurons in the brain they connect to each other. A mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease was fed a keto diet and a regular diet for 7 months and changes in synapses were observed.
The results of the experiment showed that the structure and function of synapses changed in mice that followed a keto diet, resulting in increased synaptic plasticity, a feature that may be involved in various brain functions. Synaptic plasticity plays an important role in memory formation and learning.
In the brain hippocampus of mice on a keto diet, the level of beta-amyloid (Aβ), known to cause dementia, did not change, but beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), an indicator of ketones in the blood, increased by almost seven times. fold.
The research team said: “We observed the extraordinary ability of BHB to improve the synaptic function that connects all neurons in the brain” and added: “When neurons become better connected, memory problems in mild cognitive impairment improve.” .
“This suggests that BHB plays a critical role in preventing early memory decline,” Professor Kortopasi said. “These findings call into question the idea that the keto diet, and BHB in particular, can slow mild cognitive impairment and delay the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.” I support it,” he explained.
The research team said that the mouse model corresponds to mild cognitive impairment of Alzheimer’s disease in humans, and that the keto diet and BHB may be therapeutically relevant for early-stage Alzheimer’s disease because they are diets and dietary supplements, respectively approved.
Professor Kortopasi said: “The keto diet increased biochemical pathways linked to memory formation in mice and appears to be more effective in females than in males.” ), it can mean a lot to women who have it,” he said.
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