Alzheimers Disease (AD):
A #ketogenic diet may boost cognition in older adults who have early signs of #Alzheimer’s dementia, with modest improvement in #memory, preliminary research suggests.
The brain uses glucose produced from the breakdown of carbohydrates as its primary fuel. However, for persons with early-stage AD, the ability to metabolize glucose is faulty, and glucose becomes inefficient as the primary energy source.
Changing the diets of individuals who have early AD to a ketogenic diet rich in fats and low in sugars or starches, helps the brain to begin using ketones as an alternative energy source. This helps prevent #cognitive decline.
The study used a supplement instead of inducing nutritional ketosis; further showing that supplements and exercise could be combined for a greater impact on the brain energy gap.
Migraine:
Studies also indicate that a daily dietary supplement providing ketones can reduce the frequency of #migraine headaches.
An energy deficit disorder exists in migraine, by supplying ketones as an alternative fuel to glucose, several deleterious components of the deficit may be avoided. A strict ketogenic diet is known to be beneficial in migraine.
What’s special about #ketones?
Ketone bodies are not only metabolised, they’re also signalling molecules. First of all, they’re a more efficient fuel than glucose. Per molecule, they produce a lot more ATP [adenosine triphosphate] than a molecule of glucose. They also induce mitochondrial biogenesis and they’re very potent reactive oxygen species inhibitors, reducing #inflammation and brain excitability.
Guest Article, Dietician Shwetha Bhatia