Alzheimer’s disease is a brain disorder, which slowly deteriorates memory and thinking skills, eventually leading to the inability to carry out basic tasks. There is currently no known cure for Alzheimer’s however, research from the University of California, Davis has found that adopting a ketogenic diet, more commonly known as a keto diet, could potentially combat the early signs of the disease.
What is Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s disease is a brain disorder, which slowly deteriorates memory and thinking skills, eventually leading to the inability to carry out basic tasks. There is currently no known cure for Alzheimer’s disease.
The exact cause of Alzheimer’s disease is not yet fully understood, although a number of factors, including age, family history and untreated depression, are thought to increase your risk of developing the condition.
Could keto diet delay early Alzheimer’s. GettyImages/Andrew Brookes
Ketogenic diet and Alzheimer’s
The study, published in the Nature Group journal Communications Biology, revealed that a ketogenic diet can significantly delay the early stages of Alzheimer’s-related memory loss in mice. This early memory loss is comparable to mild cognitive impairment in humans, which precedes the full effects of the disease.
The research team had previously found that mice lived 13% longer on ketogenic diets and conducted this study as their next stage of research.
The study found that the molecule beta-hydroxybutyrate, or BHB, plays a pivotal role in preventing early memory decline. This molecule increases almost sevenfold on the ketogenic diet.
“The data support the idea that the ketogenic diet in general, and BHB specifically, delays mild cognitive impairment and it may delay full-blown Alzheimer’s disease,” says Gino Cortopassi, a biochemist and pharmacologist at the University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.
However, Cortopassi is quick to point out that this is not a cure for Alzheimer’s.
“The data clearly don’t support the idea that this is eliminating Alzheimer’s disease entirely.”
What is a ketogenic diet?
The ketogenic diet, better known as the keto diet, is a low-carbohydrate, high…