A lot of attention given to the keto diet recently. There’s evidence that shows the keto diet is beneficial for weight loss, cardiovascular health, and improved brain health. Now, there’s a new study to determine; “Can the keto diet diminish aging of the brain”?
Related reading: “How A Ketogenic Diet Benefits Your Body And Mind”
Stony Brook University professor Lilianne Mujuca-Parodi, who led the study, indicated signs of early aging in the brain can be prevented with the low-carb keto diet.
The keto diet puts a person into the state of ketosis where ketones use stored fat for energy instead of blood sugar from carbohydrates.
The keto diet is a high-fat, low-carb, with moderate amounts of protein diet. Typically including meats, eggs, cheese, butter, avocado, and oils. The keto diet excludes nearly all the common carbohydrates like bread, rice, and other grains.
How ketosis affects the brain
The Stony Brook study was developed to see the effects of the keto diet on people showing early signs of aging, yet still presymptomatic.
The researchers first found that brain aging in the form of destabilized communication between different regions of the brain usually begins in our late forties, especially near to 47. Destabilized communication between regions of the brain is associated with weaker cognition.
The researchers established brain network stability is a biomarker of aging. The research team also learned having type 2 diabetes increased the destabilization of the brain networks. Lastly, the team tested the way network stability reacted to changes in diet.
The study’s participants were divided. One group was put on a standard diet metabolizing glucose for energy. The other group was put on a keto diet where their energy came from ketosis, not sugar.
One of the results was that the participants eating the keto diet had increased brain activity and stabilized communication networks.
Diminish aging of the brain
“The bad news is that we see the first signs of brain aging much earlier than was previously thought. However, the good news is that we may be able to prevent or reverse these effects with diet, mitigating the impact of encroaching hypometabolism by exchanging glucose for ketones as fuel for neurons”, Mujica-Parodi said in a news release.
After a while of depending on ketones, the brain isn’t able to use glucose for its energy. So by increasing the energy that’s available to the brain, the hope is the brain will restore itself to be more youthful.
In the world of Alzheimer’s research, ketones are being looked at as a therapeutic way of treating the disease. A different study at the National Institute of Aging found that an increased amount of ketones might help to fight Alzheimer’s Disease.
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It’s imperative that you choose high-quality dark chocolate containing at least 70% cocoa. The greater the amount of cocoa the healthier the chocolate will be, but also the more bitter it will taste. Start with a 70% bar then buy chocolate with greater amounts of cocoa until you find your “bitterness limit”.
