Ketogenic Diet: An Effective Treatment Approach for Neurodegenerative Diseases

Abstract

This review discusses the effects and mechanisms of ketogenic diet on neurodegenerative diseases on the basis of available evidence. A ketogenic diet refers to a high-fat, medium-protein, and low-carbohydrate diet that leads to a metabolic shift to ketosis. This review systematically summarizes the scientific literature supporting this effective treatment approach for neurodegenerative diseases, including effects on mitochondrial function, oxidative stress, neuronal apoptosis, neuroinflammation, and the microbiota–gut–brain axis. It also highlights the clinical evidence for the effects of ketogenic diet in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and motor neuron disease. Finally, it discusses the common adverse effects of ketogenic therapy. Although the complete mechanism of ketogenic diet in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases remains to be elucidated, its clinical efficacy has attracted many new followers. The ketogenic diet is a good candidate for adjuvant therapy, but its specific applicability depends on the type and the degree of the disease.

Identification of a novel oligopeptide from defatted walnut meal hydrolysate as a potential neuroprotective agent

“…The occurrence of apoptotic cell death in brain tissue is a prominent characteristic of neurodegeneration, and the inhibition of apoptosis enhances neuronal survival, thereby decelerating the progression of neurodegenerative processes. 34 Annexin V-FITC/PI staining was used to analyze apoptotic rates and observe the effect of AQ on apoptosis induced by H 2 O 2 damage in SH-SY5Y cells. As shown in Fig.…”

The Role of a Ketogenic Diet in the Treatment of Dementia in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

“…The symptoms of some age-related disorders have been found to improve with higher levels of β-OHB [31], thus offering justification for the creation of therapeutic ketogenic treatments for neurodegenerative disorders [32]. The biochemistry of ketogenesis in the liver and brain is shown in the Figure 2.…”

“…This is particularly true during periods of fasting during sleep, when circulating ketone bodies, particularly β-OHB, can be increased and maintained by ketones. The symptoms of some age-related disorders have been found to improve with higher levels of β-OHB [31], thus offering justification for the creation of therapeutic ketogenic treatments for neurodegenerative disorders [32]. The biochemistry of ketogenesis in the liver and brain is shown in the Figure 2.…”

Is there a role for ketones as alternative fuel in critical illness?

“…The benefits of induced ketosis are well established in epilepsy [20], whilst the evidence base for ketogenic diet therapy in other neurological pathology such as traumatic brain injury and neurodegenerative diseases, is expanding [21,22 ▪ ]. Mechanisms of the neuroprotective effects of ketogenic diets are not fully understood, however, several hypotheses have been suggested.…”