How ketone ester supplementation may improve brain health | Dr. Mark Mattson
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Ketone esters are exogenous ketone bodies that may promote ketosis in humans. Animal models demonstrate that ketone esters exert beneficial effects in Alzheimer's disease, effectively reducing amyloid accumulation, neurofibrillary tangles, and tau, while improving learning and memory. Some of these effects may arise from switching the brain's fuel from glucose to ketones. Dr. Mattson describes how human studies have demonstrated that brain cells rely mainly on glucose when carbohydrate intake is high. But a ketogenic diet causes the brain cells to switch, relying more on ketones, and less on glucose. These findings are important because in the setting of Alzheimer's disease or even mild cognitive decline, glucose utilization is impaired. But the beneficial effects extend beyond brain aging and may have relevance for athletes. In fact, Dr. Mattson hopes that future research will investigate the benefits of fasting versus ketone ester supplementation in endurance athletes. In this clip, Dr. Mark Mattson describes how ketone esters may improve brain health.
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A neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive memory loss, spatial disorientation, cognitive dysfunction, and behavioral changes. The pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease include amyloid-beta plaques, tau tangles, and reduced brain glucose uptake. Most cases of Alzheimer's disease do not run in families and are described as "sporadic." The primary risk factor for sporadic Alzheimer's disease is aging, with prevalence roughly doubling every five years after age 65. Roughly one-third of people aged 85 and older have Alzheimer's. The major genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's is a variant in the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene called APOE4.
A toxic 42 amino acid peptide that aggregates and forms plaques in the brain with age. Amyloid-beta is associated with Alzheimer's disease, a progressive neurodegenerative disease that can occur in middle or old age and is the most common cause of dementia. Heat shock proteins have been shown to inhibit the early aggregation of amyloid beta 42 and reduce amyloid beta plaque toxicity [1].
A neurotransmitter produced in the brain that blocks impulses between nerve cells. GABA is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in gray matter.
A broad term that describes periods of voluntary abstention from food and (non-water) drinks, lasting several hours to days. Depending on the length of the fasting period and a variety of other factors, intermittent fasting may promote certain beneficial metabolic processes, such as the increased production of ketones due to the use of stored fat as an energy source. The phrase “intermittent fasting” may refer to any of the following:
- Time-restricted eating
- Alternate-day fasting
- Periodic fasting (multi-day)
Modified ketone bodies sold commercially as a dietary supplement. Ketone esters may be neuroprotective and useful in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease.
A neurodegenerative disorder that affects the central nervous system. Parkinson’s disease is caused by destruction of nerve cells in the part of the brain called the substantia nigra. It typically manifests later in life and is characterized by tremors and a shuffling gait.
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Ketosis News
- Time-restricted eating, a ketogenic diet, and exercise improved cognitive function and markers of metabolism in a woman with ApoE4 and Alzheimer's .
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- Beta-hydroxybutyrate production from fasting or a ketogenic diet may reduce the production of senescent cells associated with vascular aging
- The ketogenic diet was shown to increase two species of gut bacteria that protected against seizures by increased brain levels of the neurotransmitter
- Ketone salts enhance fat burning but may impair high-intensity exercise performance.
