Thursday, March 26, 2020
Wednesday, March 4, 2020
7 Benefits of The Keto Diet
When you hear about the ketogenic diet, the
first thing you perhaps think of is what could possibly make it as good as
people say. The answer is, there are enough benefits to change your life.
The keto program recommends a diet that is low
on carbs, moderate on protein and high in fat. The idea is to fine-tune
nutritional intake in order to send the body into the metabolic state known as
ketosis.
The body enters a state of ketosis when it no
longer has stores of glycogen sugar to fuel its energy needs. With sugar out of
the way, the body has no choice but to tap its stores of fat to get by. The
liver converts fat reserves into ketones to present to the body as an energy
source. This is why the keto program is a good way to lose fat.
Unlike other diets that offer practitioners a
weight loss benefit and little else, the keto diet comes with several benefits.
1-Weight loss
Without a doubt, weight loss is the primary goal
of the keto diet. It works because it makes the body look to its fat reserves
to power its metabolism. It can be interesting to go deeper into the process,
however.
When the body is deprived of carbs, it enters a
state of ketosis. Blood sugar and insulin levels fall when that happens. As the
body taps the energy in fat cells, they release considerable quantities of
water, making for some great weight loss. The fat cells are then able to enter
the bloodstream and make their way to the liver, where they are turned into
ketones for energy processing. As long as your diet allows you to stay in a
caloric deficit, you get to enjoy the weight loss benefits of the keto diet.
2-It takes the edge off your appetite
When your diet isn't heavy on carbs, you'll find
that you don't crave as much food as before. Many people who get on the keto
diet are able to fast most of the day, and only eat at mealtimes. They are
simply not as hungry as before.
3-Improved ability to focus
When you choose a regular diet that puts carbs
into the body, your brain has to deal with the rise and fall in sugar levels
that happens as a result. Inconsistent energy levels can make it hard for the
brain to focus. With the keto diet, however, the energy source is constant and
consistent. The brain is better able to stay focused.
4-You feel more energetic
When you are on a regular diet, your body is
always on the verge of running out of energy. You need to constantly eat and
refuel. With a keto diet, however, the body taps its fat reserves, a nearly
unending energy source. The body, then, is able to maintain constant energy
levels throughout the day. The result is, you end up feeling a lot more
energetic.
5-It helps you fight diabetes
When you suffer from Type II diabetes, your body
experiences high levels of insulin. Since the keto diet takes excess sugar from
your diet, it helps stabilize HbA1c counts, and reverse Type II diabetes.
6-You get improved levels of good cholesterol
HDL cholesterol helps get rid of the body's bad
cholesterol reserves. When you're on keto, your body's triglyceride levels fall
and your HDL cholesterol levels rise.
7-You get better blood pressure
When you're on the keto diet, it drops your
blood pressure. Many people on the keto diet find that they are able to stop
taking blood pressure medicine altogether.
The keto diet can change a person's life. It
isn't a difficult diet to get on, either. There are plenty of great recipes for
the keto diet. All it takes is the willingness to give it a shot.
how to lose weight nicely.
Daily fasting works for weight loss, finds report on 16:8 diet....
Daily fasting is an effective tool to reduce weight and lower blood pressure, according to a new study published by University of Illinois at Chicago researchers in the journal Nutrition and Healthy Aging.
The study is the first to examine the effect of time-restricted eating -- a form of fasting that limits food consumption to select hours each day -- on weight loss in obese individuals.
To study the effect of this type of diet, researchers worked with 23 obese volunteers who had an average age of 45 and average body mass index, or BMI, of 35.
Between the hours of 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. the dieters could eat any type and quantity of food they desired, but for the remaining 16 hours they could only drink water or calorie-free beverages. The study followed the participants for 12 weeks.
When compared to a matched historical control group from a previous weight loss trial on a different type of fasting, the researchers found that those who followed the time-restricted eating diet consumed fewer calories, lost weight and had improvements in blood pressure. On average, participants consumed about 350 fewer calories, lost about 3 percent of their body weight and saw their systolic blood pressure decreased by about 7 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg), the standard measure of blood pressure. All other measures, including fat mass, insulin resistance and cholesterol, were similar to the control group.
"The take-home message from this study is that there are options for weight loss that do not include calorie counting or eliminating certain foods," said Krista Varady, associate professor of kinesiology and nutrition in the UIC College of Applied Health Sciences and corresponding author on the study.
While this is the first study to look at the 16:8 diet, named for its 16 hours of fasting and its 8 hours of "feasting," Varady says that the results align with previous research on other types of intermittent fasting diets.
"The results we saw in this study are similar to the results we've seen in other studies on alternate day fasting, another type of diet," Varady said, "but one of the benefits of the 16:8 diet may be that it is easier for people to maintain. We observed that fewer participants dropped out of this study when compared to studies on other fasting diets."
Varady says that while the research indicates daily fasting works for weight loss, there have not yet been studies to determine if it works better than other diets, although the researchers observed the weight loss to be slightly less than what has been observed in other intermittent fasting diet studies.
"These preliminary data offer promise for the use of time-restricted feeding as a weight loss technique in obese adults, but longer-term, large-scale randomized controlled trials [are required]," Varady and her colleagues write.keto for lifestyle
"The 16:8 diet is another tool for weight loss that we now have preliminary scientific evidence to support," Varady said. "When it comes to weight loss, people need to find what works for them because even small amounts of success can lead to improvements in metabolic health."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that more than one-third of adults in the U.S. have obesity, which greatly increases the risk of metabolic diseases such as coronary heart disease and Type 2 diabetes, and that obesity is most prevalent among non-Hispanic black individuals and middle-age adults.keto for lifestyle
Co-authors on the study, which was funded by a University of Illinois Chicago Campus Research Board pilot grant and the National Institutes of Health (R01HL106228, F32DK107157 and T32HL007909), are Kelsey Gabel, Kristin Hoddy, Nicole Haggerty, Jeehee Song, Cynthia Kroeger and John Trepanowski of UIC, and Satchidananda Panda of the Salk Institute for Biological Studies.
To study the effect of this type of diet, researchers worked with 23 obese volunteers who had an average age of 45 and average body mass index, or BMI, of 35.
Between the hours of 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. the dieters could eat any type and quantity of food they desired, but for the remaining 16 hours they could only drink water or calorie-free beverages. The study followed the participants for 12 weeks.
When compared to a matched historical control group from a previous weight loss trial on a different type of fasting, the researchers found that those who followed the time-restricted eating diet consumed fewer calories, lost weight and had improvements in blood pressure. On average, participants consumed about 350 fewer calories, lost about 3 percent of their body weight and saw their systolic blood pressure decreased by about 7 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg), the standard measure of blood pressure. All other measures, including fat mass, insulin resistance and cholesterol, were similar to the control group.
"The take-home message from this study is that there are options for weight loss that do not include calorie counting or eliminating certain foods," said Krista Varady, associate professor of kinesiology and nutrition in the UIC College of Applied Health Sciences and corresponding author on the study.
While this is the first study to look at the 16:8 diet, named for its 16 hours of fasting and its 8 hours of "feasting," Varady says that the results align with previous research on other types of intermittent fasting diets.
"The results we saw in this study are similar to the results we've seen in other studies on alternate day fasting, another type of diet," Varady said, "but one of the benefits of the 16:8 diet may be that it is easier for people to maintain. We observed that fewer participants dropped out of this study when compared to studies on other fasting diets."
Varady says that while the research indicates daily fasting works for weight loss, there have not yet been studies to determine if it works better than other diets, although the researchers observed the weight loss to be slightly less than what has been observed in other intermittent fasting diet studies.
"These preliminary data offer promise for the use of time-restricted feeding as a weight loss technique in obese adults, but longer-term, large-scale randomized controlled trials [are required]," Varady and her colleagues write.keto for lifestyle
"The 16:8 diet is another tool for weight loss that we now have preliminary scientific evidence to support," Varady said. "When it comes to weight loss, people need to find what works for them because even small amounts of success can lead to improvements in metabolic health."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that more than one-third of adults in the U.S. have obesity, which greatly increases the risk of metabolic diseases such as coronary heart disease and Type 2 diabetes, and that obesity is most prevalent among non-Hispanic black individuals and middle-age adults.keto for lifestyle
Co-authors on the study, which was funded by a University of Illinois Chicago Campus Research Board pilot grant and the National Institutes of Health (R01HL106228, F32DK107157 and T32HL007909), are Kelsey Gabel, Kristin Hoddy, Nicole Haggerty, Jeehee Song, Cynthia Kroeger and John Trepanowski of UIC, and Satchidananda Panda of the Salk Institute for Biological Studies.
Story Source:
Materials provided by University of Illinois at Chicago. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Materials provided by University of Illinois at Chicago. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Journal Reference:
- Kelsey Gabel, Kristin K. Hoddy, Nicole Haggerty, Jeehee Song, Cynthia M. Kroeger, John F. Trepanowski, Satchidananda Panda, Krista A. Varady. Effects of 8-hour time restricted feeding on body weight and metabolic disease risk factors in obese adults: A pilot study. Nutrition and Healthy Aging, 2018; 4 (4): 345 DOI: 10.3233/NHA-170036
Ketogenic Diet Prevents Seizures
Ketogenic Diet Prevents Seizures By Enhancing Brain Energy Production, Increasing Neuron Stability
- Date:
- November 15, 2005
- Source:
- Emory University Health Sciences Center
- Summary:
- New studies show that the ketogenic diet, a high-fat, calorie-restricted diet used to treat epileptic seizures in children, alters genes involved in energy metabolism in the brain, which in turn helps stabilize the function of neurons exposed to the challenges of epileptic seizures. This knowledge could help scientists identify specific molecular or genetic targets and lead to more effective drug treatments for epilepsy and brain damage.
Although the high-fat, calorie-restricted ketogenic diet (KD) has long been used to prevent childhood epileptic seizures that are unresponsive to drugs, physicians have not really understood exactly why the diet works. New studies by a research team at Emory University School of Medicine show that the diet alters genes involved in energy metabolism in the brain, which in turn helps stabilize the function of neurons exposed to the challenges of epileptic seizures. This knowledge could help scientists identify specific molecular or genetic targets and lead to more effective drug treatments for epilepsy and brain damage.
The research will be presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience in Washington, D.C. by Kristopher Bough, PhD, a postdoctoral student in the laboratory of Emory pharmacology professor Raymond Dingledine, PhD.
"These findings support our hypothesis that a dietary regimen can dramatically affect the expression of genes and the function of neurons within the brain, which enhances the ability of these neurons to withstand the metabolic challenges of epileptic seizures," Dr. Dingledine said.
The ketogenic diet causes molecules called ketone bodies to be produced as fat is broken down. Scientists have understood that these molecules somehow cause a change in metabolism leading to a potent anticonvulsant effect. According to some animal studies they also may limit the progression of epilepsy.
The Emory research team studied the link between diet and epileptic seizures on the behavioral, cellular and genetic level. They found, as had others, that in rats fed the KD the resistance to seizures develops slowly, over one to two weeks, in contrast to rats treated with conventional anticonvulsant drugs. On the cellular level, they found that the anticonvulsant effect of the ketogenic diet did not correlate with a rise in plasma ketone levels or with a decrease in plasma glucose. Because longer treatment with the KD was necessary to increase the resistance to seizures, they concluded that changes in gene expression might hold the key to the diet's anticonvulsant effects.
To identify which genes might be involved, the researchers used microarray "gene chips" to examine changes in gene expression for more than 7,000 rat genes simultaneously. They focused on the hippocampus, a region of the brain known to play an important role in many kinds of epilepsies. More than 500 of the genes they examined were correlated with treatment with the KD. The most striking finding was the coordinated up-regulation of genes involved in energy metabolism.
To explain this genetic effect, the scientists first eliminated the possibility that the KD diet might cause enhanced production of GABA, a chemical messenger in the brain that helps limit seizure activity. They found that GABA levels in the hippocampus were unchanged with the KD.
To test whether energy reserves in hippocampal neurons were enhanced with the KD, they counted the number of energy "factories," or mitochondria, within cells using electron microscopy. They found that KD treatment significantly increased the number of mitochondria per unit area in the hippocampus. This finding, along with the concerted increase in the expression of genes encoding energy metabolic enzymes, led them to conclude that KD treatment enhances energy production in the hippocampus and may lead to improved neuronal stability.
Finally, the researchers tested whether brain tissue affected by the KD would be more resistant to low levels of glucose (an effect of seizures) because of their enhanced energy reserves. They found that synaptic communication in KD-fed rats was more resistant to low glucose levels than in control animals fed a regular diet.
The researchers believe their new knowledge could lead to the development of more effective drug treatments for epilepsy and brain damage.
And because the diet enhances the brain's ability to withstand metabolic challenges, they also believe the ketogenic diet should be studied as a possible treatment for other neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's diseases.Ketogenic Diet Prevents Seizures
"These findings support our hypothesis that a dietary regimen can dramatically affect the expression of genes and the function of neurons within the brain, which enhances the ability of these neurons to withstand the metabolic challenges of epileptic seizures," Dr. Dingledine said.
The ketogenic diet causes molecules called ketone bodies to be produced as fat is broken down. Scientists have understood that these molecules somehow cause a change in metabolism leading to a potent anticonvulsant effect. According to some animal studies they also may limit the progression of epilepsy.
The Emory research team studied the link between diet and epileptic seizures on the behavioral, cellular and genetic level. They found, as had others, that in rats fed the KD the resistance to seizures develops slowly, over one to two weeks, in contrast to rats treated with conventional anticonvulsant drugs. On the cellular level, they found that the anticonvulsant effect of the ketogenic diet did not correlate with a rise in plasma ketone levels or with a decrease in plasma glucose. Because longer treatment with the KD was necessary to increase the resistance to seizures, they concluded that changes in gene expression might hold the key to the diet's anticonvulsant effects.
To identify which genes might be involved, the researchers used microarray "gene chips" to examine changes in gene expression for more than 7,000 rat genes simultaneously. They focused on the hippocampus, a region of the brain known to play an important role in many kinds of epilepsies. More than 500 of the genes they examined were correlated with treatment with the KD. The most striking finding was the coordinated up-regulation of genes involved in energy metabolism.
To explain this genetic effect, the scientists first eliminated the possibility that the KD diet might cause enhanced production of GABA, a chemical messenger in the brain that helps limit seizure activity. They found that GABA levels in the hippocampus were unchanged with the KD.
To test whether energy reserves in hippocampal neurons were enhanced with the KD, they counted the number of energy "factories," or mitochondria, within cells using electron microscopy. They found that KD treatment significantly increased the number of mitochondria per unit area in the hippocampus. This finding, along with the concerted increase in the expression of genes encoding energy metabolic enzymes, led them to conclude that KD treatment enhances energy production in the hippocampus and may lead to improved neuronal stability.
Finally, the researchers tested whether brain tissue affected by the KD would be more resistant to low levels of glucose (an effect of seizures) because of their enhanced energy reserves. They found that synaptic communication in KD-fed rats was more resistant to low glucose levels than in control animals fed a regular diet.
The researchers believe their new knowledge could lead to the development of more effective drug treatments for epilepsy and brain damage.
And because the diet enhances the brain's ability to withstand metabolic challenges, they also believe the ketogenic diet should be studied as a possible treatment for other neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's diseases.Ketogenic Diet Prevents Seizures
Story Source:
Materials provided by Emory University Health Sciences Center. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Materials provided by Emory University Health Sciences Center. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
On the keto diet? Ditch the cheat day
On the keto diet? Ditch the cheat day
Just one dose of carbohydrates can damage blood vessels
- Date:
- March 27, 2019
- Source:
- University of British Columbia Okanagan campus
- Summary:
- The often embraced 'cheat day' is a common theme in many diets and the popular ketogenic diet is no exception. But new research says that just one 75-gram dose of glucose -- the equivalent a large bottle of soda or a plate of fries -- while on a high fat, low carbohydrate diet can lead to damaged blood vessels.
The often embraced 'cheat day' is a common theme in many diets and the popular ketogenic diet is no exception. But new research from UBC's Okanagan campus says that just one 75-gram dose of glucose -- the equivalent a large bottle of soda or a plate of fries -- while on a high fat, low carbohydrate diet can lead to damaged blood vessels.
"The ketogenic -- or keto -- diet has become very common for weight loss or to manage diseases like type 2 diabetes," says Jonathan Little, associate professor in the School of Health and Exercise Sciences at UBCO and study senior author. "It consists of eating foods rich in fats, moderate in protein, but very low in carbohydrates and it causes the body to go into a state called ketosis."
Little says the diet can be very effective because once the body is in ketosis and starved for its preferred fuel glucose, the body's chemistry changes and it begins to aggressively burn its fat stores. This leads to weight loss and can reverse the symptoms of diseases like Type 2 diabetes.
"We were interested in finding out what happens to the body's physiology once a dose of glucose is reintroduced," says Cody Durrer, UBC Okanagan doctoral student and study first author. "Since impaired glucose tolerance and spikes in blood sugar levels are known to be associated with an increased risk in cardiovascular disease, it made sense to look at what was happening in the blood vessels after a sugar hit."
For their test, the researchers recruited nine healthy young males and had them consume a 75-gram glucose drink before and after a seven-day high fat, low carbohydrate diet. The diet consisted of 70 per cent fat, 10 per cent carbohydrates and 20 per cent protein, similar to that of a modern ketogenic diet.
"We were originally looking for things like an inflammatory response or reduced tolerance to blood glucose," says Durrer. "What we found instead were biomarkers in the blood suggesting that vessel walls were being damaged by the sudden spike in glucose."
Little says the most likely culprit for the damage is the body's own metabolic response to excess blood sugar, which causes blood vessel cells to shed and possibly die.
"Even though these were otherwise healthy young males, when we looked at their blood vessel health after consuming the glucose drink, the results looked like they might have come from someone with poor cardiovascular health," adds Little. "It was somewhat alarming."
The researchers point out that with only nine individuals included in the study, more work is needed to verify their findings, but that the results should give those on a keto diet pause when considering a cheat day.
"My concern is that many of the people going on a keto diet -- whether it's to lose weight, to treat Type 2 diabetes, or some other health reason -- may be undoing some of the positive impacts on their blood vessels if they suddenly blast them with glucose," he says. "Especially if these people are at a higher risk for cardiovascular disease in the first place."
"Our data suggests a ketogenic diet is not something you do for six days a week and take Saturday off."On the keto diet? Ditch the cheat day
Little says the diet can be very effective because once the body is in ketosis and starved for its preferred fuel glucose, the body's chemistry changes and it begins to aggressively burn its fat stores. This leads to weight loss and can reverse the symptoms of diseases like Type 2 diabetes.
"We were interested in finding out what happens to the body's physiology once a dose of glucose is reintroduced," says Cody Durrer, UBC Okanagan doctoral student and study first author. "Since impaired glucose tolerance and spikes in blood sugar levels are known to be associated with an increased risk in cardiovascular disease, it made sense to look at what was happening in the blood vessels after a sugar hit."
For their test, the researchers recruited nine healthy young males and had them consume a 75-gram glucose drink before and after a seven-day high fat, low carbohydrate diet. The diet consisted of 70 per cent fat, 10 per cent carbohydrates and 20 per cent protein, similar to that of a modern ketogenic diet.
"We were originally looking for things like an inflammatory response or reduced tolerance to blood glucose," says Durrer. "What we found instead were biomarkers in the blood suggesting that vessel walls were being damaged by the sudden spike in glucose."
Little says the most likely culprit for the damage is the body's own metabolic response to excess blood sugar, which causes blood vessel cells to shed and possibly die.
"Even though these were otherwise healthy young males, when we looked at their blood vessel health after consuming the glucose drink, the results looked like they might have come from someone with poor cardiovascular health," adds Little. "It was somewhat alarming."
The researchers point out that with only nine individuals included in the study, more work is needed to verify their findings, but that the results should give those on a keto diet pause when considering a cheat day.
"My concern is that many of the people going on a keto diet -- whether it's to lose weight, to treat Type 2 diabetes, or some other health reason -- may be undoing some of the positive impacts on their blood vessels if they suddenly blast them with glucose," he says. "Especially if these people are at a higher risk for cardiovascular disease in the first place."
"Our data suggests a ketogenic diet is not something you do for six days a week and take Saturday off."On the keto diet? Ditch the cheat day
Story Source:
Materials provided by University of British Columbia Okanagan campus. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Materials provided by University of British Columbia Okanagan campus. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Journal Reference:
- Cody Durrer, Nia Lewis, Zhongxiao Wan, Philip Ainslie, Nathan Jenkins, Jonathan Little. Short-Term Low-Carbohydrate High-Fat Diet in Healthy Young Males Renders the Endothelium Susceptible to Hyperglycemia-Induced Damage, An Exploratory Analysis. Nutrients, 2019; 11 (3): 489 DOI: 10.3390/nu11030489
High-fat ketogenic diet to control seizures is safe over long term,
High-fat ketogenic diet to control seizures is safe over long term,
study suggests
- Date:
- February 17, 2010
- Source:
- Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions
- Summary:
- Current and former patients treated with the high-fat ketogenic diet to control multiple, daily and severe seizures can be reassured by the news that not only is the diet effective, but it also appears to have no long-lasting side effects, say scientists.
Current and former patients treated with the high-fat ketogenic diet to control multiple, daily and severe seizures can be reassured by the news that not only is the diet effective, but it also appears to have no long-lasting side effects, say scientists at Johns Hopkins Children's Center.
A study report supporting their conclusion, and believed to be one of the first analyses of the long-term safety and efficacy of the diet, appears online in the February edition of the journal Epilepsia.
The ketogenic diet, consisting of high-fat foods and very few carbohydrates, is believed to trigger biochemical changes that eliminate seizure-causing short circuits in the brain's signaling system. Used as first-line therapy for infantile spasms and in children whose seizures cannot be controlled with drugs, the diet is highly effective but complicated and sometimes difficult to maintain. It can temporarily raise cholesterol, impair growth and, in rare cases, lead to kidney stones, among other side effects.
"Despite its temporary side effects, we have always suspected that the ketogenic diet is relatively safe long term, and we now have proof," says senior investigator Eric Kossoff, M.D., a pediatric neurologist and director of the ketogenic diet program at Hopkins Children's. "Our study should help put to rest some of the nagging doubts about the long-term safety of the ketogenic diet," he adds.
The evidence is based on a study of 101 patients ages 2 to 26 years treated with the ketogenic diet for a minimum of 16 months and for up to eight years at Hopkins Children's between 1993 and 2008. At the time of the follow-up, patients were off the diet anywhere between eight months and 14 years. Nearly 80 percent of the patients remained either seizure-free or had their seizures reduced by half. Most patients' seizures did not worsen even years after stopping the diet.
Researchers caution it is possible that some effects may not show up for decades. However, the evidence, especially among patients who were off the diet for more than 10 years, suggests no long-term harm.
During interviews, none of the patients reported adverse cardiovascular side effects such as heart attacks, enlargement of the heart or abnormal plaque buildup in their arteries. One patient reported having high blood pressure.
Only two of the 101 patients reported kidney stones after stopping the diet, the same rate found in the general population not treated with the ketogenic diet, the researchers say.
None of the 25 patients who had liver and kidney function tests had abnormal results. Among the 26 patients who had their cholesterol tested, the average level was 157 milligrams per deciliter of blood (less than 200 is considered normal), with three of the 26 having abnormal levels. Most patients' cholesterol levels go up while on the diet, but are believed to return to normal thereafter. The Hopkins study now confirms that this is the case.
Most patients older than 18 at the time of the study had normal body mass index of 22 on average (25 and below is considered normal). And most of them were within a few inches of their expected heights, based on their parents' heights. Patients 18 years and younger at the time of the study were, on average, in the 25th percentile for height and in the 36th percentile for weight for their age. While this is below average, the investigators say, it is also much higher than the usual 5th-to-10th percentile while on the diet.
"We have every reason to believe that most children will start catching up once they are off the diet as they grow up because this is what we see in older former patients," Kossoff says.
Contrary to the fear of many parents, the diet does not appear to alter patients' food preferences, the researchers say. Only 8 percent of those in the study said they continued to eat predominantly high-fat foods.
The research was funded in part by the National Institutes of Health and the Carson Harris Foundation.
Co-investigators include Amisha Patel, Paula Pyzik, Zahava Turner and James Rubenstein.High-fat ketogenic diet to control seizures is safe over long term,
The ketogenic diet, consisting of high-fat foods and very few carbohydrates, is believed to trigger biochemical changes that eliminate seizure-causing short circuits in the brain's signaling system. Used as first-line therapy for infantile spasms and in children whose seizures cannot be controlled with drugs, the diet is highly effective but complicated and sometimes difficult to maintain. It can temporarily raise cholesterol, impair growth and, in rare cases, lead to kidney stones, among other side effects.
"Despite its temporary side effects, we have always suspected that the ketogenic diet is relatively safe long term, and we now have proof," says senior investigator Eric Kossoff, M.D., a pediatric neurologist and director of the ketogenic diet program at Hopkins Children's. "Our study should help put to rest some of the nagging doubts about the long-term safety of the ketogenic diet," he adds.
The evidence is based on a study of 101 patients ages 2 to 26 years treated with the ketogenic diet for a minimum of 16 months and for up to eight years at Hopkins Children's between 1993 and 2008. At the time of the follow-up, patients were off the diet anywhere between eight months and 14 years. Nearly 80 percent of the patients remained either seizure-free or had their seizures reduced by half. Most patients' seizures did not worsen even years after stopping the diet.
Researchers caution it is possible that some effects may not show up for decades. However, the evidence, especially among patients who were off the diet for more than 10 years, suggests no long-term harm.
During interviews, none of the patients reported adverse cardiovascular side effects such as heart attacks, enlargement of the heart or abnormal plaque buildup in their arteries. One patient reported having high blood pressure.
Only two of the 101 patients reported kidney stones after stopping the diet, the same rate found in the general population not treated with the ketogenic diet, the researchers say.
None of the 25 patients who had liver and kidney function tests had abnormal results. Among the 26 patients who had their cholesterol tested, the average level was 157 milligrams per deciliter of blood (less than 200 is considered normal), with three of the 26 having abnormal levels. Most patients' cholesterol levels go up while on the diet, but are believed to return to normal thereafter. The Hopkins study now confirms that this is the case.
Most patients older than 18 at the time of the study had normal body mass index of 22 on average (25 and below is considered normal). And most of them were within a few inches of their expected heights, based on their parents' heights. Patients 18 years and younger at the time of the study were, on average, in the 25th percentile for height and in the 36th percentile for weight for their age. While this is below average, the investigators say, it is also much higher than the usual 5th-to-10th percentile while on the diet.
"We have every reason to believe that most children will start catching up once they are off the diet as they grow up because this is what we see in older former patients," Kossoff says.
Contrary to the fear of many parents, the diet does not appear to alter patients' food preferences, the researchers say. Only 8 percent of those in the study said they continued to eat predominantly high-fat foods.
The research was funded in part by the National Institutes of Health and the Carson Harris Foundation.
Co-investigators include Amisha Patel, Paula Pyzik, Zahava Turner and James Rubenstein.High-fat ketogenic diet to control seizures is safe over long term,
Story Source:
Materials provided by Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Materials provided by Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Keto diet has potential in military
Keto diet has potential in military,
researchers say
Dieters maintained ketosis and lost weight in 3-month study
- Date:
- April 30, 2019
- Source:
- Ohio State University
- Summary:
- A new study has researchers hopeful that a ketogenic diet could prove useful in the military, where obesity is an ongoing challenge, both in terms of recruiting soldiers and keeping them fit for service.
A new study has researchers hopeful that a ketogenic diet could prove useful in the military, where obesity is an ongoing challenge, both in terms of recruiting soldiers and keeping them fit for service.
The Ohio State University study included 29 people, most of whom were members of the campus ROTC. For three months, 15 of the participants followed a ketogenic diet and a comparison group of 14 peers ate their normal diet.
Ketogenic diets are low in carbohydrates and emphasize moderate consumption of protein, with fat consumed to satiety. They aim to create a state of nutritional ketosis -- which occurs when the body burns fat, rather than carbohydrates, for energy. The ketogenic diet is often used to control seizures in epilepsy and also is being studied and applied in a variety of other areas, including endurance sports and diabetes management.
In the study, which appears in the journal Military Medicine, participants on the keto diet lost an average of almost 17 pounds and were able, with support of counselors, to maintain ketosis for 12 weeks. As a group, they lost more than 5 percent of their body fat, almost 44 percent of their belly, or visceral, fat and had a 48 percent improvement in insulin sensitivity -- a marker that predicts risk of diabetes.
The comparison group of participants, who consumed diets that were at least 40 percent carbohydrates (based on food diaries they kept), experienced none of those changes.
Although a relatively small research project, this is the largest published study of a well-formulated ketogenic diet in military personnel, said study senior author Jeff Volek, a professor of human sciences.
The ketogenic diets in the study included no caloric restrictions, just guidance about what to eat and what to avoid. Carbs were restricted to about 30 to 50 grams daily, with an emphasis on nuts and non-starchy vegetables. Food was also provided, either as groceries the keto dieters could use to prepare meals themselves or as pre-prepared frozen meals.
Keto diet participants had near-daily check-ins during which they reported blood ketone measurements from a self-administered finger-prick test and received feedback, usually through text messages, from the research team. Ketosis was defined as a blood concentration of ketones, chemicals made in the liver, between 0.5 and 5.0 mM (millimolar).
"Depending on their readings, we would talk about their food and drink choices and suggest they adjust their diet to maintain ketosis," said lead author Richard LaFountain, a postdoctoral researcher at Ohio State.
Both groups, whose schedules included regular resistance training, showed comparable physical performance levels at the end of the study. This was important because it's difficult to lose weight without losing some lean muscle mass and physical function, Volek said.
"We showed that a group of people with military affiliation could accept a ketogenic diet and successfully lose weight, including visceral adipose tissue, a type of fat strongly associated with chronic disease. This could be the first step toward a bigger study looking at the potential benefits of ketogenic eating in the armed forces," said Volek, who has authored books on the benefits of low-carb diets and is a founder of a company seeking to help people with type 2 diabetes through ketogenic diets and a virtual health care model.
The study results come with caveats. The group that followed the ketogenic diet chose to be in the test group, something that scientists call self-selection. Studies in which participants are randomized are preferred, but the research team said they wanted to do this pilot study in a group eager to adhere to the diet. The keto group also had a higher average body mass index at the start of the study -- 27.9 versus 24.9 in the comparison group -- meaning they had more fat to lose.
About seven in 10 people who are otherwise eligible to enter military service in the United States are considered unfit because of their weight, LaFountain said.
Officers or trainees on military bases likely could maintain a ketogenic diet based on the various foods that are already offered at typical meals, but more options could be added to support this weight-loss strategy, he said.
Added Volek, "The military has called obesity a national security crisis. One of the potential benefits of this diet in the military is that you can lose weight without having to count calories, which could be difficult in training or while on active duty. In this study, they ate as much as they wanted -- they just ate differently."Keto diet has potential in military
Ketogenic diets are low in carbohydrates and emphasize moderate consumption of protein, with fat consumed to satiety. They aim to create a state of nutritional ketosis -- which occurs when the body burns fat, rather than carbohydrates, for energy. The ketogenic diet is often used to control seizures in epilepsy and also is being studied and applied in a variety of other areas, including endurance sports and diabetes management.
In the study, which appears in the journal Military Medicine, participants on the keto diet lost an average of almost 17 pounds and were able, with support of counselors, to maintain ketosis for 12 weeks. As a group, they lost more than 5 percent of their body fat, almost 44 percent of their belly, or visceral, fat and had a 48 percent improvement in insulin sensitivity -- a marker that predicts risk of diabetes.
The comparison group of participants, who consumed diets that were at least 40 percent carbohydrates (based on food diaries they kept), experienced none of those changes.
Although a relatively small research project, this is the largest published study of a well-formulated ketogenic diet in military personnel, said study senior author Jeff Volek, a professor of human sciences.
The ketogenic diets in the study included no caloric restrictions, just guidance about what to eat and what to avoid. Carbs were restricted to about 30 to 50 grams daily, with an emphasis on nuts and non-starchy vegetables. Food was also provided, either as groceries the keto dieters could use to prepare meals themselves or as pre-prepared frozen meals.
Keto diet participants had near-daily check-ins during which they reported blood ketone measurements from a self-administered finger-prick test and received feedback, usually through text messages, from the research team. Ketosis was defined as a blood concentration of ketones, chemicals made in the liver, between 0.5 and 5.0 mM (millimolar).
"Depending on their readings, we would talk about their food and drink choices and suggest they adjust their diet to maintain ketosis," said lead author Richard LaFountain, a postdoctoral researcher at Ohio State.
Both groups, whose schedules included regular resistance training, showed comparable physical performance levels at the end of the study. This was important because it's difficult to lose weight without losing some lean muscle mass and physical function, Volek said.
"We showed that a group of people with military affiliation could accept a ketogenic diet and successfully lose weight, including visceral adipose tissue, a type of fat strongly associated with chronic disease. This could be the first step toward a bigger study looking at the potential benefits of ketogenic eating in the armed forces," said Volek, who has authored books on the benefits of low-carb diets and is a founder of a company seeking to help people with type 2 diabetes through ketogenic diets and a virtual health care model.
The study results come with caveats. The group that followed the ketogenic diet chose to be in the test group, something that scientists call self-selection. Studies in which participants are randomized are preferred, but the research team said they wanted to do this pilot study in a group eager to adhere to the diet. The keto group also had a higher average body mass index at the start of the study -- 27.9 versus 24.9 in the comparison group -- meaning they had more fat to lose.
About seven in 10 people who are otherwise eligible to enter military service in the United States are considered unfit because of their weight, LaFountain said.
Officers or trainees on military bases likely could maintain a ketogenic diet based on the various foods that are already offered at typical meals, but more options could be added to support this weight-loss strategy, he said.
Added Volek, "The military has called obesity a national security crisis. One of the potential benefits of this diet in the military is that you can lose weight without having to count calories, which could be difficult in training or while on active duty. In this study, they ate as much as they wanted -- they just ate differently."Keto diet has potential in military
Story Source:
Materials provided by Ohio State University. Original written by Misti Crane. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Materials provided by Ohio State University. Original written by Misti Crane. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Journal Reference:
- Richard A LaFountain, Vincent J Miller, Emily C Barnhart, Parker N Hyde, Christopher D Crabtree, Fionn T McSwiney, Mathew K Beeler, Alex Buga, Teryn N Sapper, Jay A Short, Madison L Bowling, William J Kraemer, Orlando P Simonetti, Carl M Maresh, Jeff S Volek. Extended Ketogenic Diet and Physical Training Intervention in Military Personnel. Military Medicine, 2019; DOI: 10.1093/milmed/usz046
Cancer-fighting combination targets glioblastoma
Cancer-fighting combination targets glioblastoma
- Date:
- May 30, 2019
- Source:
- Boston College
- Summary:
- An international team of researchers combined a calorie-restricted diet high in fat and low in carbohydrates with a tumor-inhibiting antibiotic and found the combination destroys cancer stem cells and mesenchymal cells, the two major cells found in glioblastoma, a fast-moving brain cancer that resists traditional treatment protocols.
Researchers have paired a specialized diet and a tumor-fighting drug and found the non-toxic combination helps to destroy the two major cells found in an aggressive form of brain cancer, the team reports in the online edition of the Nature group journal Communications Biology.
The international team combined a calorie-restricted diet high in fat and low in carbohydrates with a tumor-inhibiting antibiotic and found the combination destroys cancer stem cells and mesenchymal cells, the two major cells found in glioblastoma, a fast-moving brain cancer that resists traditional treatment protocols.
The ketogenic diet and the antibiotic 6-diazo-5-oxo-L-norleucine -- first characterized in 1956 and referred to as DON -- offer a non-toxic therapeutic strategy that could be used to manage the deadly brain cancer, said Boston College Professor of Biology Thomas N. Seyfried, a lead author of the paper with Boston College Senior Research Scientist Purna Mukherjee.
The researchers, probing a treatment modeled on evidence that glioblastoma is primarily a mitochondrial metabolic disease driven by fermentation, discovered the combination was able to penetrate the blood-brain barrier that shields the brain from both injury and interventions, they wrote in the article, titled "Therapeutic benefit of combining calorie-restricted ketogenic diet and glutamine targeting in late-stage experimental glioblastoma."
"We were surprised that the restricted ketogenic diet facilitated delivery of DON through the blood-brain barrier," said Seyfried, a lipid biochemist and author of the book Cancer As A Metabolic Disease (Wiley, 2012). "It appears from this study and our previous study with another drug, that the restricted ketogenic diet can be considered a novel drug delivery system for the brain. There is no drug known that can do this."
The team from Boston College, Harvard Medical School, Berg LLC., Venezuela's Zulia University, and Hungary's University of Budapest, studied the diet-drug intervention in mice that serve as the closest models to glioblastoma in humans.
The carbohydrate glucose and the amino acid glutamine are the two major fermentable fuels in the body that can drive the growth of glioblastoma, as well as most cancers, Seyfried said. Yet relatively few studies have simultaneously targeted these fuels as candidates for therapeutic management of glioblastoma.
In a report last December, Seyfried and colleagues identified glutamine fermentation as the "missing link" in the metabolic theory of cancer first posited by Nobel laureate Otto Warburg in 1931. Contrary to the theory that cancer is determined by genomic instability in the nucleus of a cell, the metabolic theory of cancer holds that cancer's deadly path begins in the mitochondria, where cells generate energy.
In their new study, the researchers administered DON, a glutamine antagonist, in concert with a calorie-restricted, ketogenic diet to treat late-stage tumor growth in the brain. DON targets the biochemical "missing link" -- the reaction glutaminolysis -- while the ketogenic diet both reduces glucose and elevates non-fermentable and neuroprotective ketone bodies, Seyfried said.
"The diet-drug therapeutic strategy killed tumor cells while reversing disease symptoms, and improving overall mouse survival," said Seyfried. "The therapeutic strategy also reduces edema, hemorrhage, and inflammation. Moreover, the calorie-restricted ketogenic diet facilitated DON delivery to the brain and allowed a lower dosage to achieve therapeutic effect."
In addition to Seyfried and Mukherjee, co-authors of the study include Marek A. Domin, of the Boston College Department of Chemistry's Mass Spectrometry Center and former undergraduate researcher Zachary M. Augur; Michael A. Kiebish of Berg LLC, Rodney Bronson of Harvard Medical School; Gabriel Arismendi-Morillo, of Zulia University, Venezuela; and Christos Chinopoulos of the University of Budapest, Hungary.
Glioblastoma is an aggressive primary human brain tumor that has resisted effective medical treatments and interventions for decades. The current standard of care combination of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation treatment offers to a median life expectancy of 15 to 16 months, often with debilitating side effects.
"The findings support the importance of glucose and glutamine in driving glioblastoma growth and provide a therapeutic strategy for non-toxic metabolic management," said Seyfried, who has been searching for alternative cancer treatments throughout his career.
Seyfried said next steps to further explore the combination would be to determine if the diet-drug therapeutic synergy found for glioblastoma could also be seen for other malignant cancers, as glucose and glutamine are the key fuels that drive most if not all malignant cancers regardless of cell or tissue origin.Cancer-fighting combination targets glioblastoma
The ketogenic diet and the antibiotic 6-diazo-5-oxo-L-norleucine -- first characterized in 1956 and referred to as DON -- offer a non-toxic therapeutic strategy that could be used to manage the deadly brain cancer, said Boston College Professor of Biology Thomas N. Seyfried, a lead author of the paper with Boston College Senior Research Scientist Purna Mukherjee.
The researchers, probing a treatment modeled on evidence that glioblastoma is primarily a mitochondrial metabolic disease driven by fermentation, discovered the combination was able to penetrate the blood-brain barrier that shields the brain from both injury and interventions, they wrote in the article, titled "Therapeutic benefit of combining calorie-restricted ketogenic diet and glutamine targeting in late-stage experimental glioblastoma."
"We were surprised that the restricted ketogenic diet facilitated delivery of DON through the blood-brain barrier," said Seyfried, a lipid biochemist and author of the book Cancer As A Metabolic Disease (Wiley, 2012). "It appears from this study and our previous study with another drug, that the restricted ketogenic diet can be considered a novel drug delivery system for the brain. There is no drug known that can do this."
The team from Boston College, Harvard Medical School, Berg LLC., Venezuela's Zulia University, and Hungary's University of Budapest, studied the diet-drug intervention in mice that serve as the closest models to glioblastoma in humans.
The carbohydrate glucose and the amino acid glutamine are the two major fermentable fuels in the body that can drive the growth of glioblastoma, as well as most cancers, Seyfried said. Yet relatively few studies have simultaneously targeted these fuels as candidates for therapeutic management of glioblastoma.
In a report last December, Seyfried and colleagues identified glutamine fermentation as the "missing link" in the metabolic theory of cancer first posited by Nobel laureate Otto Warburg in 1931. Contrary to the theory that cancer is determined by genomic instability in the nucleus of a cell, the metabolic theory of cancer holds that cancer's deadly path begins in the mitochondria, where cells generate energy.
In their new study, the researchers administered DON, a glutamine antagonist, in concert with a calorie-restricted, ketogenic diet to treat late-stage tumor growth in the brain. DON targets the biochemical "missing link" -- the reaction glutaminolysis -- while the ketogenic diet both reduces glucose and elevates non-fermentable and neuroprotective ketone bodies, Seyfried said.
"The diet-drug therapeutic strategy killed tumor cells while reversing disease symptoms, and improving overall mouse survival," said Seyfried. "The therapeutic strategy also reduces edema, hemorrhage, and inflammation. Moreover, the calorie-restricted ketogenic diet facilitated DON delivery to the brain and allowed a lower dosage to achieve therapeutic effect."
In addition to Seyfried and Mukherjee, co-authors of the study include Marek A. Domin, of the Boston College Department of Chemistry's Mass Spectrometry Center and former undergraduate researcher Zachary M. Augur; Michael A. Kiebish of Berg LLC, Rodney Bronson of Harvard Medical School; Gabriel Arismendi-Morillo, of Zulia University, Venezuela; and Christos Chinopoulos of the University of Budapest, Hungary.
Glioblastoma is an aggressive primary human brain tumor that has resisted effective medical treatments and interventions for decades. The current standard of care combination of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation treatment offers to a median life expectancy of 15 to 16 months, often with debilitating side effects.
"The findings support the importance of glucose and glutamine in driving glioblastoma growth and provide a therapeutic strategy for non-toxic metabolic management," said Seyfried, who has been searching for alternative cancer treatments throughout his career.
Seyfried said next steps to further explore the combination would be to determine if the diet-drug therapeutic synergy found for glioblastoma could also be seen for other malignant cancers, as glucose and glutamine are the key fuels that drive most if not all malignant cancers regardless of cell or tissue origin.Cancer-fighting combination targets glioblastoma
Story Source:
Materials provided by Boston College. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Materials provided by Boston College. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Journal Reference:
- Purna Mukherjee, Zachary M. Augur, Mingyi Li, Collin Hill, Bennett Greenwood, Marek A. Domin, Gramoz Kondakci, Niven R. Narain, Michael A. Kiebish, Roderick T. Bronson, Gabriel Arismendi-Morillo, Christos Chinopoulos, Thomas N. Seyfried. Therapeutic benefit of combining calorie-restricted ketogenic diet and glutamine targeting in late-stage experimental glioblastoma. Communications Biology, 2019; 2 (1) DOI: 10.1038/s42003-019-0455-x
How do ketogenic diets affect skin inflammation?
How do ketogenic diets affect skin inflammation?
- Date:
- October 17, 2019
- Source:
- Elsevier
- Summary:
- Not all fats are equal in how they affect our skin, according to a new study. The investigators found that different ketogenic diets impacted skin inflammation differently in psoriasiform-like skin inflammation in mice. Ketogenic diets heavy in medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) such as coconut, especially in combination with omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil and plant sources like nuts and seeds, exacerbated psoriasis.
Not all fats are equal in how they affect our skin, according to a new study in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, published by Elsevier. The investigators found that different ketogenic diets impacted skin inflammation differently in psoriasiform-like skin inflammation in mice. Ketogenic diets heavy in medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) such as coconut, especially in combination with omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil and plant sources like nuts and seeds, exacerbated psoriasis.
'This study leads to a broader understanding of possible effects of ketogenic diets with a very high fat content on skin inflammation and underlines the importance of the composition of fatty acids in the diet," explained co-lead investigator, Barbara Kofler, PhD, Research Program for Receptor Biochemistry and Tumor Metabolism, Department of Pediatrics, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria. "We found that a well-balanced ketogenic diet, limited primarily to long-chain triglycerides (LCTs) like olive oil, soybean oil, fish, nuts, avocado, and meats, does not exacerbate skin inflammation. However, ketogenic diets containing high amounts of MCTs especially in combination with omega-3 fatty acids, should be used with caution since they may aggravate preexisting skin inflammatory conditions."
Ketogenic diets are increasingly popular because of their promise to treat a number of diseases and promote weight loss. They are currently being evaluated as a potential therapy in a variety of diseases and have been suggested to act as an anti-inflammatory in certain conditions. Dietary products containing coconut oil (high in MCTs) or fish oil (high in omega-3 fatty acids), consumed as part of a ketogenic diet, are marketed and used by the general population because of their reported health promoting effects.
Previous studies have indicated that high-fat diets with a substantial amount of carbohydrates promote the progression of psoriasiform-like skin inflammation and development of spontaneous dermatitis in mice. The investigators therefore hypothesized that high-fat ketogenic diets would dampen psoriasiform-like skin inflammation progression and that partial supplementation of LCT with MCT and/or omega-3 fatty acids would further enhance these effects. Although the study did not confirm that hypothesis, it showed that an LCT-based ketogenic diet does not worsen skin inflammation.
Co-lead investigator Roland Lang, PhD, Department of Dermatology, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria, elaborated on the study's results, "Ketogenic diets supplemented with MCTs not only induce the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, but also lead to an accumulation of neutrophils in the skin resulting in a worse clinical appearance of the skin of the mice. Neutrophils are of particular interest since they are known to express a receptor for MCTs and therefore a ketogenic diet containing MCTs may have an impact on other neutrophil-mediated diseases not limited to the skin."
Mice used in the study were fed an extremely high-fat (77 percent) ketogenic diet, which is uncommon except for patients following a strict regime for medical conditions like drug-resistant epilepsy. "I think most people following a ketogenic diet don't need to worry about unwanted skin inflammation side effects. However, patients with psoriasis should not consider a ketogenic diet an adjuvant therapeutic option, noted Dr. Kofler."How do ketogenic diets affect skin inflammation?
Ketogenic diets are increasingly popular because of their promise to treat a number of diseases and promote weight loss. They are currently being evaluated as a potential therapy in a variety of diseases and have been suggested to act as an anti-inflammatory in certain conditions. Dietary products containing coconut oil (high in MCTs) or fish oil (high in omega-3 fatty acids), consumed as part of a ketogenic diet, are marketed and used by the general population because of their reported health promoting effects.
Previous studies have indicated that high-fat diets with a substantial amount of carbohydrates promote the progression of psoriasiform-like skin inflammation and development of spontaneous dermatitis in mice. The investigators therefore hypothesized that high-fat ketogenic diets would dampen psoriasiform-like skin inflammation progression and that partial supplementation of LCT with MCT and/or omega-3 fatty acids would further enhance these effects. Although the study did not confirm that hypothesis, it showed that an LCT-based ketogenic diet does not worsen skin inflammation.
Co-lead investigator Roland Lang, PhD, Department of Dermatology, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria, elaborated on the study's results, "Ketogenic diets supplemented with MCTs not only induce the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, but also lead to an accumulation of neutrophils in the skin resulting in a worse clinical appearance of the skin of the mice. Neutrophils are of particular interest since they are known to express a receptor for MCTs and therefore a ketogenic diet containing MCTs may have an impact on other neutrophil-mediated diseases not limited to the skin."
Mice used in the study were fed an extremely high-fat (77 percent) ketogenic diet, which is uncommon except for patients following a strict regime for medical conditions like drug-resistant epilepsy. "I think most people following a ketogenic diet don't need to worry about unwanted skin inflammation side effects. However, patients with psoriasis should not consider a ketogenic diet an adjuvant therapeutic option, noted Dr. Kofler."How do ketogenic diets affect skin inflammation?
Story Source:
Materials provided by Elsevier. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Materials provided by Elsevier. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Journal Reference:
- Felix Locker, Julia Leitner, Sepideh Aminzadeh-Gohari, Daniela D. Weber, Philippe Sanio, Andreas Koller, René Günther Feichtinger, Richard Weiss, Barbara Kofler, Roland Lang. The Influence of Ketogenic Diets on Psoriasiform-Like Skin Inflammation. Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2019; DOI: 10.1016/j.jid.2019.07.718
Mayo Clinic Finds Ketogenic Diet May Be Started As An Outpatient Treatment For Children With Epilepsy
Mayo Clinic Finds Ketogenic Diet May Be Started As An Outpatient Treatment For Children With Epilepsy
ROCHESTER, Minn. -- Results from a Mayo Clinic study that analyzed medical records of epilepsy patients suggest a ketogenic diet, which mimics the effects of starvation, can be successfully implemented with children on an outpatient basis.keto for lifestyle
The study, which appeared in the September issue of Pediatric Neurology, offers data that compared inpatient (treating and staying in the hospital) and outpatient (treating and then returning home) treatments using a ketogenic diet. The researchers said the benefits of outpatient treatment include improved acceptability and ability to maintain and comply with the diet. It also avoids the expense, inconvenience and potential low blood sugar associated with starvation during inpatient initiation. However, the intense educational process that inpatients receive could be preferable for some families and centers. keto for lifestyle
“Our study shows that it’s possible to begin the diet safely as an outpatient and maintain it without restricting fluids as done in other centers,” says Jeffrey Buchhalter, M.D., of the Pediatric Epilepsy Program in the Department of Neurology at Mayo Clinic and the senior author of the study. “For parents with children who have epilepsy, it means potentially fewer days of lost work while the diet is initiated and more comfort for their child. However, we do recommend that these findings need to be confirmed in a prospective study.”
The Mayo Clinic authors of the study say further study is needed for more definitive answers about the best conditions for implementing and maintaining of the ketogenic diet.
Different diets have been popular in the treatment of epilepsy since ancient times. In the 5th century B.C., Hippocrates reports about a man suffering from epilepsy completely cured by abstinence from food and drink. The ketogenic diet, which is very high in fats and low in carbohydrates, was first developed almost 80 years ago. It makes the body burn fat for energy instead of glucose. The diet mimics the effects of starvation. When carefully monitored by a medical team familiar with its use, the diet helps two out of three epileptic children and may prevent seizures in one out of three, according to the Epilepsy Foundation. The diet has to be rigidly controlled. Any deviation can produce a seizure if the patient is thrown out of ketosis, a presence in the blood of abnormally high levels of acidic substances. keto for lifestyle
In the study, Mayo Clinic researchers used the Rochester Epidemiology Project medical records-linkage system to locate all diagnoses involving the ketogenic diet from 1963-1975. The system index allows the identification of all medical visits of residents of Olmsted County, Minn., including inpatient, outpatient and emergency department evaluations since 1935. In the study, records were reviewed of 37 patients who underwent the ketogenic diet as outpatients and 17 as inpatients.
There was no evidence that inpatient initiation of the ketogenic diet was superior to outpatient initiation with regard to long-term seizure control or mental improvement. This improvement rate was similar to the range of other reported studies.
In the Mayo Clinic study, there were no statistical differences in outcome between the groups started as inpatients and outpatients.Low Carb Diet for epilepsy
“Our study shows that it’s possible to begin the diet safely as an outpatient and maintain it without restricting fluids as done in other centers,” says Jeffrey Buchhalter, M.D., of the Pediatric Epilepsy Program in the Department of Neurology at Mayo Clinic and the senior author of the study. “For parents with children who have epilepsy, it means potentially fewer days of lost work while the diet is initiated and more comfort for their child. However, we do recommend that these findings need to be confirmed in a prospective study.”
The Mayo Clinic authors of the study say further study is needed for more definitive answers about the best conditions for implementing and maintaining of the ketogenic diet.
Different diets have been popular in the treatment of epilepsy since ancient times. In the 5th century B.C., Hippocrates reports about a man suffering from epilepsy completely cured by abstinence from food and drink. The ketogenic diet, which is very high in fats and low in carbohydrates, was first developed almost 80 years ago. It makes the body burn fat for energy instead of glucose. The diet mimics the effects of starvation. When carefully monitored by a medical team familiar with its use, the diet helps two out of three epileptic children and may prevent seizures in one out of three, according to the Epilepsy Foundation. The diet has to be rigidly controlled. Any deviation can produce a seizure if the patient is thrown out of ketosis, a presence in the blood of abnormally high levels of acidic substances. keto for lifestyle
In the study, Mayo Clinic researchers used the Rochester Epidemiology Project medical records-linkage system to locate all diagnoses involving the ketogenic diet from 1963-1975. The system index allows the identification of all medical visits of residents of Olmsted County, Minn., including inpatient, outpatient and emergency department evaluations since 1935. In the study, records were reviewed of 37 patients who underwent the ketogenic diet as outpatients and 17 as inpatients.
There was no evidence that inpatient initiation of the ketogenic diet was superior to outpatient initiation with regard to long-term seizure control or mental improvement. This improvement rate was similar to the range of other reported studies.
In the Mayo Clinic study, there were no statistical differences in outcome between the groups started as inpatients and outpatients.Low Carb Diet for epilepsy
Low carbohydrate diet may reverse kidney failure
Low carbohydrate diet may reverse kidney failure in people with diabetes.....
Researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine have for the first time determined that the ketogenic diet, a specialized high-fat, low carbohydrate diet, may reverse impaired kidney function in people with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. They also identified a previously unreported panel of genes associated with diabetes-related kidney failure, whose expression was reversed by the diet.
The findings were published in the current issue of PLoS ONE.
Charles Mobbs, PhD, Professor of Neuroscience and Geriatrics and Palliative Care Medicine at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, and his research team evaluated mice that were genetically predisposed to have Type 1 or 2 diabetes. The mice were allowed to develop diabetic nephropathy, or kidney failure. Half of the mice were put on the ketogenic diet, while the control group maintained a standard high carbohydrate diet. The researcher founds that after eight weeks, kidney failure was reversed in the mice on the ketogenic diet.keto for lifestyle
"Our study is the first to show that a dietary intervention alone is enough to reverse this serious complication of diabetes," said Dr. Mobbs. "This finding has significant implications for the tens of thousands of Americans diagnosed with diabetic kidney failure, and possibly other complications, each year."keto for lifestyle
The ketogenic diet is a low-carbohydrate, moderate protein, and high-fat diet typically used to control seizures in children with epilepsy. Many cells can get their energy from ketones, which are molecules produced when the blood glucose levels are low and blood fat levels are high. When cells use ketones instead of glucose for fuel, glucose is not metabolized. Since high glucose metabolism causes kidney failure in diabetes, researchers hypothesized that the ketogenic diet would block those toxic effects of glucose. Considering the extreme requirements of the diet, it is not a long-term solution in adults. However, Dr. Mobbs' research indicates that exposure to the diet for as little as a month may be sufficient to "reset" the gene expression and pathological process leading to kidney failure.
The researchers also identified a large array of genes expressed during diabetic nephropathy not previously known to play a role in the development of this complication. These genes are associated with kidney failure as a result of the stress on cellular function. The team found that the expression of these genes was also reversed in the mice on the ketogenic diet.
Dr. Mobbs and his team plan to continue to research the impact of the ketogenic diet and the mechanism by which it reverses kidney failure in people with diabetes, and in age-related kidney failure. He believes the ketogenic diet could help treat other neurological diseases and retinopathy, a disease that results in vision loss.keto for lifestyle
"Knowing how the ketogenic diet reverses nephropathy will help us identify a drug target and subsequent pharmacological interventions that mimic the effect of the diet," said Dr. Mobbs. "We look forward to studying this promising development further."
This study was funded partly by the National Institutes of Health and by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.Low Carb Diet may reverse kidney failure
Charles Mobbs, PhD, Professor of Neuroscience and Geriatrics and Palliative Care Medicine at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, and his research team evaluated mice that were genetically predisposed to have Type 1 or 2 diabetes. The mice were allowed to develop diabetic nephropathy, or kidney failure. Half of the mice were put on the ketogenic diet, while the control group maintained a standard high carbohydrate diet. The researcher founds that after eight weeks, kidney failure was reversed in the mice on the ketogenic diet.keto for lifestyle
"Our study is the first to show that a dietary intervention alone is enough to reverse this serious complication of diabetes," said Dr. Mobbs. "This finding has significant implications for the tens of thousands of Americans diagnosed with diabetic kidney failure, and possibly other complications, each year."keto for lifestyle
The ketogenic diet is a low-carbohydrate, moderate protein, and high-fat diet typically used to control seizures in children with epilepsy. Many cells can get their energy from ketones, which are molecules produced when the blood glucose levels are low and blood fat levels are high. When cells use ketones instead of glucose for fuel, glucose is not metabolized. Since high glucose metabolism causes kidney failure in diabetes, researchers hypothesized that the ketogenic diet would block those toxic effects of glucose. Considering the extreme requirements of the diet, it is not a long-term solution in adults. However, Dr. Mobbs' research indicates that exposure to the diet for as little as a month may be sufficient to "reset" the gene expression and pathological process leading to kidney failure.
The researchers also identified a large array of genes expressed during diabetic nephropathy not previously known to play a role in the development of this complication. These genes are associated with kidney failure as a result of the stress on cellular function. The team found that the expression of these genes was also reversed in the mice on the ketogenic diet.
Dr. Mobbs and his team plan to continue to research the impact of the ketogenic diet and the mechanism by which it reverses kidney failure in people with diabetes, and in age-related kidney failure. He believes the ketogenic diet could help treat other neurological diseases and retinopathy, a disease that results in vision loss.keto for lifestyle
"Knowing how the ketogenic diet reverses nephropathy will help us identify a drug target and subsequent pharmacological interventions that mimic the effect of the diet," said Dr. Mobbs. "We look forward to studying this promising development further."
This study was funded partly by the National Institutes of Health and by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.Low Carb Diet may reverse kidney failure
Story Source:
Materials provided by The Mount Sinai Hospital / Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Materials provided by The Mount Sinai Hospital / Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Journal Reference:
- Michal M. Poplawski, Jason W. Mastaitis, Fumiko Isoda, Fabrizio Grosjean, Feng Zheng, Charles V. Mobbs. Reversal of Diabetic Nephropathy by a Ketogenic Diet. PLoS ONE, 2011; 6 (4): e18604 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0018604
Low-carb diet may reduce diabetes risk independent of weight loss
Low-carb diet may reduce diabetes risk independent of weight loss
Researchers report reversal of metabolic syndrome in some cases
A low-carb diet may have benefits for people at risk of developing type 2 diabetes even if they don't lose any weight, a new study suggests. keto for lifestyle
Researchers at The Ohio State University wanted to know what happens to obese people with metabolic syndrome, a precursor to diabetes, when they eat a diet low in carbohydrates but don't shed any pounds. They found that more than half of study participants no longer met the criteria for metabolic syndrome immediately following a four-week low-carb diet.
The new study included 16 men and women with metabolic syndrome, a cluster of factors that also put people at higher risk of heart disease and stroke. The conditions that contribute to metabolic syndrome include high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist and abnormally low 'good' HDL cholesterol or high triglyceride levels. About a third of American adults have the syndrome, according to the American Heart Association.
After eating a low-carb diet, more than half the participants -- five men and four women -- saw their metabolic syndrome reversed even though they were fed diets that intentionally contained enough calories to keep their weight stable.
Previous work in the Ohio State lab and elsewhere has shown that low-carb diets can be beneficial for people with metabolic syndrome and diabetes, but nutrition scientists and others have debated whether that's a product of the diet or a product of the weight loss typically seen when people reduce carbs, said the study's senior author, Jeff Volek, a professor of human sciences at Ohio State.
"There's no doubt that people with metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes do better on low-carb diets, but they typically lose weight and one of the prevailing thoughts is that the weight loss is driving the improvements. That was clearly not the case here," Volek said.keto for lifestyle
"Our view is that restricting carbs even without weight loss improves a host of metabolic problems. Obviously, quality of diet matters because quantity is locked down in this experiment."
The study appears today (June 20) in the Journal of Clinical Investigation Insight.
Over about four months, each study participant ate three month-long controlled diets -- high-carb, moderate-carb and low-carb -- with a two-week break between diets. The order in which the participants ate the diets was randomly assigned.
The research team, led by research scientist Parker Hyde, ensured that the participants would not lose weight by providing them with pre-prepared meals that contained an amount of calories equal to their energy expenditure.
After eating the low-carb diet, the participants had a variety of significantly improved health measures, particularly lower triglycerides and improved cholesterol readings. Despite the fact that the low-carb diet contained 2.5 times more saturated fat than the high-carb diet, it decreased saturated fat in the bloodstream and was associated with an increase in the size of cholesterol particles in the blood, which decreases the risk of cardiovascular disease, Hyde said.keto for lifestyle
The researchers also report evidence of increased fat-burning efficiency after a low-carb diet and an improvement in blood sugar. They did not see statistically significant improvements in blood pressure or insulin resistance.
Three participants no longer had metabolic syndrome after the moderate-carbohydrate diet and one no longer had the syndrome after the high-carb diet. Volek said that those results are likely explained by the fact that even these study diets -- particularly the moderate-carb diet -- represented a shift toward fewer carbs for study participants.
"Even a modest restriction is carbs is enough to reverse metabolic syndrome in some people, but others need to restrict even more," he said.
Because of the study design, waist circumference was not factored in as a contributor to metabolic syndrome. Had the participants been permitted to lose weight, it is likely that several more would have been considered free of the condition after the low-carb diet, Volek said.
This research doesn't address the potential long-term benefits and challenges of adopting a low-carbohydrate diet, and the researchers suggest that future long-term diet studies on people with metabolic syndrome need to include low-carb diets.
The research was supported by the National Dairy Council and the Dutch Dairy Association.
The new study included 16 men and women with metabolic syndrome, a cluster of factors that also put people at higher risk of heart disease and stroke. The conditions that contribute to metabolic syndrome include high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist and abnormally low 'good' HDL cholesterol or high triglyceride levels. About a third of American adults have the syndrome, according to the American Heart Association.
After eating a low-carb diet, more than half the participants -- five men and four women -- saw their metabolic syndrome reversed even though they were fed diets that intentionally contained enough calories to keep their weight stable.
Previous work in the Ohio State lab and elsewhere has shown that low-carb diets can be beneficial for people with metabolic syndrome and diabetes, but nutrition scientists and others have debated whether that's a product of the diet or a product of the weight loss typically seen when people reduce carbs, said the study's senior author, Jeff Volek, a professor of human sciences at Ohio State.
"There's no doubt that people with metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes do better on low-carb diets, but they typically lose weight and one of the prevailing thoughts is that the weight loss is driving the improvements. That was clearly not the case here," Volek said.keto for lifestyle
"Our view is that restricting carbs even without weight loss improves a host of metabolic problems. Obviously, quality of diet matters because quantity is locked down in this experiment."
The study appears today (June 20) in the Journal of Clinical Investigation Insight.
Over about four months, each study participant ate three month-long controlled diets -- high-carb, moderate-carb and low-carb -- with a two-week break between diets. The order in which the participants ate the diets was randomly assigned.
The research team, led by research scientist Parker Hyde, ensured that the participants would not lose weight by providing them with pre-prepared meals that contained an amount of calories equal to their energy expenditure.
After eating the low-carb diet, the participants had a variety of significantly improved health measures, particularly lower triglycerides and improved cholesterol readings. Despite the fact that the low-carb diet contained 2.5 times more saturated fat than the high-carb diet, it decreased saturated fat in the bloodstream and was associated with an increase in the size of cholesterol particles in the blood, which decreases the risk of cardiovascular disease, Hyde said.keto for lifestyle
The researchers also report evidence of increased fat-burning efficiency after a low-carb diet and an improvement in blood sugar. They did not see statistically significant improvements in blood pressure or insulin resistance.
Three participants no longer had metabolic syndrome after the moderate-carbohydrate diet and one no longer had the syndrome after the high-carb diet. Volek said that those results are likely explained by the fact that even these study diets -- particularly the moderate-carb diet -- represented a shift toward fewer carbs for study participants.
"Even a modest restriction is carbs is enough to reverse metabolic syndrome in some people, but others need to restrict even more," he said.
Because of the study design, waist circumference was not factored in as a contributor to metabolic syndrome. Had the participants been permitted to lose weight, it is likely that several more would have been considered free of the condition after the low-carb diet, Volek said.
This research doesn't address the potential long-term benefits and challenges of adopting a low-carbohydrate diet, and the researchers suggest that future long-term diet studies on people with metabolic syndrome need to include low-carb diets.
The research was supported by the National Dairy Council and the Dutch Dairy Association.
Story Source:
Materials provided by Ohio State University. Original written by Misti Crane. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Materials provided by Ohio State University. Original written by Misti Crane. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Journal Reference:
- Parker N. Hyde, Teryn N. Sapper, Christopher D. Crabtree, Richard A. LaFountain, Madison L. Bowling, Alex Buga, Brandon Fell, Fionn T. McSwiney, Ryan M. Dickerson, Vincent J. Miller, Debbie Scandling, Orlando P. Simonetti, Stephen D. Phinney, William J. Kraemer, Sarah A. King, Ronald M. Krauss, Jeff S. Volek. Dietary carbohydrate restriction improves metabolic syndrome independent of weight loss. JCI Insight, 2019; 4 (12) DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.128308
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Custom Keto Diet
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Ketogenic diet appears to prevent cognitive decline in mice, study finds.
- Date:
- October 12, 2018
- Source:
- University of Kentucky
- Summary:
- The Ketogenic Diet, simple caloric restriction, or the pharmaceutical rapamycin appear to improve neurovascular function and prevent cognitive decline in animal models.
We've all experienced a "gut feeling" -- when we know deep down inside that something is true. That phenomenon and others (like "butterflies in the stomach") aptly describe what scientists have now demonstrated: that the gut and the brain are more closely connected than we once thought, and in fact the health of one can affect the other.
Capitalizing on this relatively new scientific concept, Ai-Ling Lin and her colleagues at the Sanders-Brown Center on Aging at the University of Kentucky have published two studies that demonstrate the effect of diet on cognitive health in animals.
The first, in Scientific Reports, demonstrated that neurovascular function improved in mice who followed a Ketogenic Diet regimen.
"Neurovascular integrity, including cerebral blood flow and blood-brain barrier function, plays a major role in cognitive ability," Lin said. "Recent science has suggested that neurovascular integrity might be regulated by the bacteria in the gut, so we set out to see whether the Ketogenic Diet enhanced brain vascular function and reduced neurodegeneration risk in young healthy mice."
Lin et al considered The Ketogenic Diet -- characterized by high levels of fat and low levels of carbohydrates -- a good candidate for the study, as it has previously shown positive effects for patients with other neurological disorders, including epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, and autism. Two groups of nine mice, aged 12-14 weeks, were given either the Ketogenic Diet (KD) or a regular diet. After 16 weeks, Lin et al saw that the KD mice had significant increases in cerebral blood flow, improved balance in the microbiome in the gut, lower blood glucose levels and body weight, and a beneficial increase in the process that clears amyloid-beta from the brain -- a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease.
"While diet modifications, the Ketogenic Diet in particular, has demonstrated effectiveness in treating certain diseases, we chose to test healthy young mice using diet as a potential preventative measure," Lin said. "We were delighted to see that we might indeed be able to use diet to mitigate risk for Alzheimer's disease."
According to Lin, the beneficial effects seen from the Ketogenic Diet are potentially due to the inhibition of a nutrient sensor called mTOR (mechanistic target of rapamycin), which has shown to effect lifespan extension and health promotion. In addition to the Ketogenic Diet, Lin said, mTOR can also be inhibited by simple caloric restriction or the pharmaceutical rapamycin.
The second study, published in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, used neuroimaging techniques to explore in vivo the effects of rapamycin, the Ketogenic Diet, or simple caloric restriction on the cognitive function of both young and aging mice.
"Our earlier work already demonstrated the positive effect rapamycin and caloric restriction had on neurovascular function," Lin said. "We speculated that neuroimaging might allow us to see those changes in the living brain."
Even more tantalizing: her data suggested that caloric restriction functioned as a sort of "fountain of youth" for aging rodents, whose neurovascular and metabolic functions were better than those of young mice on an unrestricted diet.
Lin emphasizes that it's too early to know whether the regimens will confer the same benefit in humans, but since rapamycin and other mTOR inhibitors have already been approved by the FDA and are widely prescribed for other diseases, it's realistic to think that study in humans could follow relatively quickly.
Linda Van Eldik, PhD, Director of the UK Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, said that Lin's work justifies a transition to similar studies in humans, since all of the methods Lin used in animal models can be readily applied to humans.
"Ai-Ling's lab was the first to use neuroimaging to see these changes in a living brain, and the potential link to changes in the gut microbiome," she said. "Her work has tremendous implications for future clinical trials of neurological disorders in aging populations."
Lin and her lab are already doing just that; designing a clinical trial to understand the role of the gut microbiome in neurovascular dysfunction (a risk factor for AD) and in healthy aging.
"We will use neuroimaging to identify the association between gut microbiome balance and brain vascular function in individuals over 50 years of age, with an ultimate goal to design and test nutritional and pharmacological interventions that will prevent Alzheimer's disease," she said.
Lin's work is funded by a grant from the National Institutes of Health.Custom Keto Diet
The first, in Scientific Reports, demonstrated that neurovascular function improved in mice who followed a Ketogenic Diet regimen.
"Neurovascular integrity, including cerebral blood flow and blood-brain barrier function, plays a major role in cognitive ability," Lin said. "Recent science has suggested that neurovascular integrity might be regulated by the bacteria in the gut, so we set out to see whether the Ketogenic Diet enhanced brain vascular function and reduced neurodegeneration risk in young healthy mice."
Lin et al considered The Ketogenic Diet -- characterized by high levels of fat and low levels of carbohydrates -- a good candidate for the study, as it has previously shown positive effects for patients with other neurological disorders, including epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, and autism. Two groups of nine mice, aged 12-14 weeks, were given either the Ketogenic Diet (KD) or a regular diet. After 16 weeks, Lin et al saw that the KD mice had significant increases in cerebral blood flow, improved balance in the microbiome in the gut, lower blood glucose levels and body weight, and a beneficial increase in the process that clears amyloid-beta from the brain -- a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease.
"While diet modifications, the Ketogenic Diet in particular, has demonstrated effectiveness in treating certain diseases, we chose to test healthy young mice using diet as a potential preventative measure," Lin said. "We were delighted to see that we might indeed be able to use diet to mitigate risk for Alzheimer's disease."
According to Lin, the beneficial effects seen from the Ketogenic Diet are potentially due to the inhibition of a nutrient sensor called mTOR (mechanistic target of rapamycin), which has shown to effect lifespan extension and health promotion. In addition to the Ketogenic Diet, Lin said, mTOR can also be inhibited by simple caloric restriction or the pharmaceutical rapamycin.
The second study, published in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, used neuroimaging techniques to explore in vivo the effects of rapamycin, the Ketogenic Diet, or simple caloric restriction on the cognitive function of both young and aging mice.
"Our earlier work already demonstrated the positive effect rapamycin and caloric restriction had on neurovascular function," Lin said. "We speculated that neuroimaging might allow us to see those changes in the living brain."
Even more tantalizing: her data suggested that caloric restriction functioned as a sort of "fountain of youth" for aging rodents, whose neurovascular and metabolic functions were better than those of young mice on an unrestricted diet.
Lin emphasizes that it's too early to know whether the regimens will confer the same benefit in humans, but since rapamycin and other mTOR inhibitors have already been approved by the FDA and are widely prescribed for other diseases, it's realistic to think that study in humans could follow relatively quickly.
Linda Van Eldik, PhD, Director of the UK Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, said that Lin's work justifies a transition to similar studies in humans, since all of the methods Lin used in animal models can be readily applied to humans.
"Ai-Ling's lab was the first to use neuroimaging to see these changes in a living brain, and the potential link to changes in the gut microbiome," she said. "Her work has tremendous implications for future clinical trials of neurological disorders in aging populations."
Lin and her lab are already doing just that; designing a clinical trial to understand the role of the gut microbiome in neurovascular dysfunction (a risk factor for AD) and in healthy aging.
"We will use neuroimaging to identify the association between gut microbiome balance and brain vascular function in individuals over 50 years of age, with an ultimate goal to design and test nutritional and pharmacological interventions that will prevent Alzheimer's disease," she said.
Lin's work is funded by a grant from the National Institutes of Health.Custom Keto Diet
Story Source:
Materials provided by University of Kentucky. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Materials provided by University of Kentucky. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Journal Reference:
- Jennifer Lee, Lucille M. Yanckello, David Ma, Jared D. Hoffman, Ishita Parikh, Scott Thalman, Bjoern Bauer, Anika M. S. Hartz, Fahmeed Hyder, Ai-Ling Lin. Neuroimaging Biomarkers of mTOR Inhibition on Vascular and Metabolic Functions in Aging Brain and Alzheimer’s Disease. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 2018; 10 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2018.00225
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