Eating More Ketones May Fight Against Alzheimer's Disease

A study in the Journal of Neuroscience suggests a diet supplemented by ketones may help combat Alzheimer's disease, reports Medical Xpress . In the disease's early stages, the brain becomes overexcited, potentially through the depletion of inhibitory interneurons. Interneurons need more energy than other neurons, and they may be more vulnerable to dying in the presence of the protein amyloid beta, which damages mitochondria by interfering with the SIRT3 protein. The researchers genetically reduced SIRT3 levels in mouse models of Alzheimer's, and mice with this reduction had a much higher mortality rate, more violent seizures, and increased interneuron death versus mice from the standard Alzheimer's model and control mice. However, mice with lowered SIRT3 experienced fewer seizures and were less likely to die when they ate a ketone-rich diet, which also raised their levels of SIRT3. The implication is that elevating SIRT3 levels with ketone supplements could shield interneurons and delay Alzheimer's progression.