A high-fat, low-carb diet may help protect brain health and slow memory loss, especially for people at higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease, according to researchers at the University of Missouri School of Medicine.
The team studied the ketogenic diet, which emphasizes healthy fats such as avocados, nuts, fish, and olive oil, along with moderate protein and very low carbohydrate intake. By limiting carbs, the body produces ketones, an alternative energy source that can fuel the brain when glucose use is impaired.
Doctoral student Kira Ivanich is the lead author of the paper under the supervision of Ai-Ling Lin, a professor of radiology and biological sciences at Mizzou. Ivanich said she became interested in Alzheimer’s research after witnessing her grandmother’s decline, and she wanted to explore early lifestyle interventions that could prevent the disease.
“We found that 16 weeks on a ketogenic diet altered the gut microbiome and improved brain energy in the studied mice,” Ivanich said. “Reducing glucose in the body encourages it to produce an alternative fuel to meet the brain’s energy demands.”
The diet was tested on mice carrying the APOE4 gene, the strongest known genetic risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Female mice on the diet showed a rapid recovery of brain energy, suggesting it could help prevent early-onset Alzheimer’s.
For male mice, the diet had less impact on brain energy but produced significant improvements in gut health, which scientists say may also influence cognitive function.
“Men may not need to worry too much during middle age, but it’s still important to maintain a healthy, balanced diet with fewer carbs, more protein, and good fats, while taking care of their microbiome and brain energy,” Lin said.
Researchers note there is a decades-long window between early brain energy deficits and the appearance of Alzheimer’s symptoms, making early lifestyle interventions potentially powerful preventive tools.
The team hopes to begin human clinical trials as early as next year, focusing on participants who carry the APOE4 gene to see if the benefits observed in mice translate to people.
The research was published in September in the Journal of Neurochemistry.