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- People who are obese may have a higher risk of cognitive problems, such as difficulty making decisions or remembering.
- A small study involving oral ketone supplementation for 14 days suggests improved cerebral blood flow and function in obese people.
- Scientists will need to conduct larger studies with a more diverse population to understand the underlying mechanism and confirm whether this approach could have real-world application.
Obesity is a
Obesity
People who are obese or intolerant to glucose
Synaptic plasticity refers to how synapses change over time in response to experience. It plays a vital role in learning and memory.
BDNF is concentrated in areas of the brain that control body weight, diet, and drink.
Treatments that can alleviate glucose intolerance and lower high blood glucose levels can play a vital role in improving brain health in obese people.
The ketone body,
Results from animal studies suggest that β OHB may also have signaling functions that could influence health problems such as type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease.
This led researchers at the University of British Columbia in Okanagan in Canada to study the effects of ketone supplementation on brain function in obese people.
Dr Jeremy Walsh, Ph.D., lead author of the study and assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology at McMaster University Ontario, Canada, spoke with Medical News Today. He explained:
“Experimental trials that infuse ketone bodies, such as [β OHB], showed […] rapid increases in cerebral blood flow and alterations in cerebral metabolism. [These results suggest] that ketones may have therapeutic benefits for people who are at high risk for problems with cognitive function.
“The recent development of supplements containing OHB safe for human consumption has prompted our group to study the potential therapeutic effects of ketone supplementation on certain aspects of brain health in obese people,” he added.
The study recruited 15 participants, aged 30 to 69, between March 2019 and January 2020 with at least one of the following:
- increased waist circumference – over 102 centimeters (cm) (40 inches) [in]) for men and over 88 cm (35 in) for women
- obesity – BMI greater than 30 kg / m2
- a diagnosis of prediabetes
Scientists randomly assigned participants to take either an oral ketone supplement or a similar-tasting placebo supplement before breakfast, lunch, and dinner for 14 days.
Participants then received no treatment for the next 14 days and switched to the opposite treatment for the next 14 days.
The researchers provided participants with all prepackaged meals and snacks during the two 14-day treatment periods. The study measured cognitive function on a tablet using three validated tests:
The researchers also measured BDNF levels and blood flow in the brain. Only 14 participants completed the study – 10 women and four men.
The results of the study appear in
Ketone supplementation improved the number of correct items processed in 90 seconds in the number symbol substitution task, compared to placebo. However, there was no significant difference between groups in the Stroop test or the task change test.
Additionally, there was a significant increase in cerebral blood flow but no difference in BDNF levels in the group receiving ketones compared to placebo.
Dr Walsh commented: “It was interesting and exciting to see that improvements in cognitive function were positively associated with increased cerebral blood flow. This provides insight into cerebral blood flow as a potential mechanism for improving cognitive function with ketone supplementation.
Study strength includes participant diet control and a randomized, placebo-controlled crossover design, allowing direct comparison of responses to both ketone and placebo in the same study participant.
MNT also spoke with Dr. Rose Lin, an endocrinologist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, Calif., who was not involved in the study.
Dr Lin pointed out some major limitations: “It was a fairly short study. […], and the size of the population […] was only 14 individuals. The article was based on secondary results […] and so […] potentially not fueled to really see a real difference in the study compared to the placebo arms. “
The data for this study comes from an earlier study. In the original study, researchers measured glucose levels after a meal; that was the main result. However, the present study focused on secondary outcomes. In other words, the authors analyzed other data collected by the original researchers.
Dr Lin also spoke of the need for more research, “I don’t know how [the study results] Translate […] in [the] everyday real world. Further studies should [include] a larger and more diverse population [with a] longer treatment and observation period.
Dr Walsh agreed: “We need to do follow-up studies with a larger sample. [to] confirm our results and take a closer look at the potential mechanisms by which ketone supplementation improves cognitive function in obese people. Our study provides an important basis for future follow-up work to confirm these findings and explore this relationship. “
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