In fact, keto enables your brain to use available energy better while altering its DNA to make brain cells better energy producers. Together, these changes optimize energy, focus, clarity, and youthful brain traits.

Are you ready for a more youthful and energized brain? Here’s why and how to start.

Ketogenic Diet 101 and An Energized Brain

As you may already know, the ketogenic diet mimics starvation. While this may sound like a bad thing, it’s actually great. When in “starvation mode,” due to a lack of carbohydrates, the body transitions into a metabolic state called ketosis.

Typically, we humans are fueled by glucose. Glucose comes from any digested carbohydrate, or from gluconeogenesis (the making of glucose from other substrates) in the body. Once we digest carbs, they are broken down and transported to cells to be used for energy. If we overeat them, they are stored as glycogen in the liver or muscle tissue. If we overeat more, they promote fat storage.

When humans vastly reduce carbohydrate intake, such as in the ketogenic diet, an amazing thing happens. The body moves to its back-up plan. The liver begins making ketones, derived from fats in the diet or body. These ketones, specifically β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), acetoacetate, and acetone, flow from the liver to the bloodstream and are taken up by organs around the body. Including the brain.

Meanwhile, the body keeps blood sugars normalized via gluconeogenesis, creating just enough blood glucose from amino acids and fatty acids.

How does the brain fit in?

The brain is especially hungry and stingy for energy. Its primary energy source in a normal state is glucose. In fact, it cannot use fats directly, but it can use ketones. The brain accounts for about 20% of your total energy expenditure. This is a huge amount for a small, seemingly sedentary organ. But, it has a lot of work to do.

What are Mitochondria?

Your Brain on Keto

Other studies have found improved gene expression to encode mitochondrial enzymes and energy metabolism in the hippocampus when exposed to ketones. The hippocampus is a part of the brain important for learning and memory. Unfortunately, its cells often degenerate in age-related brain conditions, With increased energy reserve from ketones, neurons may be able to continue to function in a healthy manner rather than exhaust or die (4).

Lastly, a ketogenic diet may also inhibit a major source of brain oxidative stress, or neuronal stress, as well. In a study of brain injury, ketone treatment enhanced mitochondrial function, reduced oxidative stress, and supported overall neurological function (5).

What Does it Mean to Have an Energized Brain?

For many who start a ketogenic diet, an energized brain means consistent clarity and focus. It means not dealing with the energy ups and downs associated with a high-carb diet.

Behind the scenes, it means healthy, increased mitochondria numbers and production. There’s really no downside to helping your mitochondria, the energy producers of each cell and your whole body, perform well.

How to Start a Ketogenic Diet

We have great news! You can start a ketogenic diet today and experience an energized brain. Start with our Easy Keto Zone 5-Step Start Guide. Join our Keto Challenge. And, to give your body a ketone jump-start, consider adding a well-formulated exogenous ketone source, such as Instant Ketones, to your diet.

Bottom Line

A ketogenic diet can give you a revitalized and energized brain. It starts with tiny ketone chemicals and their impact on tiny organelles inside tiny cells. But, the collective impact is powerful.

The post Energize & Reverse Aging in Your Brain With This Diet Change appeared first on Keto Zone® | Dr. Don Colbert, MD.

Whether you or a loved one is facing cognitive issues, or you’re just looking to keep your brain healthy and prevent them, this is great news!

Here’s what the study entails and the conclusions drawn on Keto Zone and cognitive decline.

Preliminary Study: Keto Zone Diet May Improve Cognition in Early Alzheimer’s

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland published this study in 2019 (1).

The study included 14 participants who completed the trial; 9 participants followed a modified Atkins keto diet, and 5 followed the dietary guidelines recommended by the National Institute on Aging (non-keto).

While both diets had “fair” compliance rates, the researchers were able to gather data on memory scores based on these diets.

The Results: Does The Keto Zone Diet Improve Cognition?

Within the participants who generated trace amounts of ketones on the keto diet, cognitive abilities improved significantly.

In fact, researchers found a large and statistically significant increase in participant’s Memory Composite Score between the baseline and week-6 assessment.

The keto participants also reported improved energy levels.

Keto Zone vs. Medications

This study is so promising, because current medication protocols have produced dismal results for those with early and late Alzheimer’s.

In fact, of the 413 clinical trials of new medications for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) conducted between 2002 and 2012, almost all of them have failed. Astonishingly, 99.6% of the drugs tested yielded no significant benefit.

It has almost seemed hopeless.

However, more and more, experts are leaning towards lifestyle changes over medications, targeting the route of the problem from sugars, inflammation, and diet.

How the Keto Zone Diet Affects the Brain

Ketone bodies are used as a fat-based source of energy for the brain and body, instead using glucose and carbohydrates as energy.

When you start a Keto Zone Diet, your brain will begin to burn ketones instead of carbs as fuel. In addition, the use of MCT oil powder and exogenous ketones can expedite ketone production.

Astonishingly, the usage of ketones as brain fuel has shown successful for decades to help children with epilepsy vastly reduce seizures (without medications) (2).

Now, experts believe ketones can help others disorders and diseases, as well. There’s evidence from uncontrolled clinical trials and animal studies that ketones can provide disease-modifying activity in the brain of those with Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.

Additionally, ketones may also protect against brain damage from traumatic brain injury and stroke (3).

For those not affected by cognitive decline, many people in ketosis report greater brain clarity, focus, and function than before.

Keto Zone Diet: Low Sugar Means Less Harm to the Brain & Body

Did you know a high sugar diet can actually hurt the brain? Although without ketones, glucose is the primary brain fuel; too much sugar is detrimental to the brain and can cause:

• Sugar Addiction
• Depression
• Memory Decline (4)
• Mood Swings
• Anxiety
• Insulin Resistance and Type 2 Diabetes (those with Type 2 Diabetes are now twice as likely to get dementia, than those without) (5)

The Keto Zone Diet: Beyond Ketones

Unlike many keto diets, the Keto Zone Diet goes beyond the status quo of low-carbs and high-fats. It promotes whole-foods, anti-inflammatory fats, vegetables, healthy proteins, and an overall anti-inflammatory lifestyle.

The Keto Zone Diet also includes recommendations for adequate sleep, intermittent fasting, faith and prayer, reduced anxiety and stress, and supplement to improve health.

All of these encompass a “healthy brain,” and healthy body lifestyle.

Preliminary Study Challenges

While the results of Johns Hopkins’ study are incredibly promising, the study still faced challenges and detractors. First, there were only 14 participants, and second, the two diets weren’t followed as closely as researchers would have liked.

Still, researchers were able to measure ketones in the urine. And then, linked results to the ketosis. The results of the study are still promising and warrants further investigation.

Bottom Line

With an increasing number of  dementia cases, cognitive decline, and Alzheimer’s, we desperately need a cure. Diet may be the answer. Studies, such as the John Hopkins preliminary one, point to lifestyle, diet, and ketosis, rather than medication, as the answer. The Keto Zone Diet may improve cognition and may be the answer we need.

The post New Study: Keto Zone Diet May Improve Cognition in Early Alzheimer’s appeared first on Keto Zone® | Dr. Don Colbert, MD.