A ketogenic drink improves brain energy and some measures of cognition in mild cognitive impairment.
Level 2 - randomized trial
Individual randomized controlled trial
PubMed 31027873 · doi:10.1016/j.jalz.2018.12.017
What was done
Fifty-two participants with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) were blindly randomized to receive either 30 g/day of ketogenic medium-chain triglycerides (kMCT) or a matching placebo for 6 months. Brain ketone and glucose metabolism were quantified using positron emission tomography (PET) as the primary outcome, and cognitive performance was assessed across multiple domains as a secondary outcome at baseline and 6 months.
What was found
Brain ketone metabolism increased by 230% in the kMCT group (P < .001), while brain glucose uptake remained unchanged. Within the kMCT group, episodic memory, language, executive function, and processing speed improved relative to baseline, and increased ketone uptake positively correlated with several cognitive measures. Seventy-five percent of participants completed the intervention. Specific numerical cognitive scores and between-group statistical comparisons were not reported in the abstract.
Why it matters
This study provides evidence that oral ketogenic supplementation can bypass impaired brain glucose uptake by significantly boosting brain ketone availability, accompanied by gains in several cognitive domains in mild cognitive impairment.
Limits
The sample size was small (n = 52), and there was a 25% dropout rate over the 6-month trial. The abstract omits numerical values, effect sizes, and between-group significance testing versus placebo for the cognitive outcomes.
Cited by
- supports Recent research shows that ketones can cross into the brain and be metabolized more easily than glucose, leading to improvements in cognitive function.