Dr. Lilianne Mujica-Parodi, PhD
Epidemiological studies suggest that insulin resistance accelerates progression of age-based cognitive impairment, which neuroimaging has linked to brain glucose hypometabolism. As cellular inputs, ketones increase Gibbs free energy change for ATP by 27% compared to glucose. Here we test whether dietary changes are capable of modulating sustained functional communication between brain regions (network stability) by changing their predominant dietary fuel from glucose to ketones. PLUS Even if we stayed quarantined in place for a year, this virus will make its way through the population. And a vaccine won't change that. In fact, if the CV19 is anything like the seasonal flu vaccine, it's going to be less than 55% effective for a broad population. We only beat it if we start to come out of hiding.
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-------------Study Discussed On Today's Show---------------------
Diet modulates brain network stability, a biomarker for brain aging, in young adults https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7084077/
Show Notes:
[3:34] What preceded this study to drive the research?
- Parts of the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus behave as if they are damaged when stressed.
- Glucocorticoids disable neurons by driving insulin resistance.
[10;53] How did this benefit us evolutionarily?
[12:51] study design.
- 3 components:
- First component: establish what hypometabolism looks like from a substrate indiscriminate standpoint.
- 47 seemed to be the age in which neural networks start to degrade.
- Type 2 diabetes accelerates this process.
- 2nd component: Can this hypometabolism be manipulated?
- Fasting and keto diet stabilized the neuronal network.
- Ketones produce ~27% more energy than glucose in animal models.
- 3rd component: are the benefits seen the result of restricting glucose or of adding ketones?
- The brain preferentially uses ketones.
[26:43] Elevated haret rate from a keto diet?
- Probably due to increased cardiac output and epinephrine production.
[39:22] Does the low carb diet give its neuronal benefits via ketone production?
[41:15] Iron overload- what role does it play in neurological aging?
[46:48] The problem with testing blood for ketones.
[53:40] How long does the brain hav3 to be exposed to ketones in order to reap the benefits seen in this study?
- 1 week on keto diet.
- Within 30 minutes of using a BHB supplement.
- It was not a dose response relationship.
[56:33] Does ketosis imply that the brain is using ketones?
[1:04:55] Covid-19 virology 101.
