Bathing the Brain in Ketones - A Metabolic Advantage

Physionic

Mar 12, 2026

Episode description

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0:00 - Introduction
1:17 - Ketones: A Mechanistic View
3:10 - Disagreement among Clinical Studies
5:12 - Weaknesses and The Minimum Threshold Effect
7:25 - Ketones, Ketogenic Diets, and Side Effects?

Ketones, NAD+, and Alzheimer's Disease: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPUmoeHrm4o

References
*Funding/Conflicts are provides in the free article (found in email list or Physionic Community Article Library)

[Study 598] Henderson ST, Vogel JL, Barr LJ, Garvin F, Jones JJ, Costantini LC. Study of the ketogenic agent AC-1202 in mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2009;6:31. doi:10.1186/1743-7075-6-31.

[Study 599] Fortier M, Castellano C-A, St-Pierre V, Myette-Côté É, Langlois F, Roy M, Morin M-C, Bocti C, Fulop T, Godin J-P, Delannoy C, Cuenoud B, Cunnane SC. A ketogenic drink improves cognition in mild cognitive impairment: Results of a 6-month RCT. Alzheimer’s Dement. 2021;17:543-552. doi:10.1002/alz.12206

[Study 648] Henderson ST, Morimoto BH, Cummings JL, Farlow MR, Walker J. A Placebo-Controlled, Parallel-Group, Randomized Clinical Trial of AC-1204 in Mild-to-Moderate Alzheimer's Disease. J Alzheimers Dis. 2020;75(2):547-557. doi:10.3233/JAD-191302

[Study 649] Krikorian R, Shidler MD, Dangelo K, Couch SC, Benoit SC, Clegg DJ. Dietary ketosis enhances memory in mild cognitive impairment. Neurobiol Aging. (2012) 33:425. 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2010.10.006

[Study 650] Neth BJ, Mintz A, Whitlow C, et al. Modified ketogenic diet is associated with improved cerebrospinal fluid biomarker profile, cerebral perfusion, and cerebral ketone body uptake in older adults at risk for Alzheimer's disease: a pilot study. Neurobiol Aging. 2020;86:54-63. doi:10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2019.09.015

[Study 651] Roy M, Fortier M, Rheault F, et al. A ketogenic supplement improves white matter energy supply and processing speed in mild cognitive impairment. Alzheimers Dement (N Y). 2021;7(1):e12217. Published 2021 Nov 17. doi:10.1002/trc2.12217

[Study 652] Roy M, Edde M, Fortier M, et al. A ketogenic intervention improves dorsal attention network functional and structural connectivity in mild cognitive impairment. Neurobiol Aging. 2022;115:77-87. doi:10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2022.04.005

[Study 653] Taylor MK, Sullivan DK, Mahnken JD, Burns JM, Swerdlow RH. Feasibility and efficacy data from a ketogenic diet intervention in Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimers Dement (N Y). 2017;4:28-36. Published 2017 Dec 6. doi:10.1016/j.trci.2017.11.002

[Study 654] Ota M, Matsuo J, Ishida I, et al. Effects of a medium-chain triglyceride-based ketogenic formula on cognitive function in patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease. Neurosci Lett. 2019;690:232-236. doi:10.1016/j.neulet.2018.10.048

[Study 655] Xu Q, Zhang Y, Zhang X, et al. Medium-chain triglycerides improved cognition and lipid metabolomics in mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease patients with APOE4-/-: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled crossover trial. Clin Nutr. 2020;39(7):2092-2105. doi:10.1016/j.clnu.2019.10.017

[Study 656] Phillips MCL, Deprez LM, Mortimer GMN, et al. Randomized crossover trial of a modified ketogenic diet in Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimers Res Ther. 2021;13(1):51. Published 2021 Feb 23. doi:10.1186/s13195-021-00783-x

[Study 657] Juby AG, Blackburn TE, Mager DR. Use of medium chain triglyceride (MCT) oil in subjects with Alzheimer's disease: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study, with an open-label extension. Alzheimers Dement (N Y). 2022;8(1):e12259. Published 2022 Mar 14. doi:10.1002/trc2.12259

[Study 658] Abe S, Ezaki O, Suzuki M. Medium-chain triglycerides (8:0 and 10:0) increase mini-mental state examination (MMSE) score in frail elderly adults in a randomized controlled trial. J Nutr. (2020) 150:2383–90. 10.1093/jn/nxaa186

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Mindsip insights from this episode:

Reevaluate MCT oil's effectiveness for cognitive health based on new study

A large, 26-week study on MCT oil for cognitive health found no benefit, contradicting the results of smaller, previous trials.

Prioritize ketones for optimal brain energy

Even when glucose is stable, the brain will preferentially use ketones for energy if they are present in high enough concentrations.

Achieve minimum blood ketone threshold for study success

The failure of a large study may be because participants didn't reach a minimum blood ketone threshold of around 0.5 millimoles, which is double what was achieved.

Question assumptions about ketones as main driver of benefits

While interventions that raise ketones show benefits, it's an assumption that ketones are the main driver, as the mechanism hasn't been definitively proven.

Choose ketogenic diet over MCT oil for raising blood ketones

Both a ketogenic diet and supplementing with MCT oil are effective ways to raise blood ketones, making supplementation potentially unnecessary.

Evaluate side effects of raising ketones

Raising ketones can have side effects, such as gastrointestinal issues from MCT oil or increased cardiovascular risk factors from certain ketogenic diets.

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