The keto diet has a beneficial effect on the brain, stops its aging and improves memory, said Christian Gonzalez-Billo, a professor at the University of Chile and the Buck Institute in California to Newsweek.
Gonzalez-Billo clarified that the effectiveness of the keto diet has only been proven in mice. However, according to him, the experiment opens the way to the development of new approaches to improve brain function in old age.
The ketogenic diet changes the energy source for cells by replacing carbohydrates with fat. Such changes cause a metabolic change in which the cells maintain their functions on a new energy substrate - fat
Spetz added that this metabolic change is called ketosis. It can be achieved if the racin is 75 percent fat. The biologist suggests that in a state of ketosis changes occur at the molecular level that improve the connections between the cells in the brain responsible for memory.
The expert warned that most people cannot stick to the keto diet because it requires severe restrictions in food choices. There is also a risk of developing an eating disorder, the biologist noted. In addition, long-term consumption disrupts the balance of fatty acids and cholesterol, which increases the risk of developing liver and heart diseases.
There are strategies to get around some of these problems by providing ketone bodies instead of following a high fat diet. This deserves further study to assess whether it could be a strategy to improve human well-being in the long term.