Brain inflammation is a significant contributor to a wide range of neurological disorders, including epilepsy, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, depression, and suicide. One crucial lifestyle change that can help fight such inflammation is changing your diet. The ketogenic diet is one such example that has been shown to keep your brain healthy and inflammation-free.
Keto Cuts Brain Inflammation
Many celebrities have been known to endorse the ketogenic diet for its anti-aging, weight loss, and health-giving qualities. Studies have also demonstrated that the ketogenic diet cools the disease-causing inflammation in the brain.
A recent study conducted at the University of California in San Francisco found that the ketogenic diet switches off inflammatory genes, thereby having an anti-inflammatory effect on the body and brain. Previous studies have revealed that the keto diet reduces inflammation in rats. This time around, researchers uncovered the exact mechanism that makes the ketogenic diet anti-inflammatory.
The ketogenic diet involves significantly reducing carbohydrates in favor of fats. By doing this, your body is placed into a metabolic state called ketosis, which sees your body fueling itself on ketones (derived from fat) rather than glucose (derived from carbs).
The study revealed that by stopping your body from relying on glucose for energy, the ketogenic diet activates a protein that suppresses inflammatory genes. Researchers attempted to replicate the diet’s effects using a compound that eventually could be turned into a drug. This would allow people to experience the benefits of the ketogenic diet without having to follow it.
Should You Go Keto?
The ketogenic diet might not be suitable for everyone due to its restrictive nature. The diet consists of around 75% fat, 20% protein, and 5% carbs, which is a drastic contrast to the typical recommended healthy diet consisting of 45-65% carbs, 20-35% fat, and 10-35% protein. While some may enjoy the benefits the keto diet can bring and find it easier to maintain, it might not be suitable for the majority.
However, there are different variations to explore. The cyclical keto diet, for example, involves adhering to the ketogenic diet for five days and then consuming high-carb meals for two days. More moderate high-fat, low-carb diets include the Atkins diet, a low-carb Mediterranean diet, or the paleo diet.
While you might not achieve the full benefits of ketosis by pursuing alternative diets, it’s essential to consider cutting carbs and consuming plenty of healthy fats for your body and brain’s overall health.
