Ketogenic diets and protective mechanisms in epilepsy, metabolic disorders, cancer, neuronal loss, and muscle and nerve degeneration

Abstract

Ketogenic diet (KD), the “High‐fat, low‐carbohydrate, adequate‐protein” diet strategy, replacing glucose with ketone bodies, is effective against several diseases, from intractable epileptic seizures, metabolic disorders, tumors, autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease, and neurodegeneration to skeletal muscle atrophy and peripheral neuropathy. Key mechanisms include augmented mitochondrial efficiency, reduced oxidative stress, and regulated phospho‐AMP‐activated protein kinase, gamma‐aminobutyric acid‐glutamate, Na+/K+ pump, leptin and adiponectin levels, ghrelin levels, lipogenesis, ketogenesis, lipolysis, and gluconeogenesis. In cancer cells, KD targets glucose metabolism, suppresses insulin‐like growth factor‐1 and PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathways, and reduces cancer cachexia and muscle waste and fatigue. An associated increased skeletal proliferator‐activated receptor‐γ coactivator‐1α activity alters systemic ketone body homeostasis, contributing toward attenuated diabetic hyperketonemia. Antioxidative and anti‐inflammatory properties enable KD enhance endurance and sports performances while preventing exercise‐induced muscle and organ debility. KD reduces metabolic syndromes‐associated allodynia and promotes peripheral axonal and sensory regeneration. This review enlightens effects of KD on various disease conditions. Practical applications It is increasingly being realized that diet plays a very important role in our fight against several diseases. This can range from neurological disorders to diabetes and cancer. In this context, the potential of KD, the “High‐fat, low‐carbohydrate, adequate‐protein” diet strategy, is increasingly being realized. In this article, we provide a comprehensive analysis of the benefits of KD against many diseases and discuss the underlying biochemical mechanisms. We hope that our write‐up will stimulate further research on KD and help generate an interest for the populations to adopt this healthy diet. It can help overcome the problems associated with weight and dysregulated metabolism.

Ketogenic Diet-mediated Steroid Metabolism Reprogramming Improves the Immune Microenvironment and Myelin Growth of Spinal Cord Injury Rats Through Gene Analysis and Co-expression Network Analysis

“…The ketogenic diet has been widely used in the treatment of a variety of neurological and metabolicrelated diseases, especially epilepsy [22][23]. In recent years, some studies, including previous studies performed by our team, have shown that the ketogenic diet has a protective effect after spinal cord injury by increasing the spontaneous movement and ne manipulation of SCI animal models [17,[24][25].…”

The Perfect Storm: Coronavirus (Covid-19) Pandemic Meets Overfat Pandemic

“…been successfully applied in conditions that include epilepsy, metabolic disorders, cancer, neuronal loss, and muscle and nerve degeneration (46,47). The diets have also been successful in reducing excess body fat (48) and chronic inflammation (49).…”

Nutritional aspects of neurological diseases

“…Ketogena dijeta je niskougljenohidratna ishrana, sa visokom unosom masti i adekvatnom unosom proteina (1 g/kg TM). U nedostatku ugljenih hidrata (UH) organizam je primoran da koristi masti kao izvor energije koje prvo pretvara u ketone, koji će kod ove vrste dijete biti prisutni u povećanim količinama u krvi i urinu (49). Ključni mehanizam delovanja KD na mozak, neuronsku funkciju i oslobađanje neurotransmitera uključuje povecánu efikasnost mitohondrija, regulaciju AMP-aktivirane protein kinaze, Na+/K+ pumpe, leptina, glutaminske kiseline, lipogenezu, ketogenezu, lipolizu i glukoneogenezu.…”

“…KD ima potencijalno antioksidativno i protivupalno dejstvo preko smanjenja oksidativnog stresa i dovodi do stabilizacije nivoa glukoze. Zatim, podstiče perifernu aksonsku i senzornu regeneraciju, ketonska tela i masne kiseline imaju potencijalni antiepileptični efekat (49,50).…”