Monday, January 17, 2022 at 3:07 p.m. | ט”ו שבט תשפ”ב
A new international study led by Tel Aviv University has determined that a ketogenic diet can reduce the effects of brain damage after traumatic injury.
The study indicates that the diet improves spatial memory and visual memory, decreases levels of brain inflammation, causes less neuronal death and slows down the rate of cellular aging.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the leading causes of death and long-term disability in the developed world. It is estimated that every year more than 10 million people around the world suffer a head injury as a result of head injuries caused by a hard object, a blow, an explosion, traffic accidents, sports injuries, etc.
These traumas can cause physical, cognitive, behavioral and emotional damage and are also a risk factor for diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
At this point, despite the high frequency of brain injuries, there is no proven effective treatment that can help those with this injury.
Meirav Har-Even Kerzhner, a registered dietitian and brain researcher at TAU, explains that a ketogenic diet that involves changes in consumption of common foods is based on high-fat percentages and is intended to mimic a fasted state.
As part of the diet, the intake of foods containing carbohydrates (for example, bread, sugar, cereals, legumes, snacks, pastries and even fruit) is significantly restricted and, at the expense of this restriction, products rich in carbohydrates. fats like meat. , fish, eggs, avocado, butter, etc. – are eaten.
This is a diet that can be continued for long periods of time. The diet causes an increase in the production of ketone bodies in the liver that are used to generate energy. These ketone bodies are transferred through the bloodstream to the brain providing optimal nutrition.
The diet has been used as a treatment in Israel and around the world for almost 100 years among children with epilepsy, while in recent years the ketogenic diet has become popular among those who want to lose weight.
It is important to note that due to significant nutritional restrictions, consultation with a physician or registered dietitian is necessary.
In the study, conducted on model animals, the researchers identified that the ketogenic diet greatly improves the patient’s brain function. To do this, the researchers used advanced methods that included, among others, cognitive-behavioral tests, biochemical tests, and immunohistochemical cell staining (a technique in biology for the detection and placement of proteins in a cross-section of tissue). The mechanism by which a ketogenic diet manages to benefit the results of brain damage has not yet been fully revealed, but studies show that it has an antioxidant and metabolic effect on the mitochondria (essential organelles in the cell, whose main function is energy). . production and respiration), reduces the production of free radicals and increases ATP (an important molecule in cellular biochemical channels).
Professor Chaim (Chagi) Pick from TAU, who led the study, said: “The findings were unequivocal, showing that the ketogenic diet improves spatial memory and visual memory, reduces rates of inflammation in the brain, and furthermore also slows the rate of cellular aging. These results may open the door to further research that will inspire hope for those with TBI and their families.”
