Ketogenic diet enhances neurovascular function with altered gut microbiome in young healthy mice.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Controlled animal experiment in mice
PubMed 29703936 · doi:10.1038/s41598-018-25190-5
What was done
Young healthy mice (12–14 weeks old) received a ketogenic diet (KD) intervention for 16 weeks. Investigators assessed neurovascular parameters (cerebral blood flow and blood-brain barrier P-glycoprotein transport), brain protein expression (mTOR and eNOS), gut microbiome composition, blood glucose, body weight, and blood ketone levels.
What was found
The abstract does not report exact numerical values. KD-fed mice exhibited significant increases in cerebral blood flow (CBF) and blood-brain barrier P-glycoprotein transport. These enhancements were accompanied by decreased mTOR and increased eNOS protein expression. KD also shifted the gut microbiome by increasing the relative abundance of *Akkermansia muciniphila* and *Lactobacillus* and reducing *Desulfovibrio* and *Turicibacter*. KD reduced body weight and blood glucose while increasing blood ketone levels.
Why it matters
This study provides preclinical evidence linking a ketogenic diet to enhanced neurovascular integrity and favorable gut microbiome remodeling in young healthy animals, suggesting potential pathways for early neuroprotection.
Limits
The study was conducted exclusively in a rodent model, so relevance to human physiology remains unproven. The abstract does not provide exact sample sizes, numerical effect sizes, or confidence intervals, and cognitive or functional behavioral outcomes were not measured.
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