A randomized, double-blind, clinical pilot trial of adjunct ketone supplement compared to placebo for treating posttraumatic stress disorder

In this randomized, double-blind pilot trial, 21 participants with posttraumatic stress disorder were assigned to placebo or ketone salt supplementation of 7 g per dose of beta-hydroxybutyrate, 14 g per day in total. PTSD symptoms were assessed with the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5). The groups did not differ significantly at pretest (P = 1.0000) or post-test (P = .6020). The ketone group's median PCL-5 score fell from 58.5 to 54.0 (P = .0003) while the control group stayed at 34 (P = .4418), but the between-group change was not statistically significant, and the authors note the small sample size limited the study.