Can ketones compensate for deteriorating brain glucose uptake during aging? Implications for the risk and treatment of Alzheimer's disease

This review examines whether ketones can offset the decline in brain glucose uptake in Alzheimer's disease. It states that three studies in mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease showed brain ketone uptake is not different from healthy age-matched controls, unlike glucose uptake. It reports that published clinical trials show moderate nutritional ketosis has a modest beneficial effect on cognitive outcomes in mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment. Nutritional ketosis can be achieved by a ketogenic diet, by 20 to 70 g/day of medium-chain triglycerides, or by ketone esters.