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Ketogenic Diet Shows Benefit for Patients With Multiple Sclerosis
Adherence to a 6-month ketogenic diet reduced fatigue and depression scores by almost half in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to results from a phase 2 study published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry.
“Dietary changes impact human physiology and immune function, and have potential as therapeutic strategies,” explained lead study author J. Nicholas Brenton, MD, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, and coauthors.
The trial included 65 patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis, 83% of whom kept to the assigned ketogenic diet intervention for the full trial period.
Related: Dairy Products May Aggravate MS Symptoms in Patients With Casein Intolerance
According to the study, participants following the diet showed a nearly 50% decline in self-reported fatigue and depression scores as well as significant reductions in fat mass at 6 months compared with baseline. Further, MS quality-of-life composite scores for physical health (67 vs 79) and mental health (71 vs 82) increased over the course of the study. The trial also showed significant gains in Expanded Disability Status Scale scores (2.3 vs 1.9), 6-minute walk (1631 vs 1733 feet), and the Nine-Hole Peg Test (21.5 vs 20.3 seconds) by its end.
Finally, the ketogenic diet intervention lowered pro-inflammatory serum leptin (25.5 vs 14.0 ng/mL) and increased anti-inflammatory adiponectin (11.4 vs 13.5 µg/mL), results showed.
“Ketogenic diets are safe and tolerable over a 6-month study period and yield improvements in body composition, fatigue, depression, quality of life, and neurologic disability in persons living with relapsing [MS],” the researchers concluded. “Ketogenic diets induce a reduction in pro-inflammatory adipokines and an elevation in anti-inflammatory adipokines.”
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