A ketogenic diet may reduce disability and improve quality of life, fatigue, and depression in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), new research suggests.
High-fat, low-carbohydrate ketogenic diets mimic a fasting state and promote a more efficient use of energy — and have previously been shown to affect immune regulation. The diet helps lower blood sugar in individuals with type 2 diabetes and has been used for years to improve seizure control in patients with epilepsy, researchers note.
Dr J. Nicholas Brenton
However, "there is a paucity of literature on the ketogenic diet in MS currently," principal investigator J. Nicholas Brenton, MD, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, told Medscape Medical News.
"The current study demonstrates the safety, tolerability, and potential clinical benefits of a ketogenic diet over 6 months in patients with relapsing MS," Brenton said.
The findings will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) 2022 Annual Meeting in April.
Palatable, Beneficial
The open-label, uncontrolled study included 65 patients with relapsing MS who followed a ketogenic diet for 6 months. Investigators monitored adherence by daily urine ketone testing.
Patient-reported fatigue, depression, and quality-of-life scores were obtained at baseline, in addition to fasting adipokines and pertinent MS-related clinical outcome metrics. Baseline study metrics were repeated at 3 and/or 6 months while on the ketogenic diet.
