Keto diet reduces risk of cognitive decline related to metabolic syndrome

Metabolic syndrome is a major global health concern, which is characterized by excess body weight and high blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure. Its prevalence is increasing.  The condition predisposes individuals to a long list of health issues, including cognitive impairment.  

Researchers at the NeuroNetwork for Emerging Therapies believe that managing metabolic syndrome through improved lifestyle habits or interventions may improve or even prevent cognitive impairment.  One intervention that has garnered interest is the ketogenic diet, which is high in “good” fats and low in carbohydrates.  

A study, published in Experimental Neurology, asked whether a long-term ketogenic diet could prevent metabolic syndrome and cognitive decline.  It also compared the ketogenic diet to two other interventions, a low-fat diet and exercise, in terms of improving cognitive function when metabolic syndrome was already established.

NeuroNetwork investigators found that a long-term ketogenic diet effectively managed metabolism and prevented cognitive decline in mice.  In terms of the interventions, it was found that a ketogenic diet and a low-fat diet were both better at improving metabolic syndrome and cognitive function than exercise alone.

“These findings are very exciting, and can help us improve our approach to patient care,” said Eva L. Feldman, M.D., Ph.D.  “Our data suggest that adjusting diet could be a strategy to prevent or reduce cognitive problems associated with metabolic syndrome, which is truly a worldwide pandemic.”  

This research was supported by the National Institutes of Health, the American Heart Association, the Andrea and Lawrence A. Wolfe Brain Health Initiative, the Kenneth and Frances Eisenberg Emerging Scholar Fund, the Nathan and Rose Milstein Research Fund, the Robert E. Nederlander Sr. Program for Alzheimer’s Research, the Robert and Katherine Jacobs Environmental Health Initiative, the Frank L. and Helen Gofrank Foundation Research Program in AD and Brain Health, the Kiriluk Family Fund for Brain Health Research, the Kirsch Family Foundation, the Richard and Jane Manoogian Foundation, and the Sinai Medical Staff Foundation.

Paper cited: Jaisil P, Eid SA, Guo K, Savelieff MG, Jang DG, Kim B, Pacut C, Hayes JM, Rigan DM, Carter A, Teener SJ, McQuown H, Webber-Davis IF, Hur J, Meyer JD, Feldman EL. Dietary and exercise interventions improve cognition and alter hippocampal transcriptomics in a mouse model of the metabolic syndrome. Exp Neurol. 2025 Sep 28;395:115483. doi: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2025.115483. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 41027539.