Longevity & AgingBHB Supplement Shields Brain from Damage Caused by Saturated Fat Diets
Researchers found that beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), the primary ketone body produced during fasting or ketogenic diets, can counteract the brain-damaging effects of a saturated fat-rich diet. In cultured neurons, palmitic acid reduced surface AMPA receptors critical for learning, while BHB restored them. In hippocampal slices, BHB reversed palmitate-induced deficits in neuronal excitability and long-term potentiation. In live mice fed a high-saturated-fat diet for seven weeks, daily intragastric BHB supplementation (100 mg/kg/day) prevented recognition and spatial memory impairments. These findings suggest BHB supplementation may offer a practical strategy to protect cognitive function in people consuming unhealthy diets.
