Filmed at the Emerging Science of Carbohydrate Restriction and Nutritional Ketosis, Scientific Sessions at The Ohio State University.

An impressive body of scientific evidence over the last 15 years documents long term benefits of carbohydrate-restricted, especially ketogenic, diets. We now understand molecular mechanisms and why they work. Popular books and articles now challenge the advice ‘carbohydrates are good and fats are bad.’ Circa mid-19th century urinary ketones were identified in diabetics sealing their toxic label for the next 150 years. Despite work four decades ago showing ketones were highly functional metabolites, they are still misidentified as toxic byproducts of fat metabolism. The vilification of fat by regulatory and popular dogma perpetuates this myth. But the nutrition-metabolic landscape is improving dramatically.

A growing number of researchers have contributed to what is now a critical mass of science that provides compelling clinical evidence that ketogenic diets uniquely benefit weight loss, pre-diabetes, and type-2 diabetes. In the last five years, basic scientists have discovered that b-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), the primary circulating ketone, is a potent signaling molecule that decreases inflammation and oxidative stress. BHB has been suggested to be a longevity metabolite, with strong support from recently published mouse studies showing decreased midlife mortality and extended longevity and healthspan. Although type-2 diabetes is often described as a chronic progressive disease, emerging evidence indicates that sustained nutritional ketosis can reverses the disease. There is growing interest in studying potential therapeutic effects of ketosis on cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. There are even reasons certain athletes may benefit from nutritional ketosis and ketone supplements ─ debunking the long-standing dogma that high carbohydrate intake is required to perform optimally.

Neuroscientist, Professor, and Research Scientist, Dr. Dom D’Agostino, explains the science behind the Ketogenic Diet and how to effectively apply this nutritional strategy to improve your lifestyle.

Nutritional ketosis has been robustly shown to improve brain health, systemic metabolic health, and to be a useful tool to resolve a number of specific conditions, such as epilepsy and Type 2 diabetes. Dr. Dominic D’Agostino will review the metabolic impact of ketosis — whether achieved through a ketogenic diet or nutritional supplements — and outline its neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, and regulatory effects. He will summarize both proven and emerging therapeutic uses for the ketogenic diet and will also provide an understanding of the potential applications of ketogenic therapies for resolving specific maladies and for general health improvement and disease prevention.

Metabolic therapies that induce a state of mild ketosis from caloric restriction or the ketogenic diet offer neuroprotection against a wide range of pathologies, and continues to be an emerging strategy for the metabolic management of cancer. Severe dietary restriction of calories or carbohydrates is typically needed to produce a level of ketosis that achieves therapeutic benefits. Interestingly, the strategy to use exogenous ketones as an alternative fuel has not been exploited therapeutically. When administered orally in controlled dosages, ketone esters and other ketogenic agents can lower glucose and elevate plasma ketone levels comparable to levels achieved by the most rigorous ketogenic diets. Metabolic therapies in the form of ketone supplementation offer a safe, convenient, and versatile new treatment approach for a variety of diseases, including seizure disorders, neurodegenerative diseases and cancer.

Dominic D’Agostino is an Assistant Professor at the University of South Florida’s Morsani College of Medicine. Dr. D’Agostino teaches in the Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology with an emphasis on such topics as Biochemistry, Neuropharmacology and Nutrition. His research is focused on developing and testing nutritional strategies for promoting healthy weight loss and enhancing cognitive and physical performance. In addition, his research aims to develop and test specific metabolic therapies and supplements for neurological diseases and cancer. Dr. D’Agostino’s research is supported by the Office of Naval Research (ONR), Department of Defense (DoD) and private foundations.

You can't look at the world of ketone research without seeing the impact of Dr. D'Agostino. Dom is the leading authority of how ketogenic diets and exogenous ketones impact brain health and function.

In this brief interview, we learn about Dom's research interests, and the important details of of how ketones protect the brain and where their clinical potential may lie.

Although our interview was cut short, Dom packs in a wealth of information about how we can use ketones to maintain brain health.

Elevated levels of ketone bodies, such as beta-hydroxybutyrate, can have beneficial effects on several brain-related diseases. Research suggests that ketone bodies can increase blood flow in the brain by 30 to 40 percent, which may have profound effects for patients with brain injury or vascular dementia. By studying ischemic wounds, which are analogous to an aged brain or clogged arteries, researchers observed increased blood flow when ketone levels were elevated. Nutritional ketosis may also reduce neural inflammation which may be a predictor of seizure in epilepsy. In this clip, Dr. Dominic D'Agostino describes the positive effects that ketones can have on the brain.

Nutritional interventions in conjunction with the standard of care may augment the treatment for some cancers. Researchers have observed synergism between the ketogenic diet and hyperbaric oxygen against tumor cells. Moreover, Dr. D'Agostino suggests that ketosis stimulates the immune system, increasing its ability to detect cancer cells. However, he cautions that some cancer cells can use ketones as fuel, and this domain needs more research. In addition, a ketogenic diet may be designed to incorporate anti-carcinogenic phytonutrients and fiber. In this clip, Dr. Dominic D'Agostino discusses the implications of adding a ketogenic diet to cancer treatment protocols.