Ketogenic Diet Improves Forelimb Motor Function After Spinal Cord Injury In Rodents

Researchers at the University of British Columbia studied whether a ketogenic diet could help with recovery after spinal cord injuries. They used rats with neck-level spinal cord injuries and fed half of them a standard diet while the other half received a ketogenic diet (with a 3:1 ratio of fats to carbohydrates and protein) starting just 4 hours after injury.

The results were striking: rats on the ketogenic diet showed significantly better recovery of front paw function over 14 weeks. They had improved range of motion, better ability to grasp and retrieve food pellets, and more coordinated wrist and finger movements. When researchers examined the spinal cord tissue, they found that ketogenic diet-treated animals had smaller injury sites and more preserved nerve tissue. Importantly, when the rats were switched back to a regular diet after 12 weeks, the improvements in function remained stable.

The researchers discovered that the benefits depended on special transport proteins called monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs) that help ketones enter nerve cells. When they blocked these transporters, the protective effects disappeared, confirming that ketones themselves were responsible for the nerve protection. The ketogenic diet also increased blood vessel formation around the injury site, which may have helped with healing.

This research adds to growing evidence that ketogenic diets may have neuroprotective benefits beyond their well-established use in treating certain types of epilepsy. While this study was conducted in animals, it suggests that metabolic interventions like ketogenic diets could potentially support nerve health and recovery, warranting further investigation in human clinical trials.