Ketogenic food plan reduces alcohol withdrawal signs in people and alcohol consumption in rodents

abstract

Individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD) show an increased brain metabolism of acetate at the expense of glucose. We hypothesized that shifting energy substrates during withdrawal may contribute to the severity of withdrawal and neurotoxicity in AUD, and that a ketogenic diet (KD) may mitigate these effects. We found that inpatients with AUD who were randomized to receive KD (n = 19) needed fewer benzodiazepines in the first week of detox than patients who were on the American Standard Diet (SA) (n = 14). During a 3-week treatment, KD showed less “willing” and increased reactivity of the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) to alcohol stimuli and changed dACC bioenergetics (ie increased ketones and glutamate as well as lower neuroinflammatory markers) compared to SA. In a rat model of alcohol dependence, a history of KD reduced alcohol consumption. We provide clinical and preclinical evidence of the beneficial effects of KD on alcohol withdrawal management and alcohol consumption reduction.

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