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Pilot feasibility and safety study examining the effect of medium chain triglyceride supplementation in subjects with
Candida J Rebello1, Jeffrey N Keller2, Ann G Liu2
1Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University System, 6400 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge, United States ; School of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, United States.
Background:
Impaired brain glucose metabolism appears to be a potential pathogenic feature of mild cognitive impairment (MCI). This study examined the potential for increasing circulating ketone bodies through medium chain triglyceride (MCT) supplementation, as a means to beneficially modulate brain homeostasis in subjects with MCI.
Methods:
Six participants with MCI were enrolled in a randomized placebo-controlled trial. Participants received 56 g/day of either medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) or placebo for 24 weeks. Serum β-hydroxybutyrate concentrations, apolipoprotein-E4 status, and cognitive assessments were carried out. Due to the small number of participants only the raw scores were examined.
Results:
Intake of MCT oil increased serum ketone bodies and improved memory, while intake of placebo did not show improvement in any of the cognitive measures tested.
Conclusions:
Consumption of 56 g/day of MCTs for 24 weeks increases serum ketone concentrations and appears to be a candidate for larger randomized control trials in the future that quantify the modulation of cognitive function through supplementation with ketone precursors, in patients with MCI.
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