Ketosis Elevates Antioxidants and Enhances Neural Function Through Improved Bioenergetics: A 1H MR Spectroscopy Study

Motivation: Ketosis offers benefits to brain health across a range of diseases and disorders. Goal(s): Ketosis alters levels of neuroactive amino acids and enhances neural function. Its influence on other metabolites, and how ketosis improves neural function, remain unclear. Approach: In a within-subjects design (N=63), we measured the neurochemical effects of acute ketosis on the human brain using 7T 1H MRS and the impact on neural function using rsfMRI. Results: Ketones, but not glucose, elevated antioxidants and energy markers while altering E/I neurotransmitter ratios. Higher fasting Glc levels were associated with increased neuroinflammation markers. Increased bioenergetics correlated with greater improvements in neural function. Impact: The combination of metabolic and functional neuroimaging data in our study provides a comprehensive view of how ketosis affects brain chemistry and functional network dynamics, offering insights for developing novel treatment strategies for a variety of psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders.