The pros and cons of ketogenic diets alternate turns in the lime-light of scientific headlines. One study purports the wonders of ketogenesis (fat burning metabolism) while the next smears it as faddish and harmful. At Sanctuary we always answer “yes” and “no” when asked about paleo and keto diets for the simple reason that such a diet is not a perfect fit for everyone. Depending on the patient’s personalized needs and genetic tendencies, sometimes the higher fat diet fits and sometimes it doesn’t.
In this study, MIT biologists discovered that diets which produce more ketone bodies appear to assist in maintaining intestinal stem cells. Ketone bodies are produced by the breakdown of fat and are an alternative energy source for cells besides carbs. Stem Cells are the very early cells in various tissues of our bodies which serve as reservoirs to replace aging and dying cells. They allow us to continually replace worn out cells and continue living. Without adequate stem cells, tissues and organs would wear out and dysfunction. We would suffer earlier disease or death.
In the mouse study, MIT researchers found that mice on a higher fat diet had intestinal stem cells which recovered faster from damage. The same group had shown in previous research that fasting could also stimulate such an effect. During the study, they appear to have pinpointed how this effect occurs. The stem cells contain more enzymes to process fats and to process ketone bodies. When more fat is present in the diet, the higher amounts of ketones then stimulate another metabolic pathway called Notch. This Notch pathway was already known to regulate stem cell function.
Beyond the positive effect of a high fat diet, they found that a high sugar diet caused an opposite effect. Stem cell function declined in those mice.
The researchers indicate their next steps include: Looking for similar effects in other tissue stem cells outside the intestine, considering applications in chemotherapy patients with damaged intestinal lining, and studying whether the same process could stimulate cancer cell growth.
As a functional medicine doctor, I will consider how a fasting diet or a ketogenic diet might benefit some of my patients. It won’t be the silver bullet to cure all problems as many seem to claim, but the right tool in the right patient situation is my goal. After considering the patients fat metabolism genetics and other conditions which might or might not benefit from higher fat consumption, I will encourage or discourage my patients in regards to keto diets or fasting diets. Just another tool in helping them restore a healthier more abundant life.
Original Source
MIT website
http://web.mit.edu/search/?q=Certain+metabolites+linked+to+stem+cell+function+in+the+intestine
Thanks to Science Daily
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “Certain metabolites linked to stem cell function in the intestine: Molecules called ketone bodies may improve stem cells’ ability to regenerate new intestinal tissue.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 22 August 2019. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/08/190822113401.htm>.
Sanctuary Functional Medicine, under the direction of Dr Eric Potter, IFMCP MD, provides functional medicine services to Nashville, Middle Tennessee and beyond. We frequently treat patients from Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Ohio, Indiana, and more... offering the hope of healthier more abundant lives to those with chronic illness.
