Could eating more fat and fewer carbs help protect your brain as you age? New research from the University of Missouri suggests it just might.
A team of scientists is exploring how certain foods could play a key role in slowing down memory loss and brain decline, especially for people who may be at risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
The foods being studied are quite common: fish, seafood, meat, eggs, nuts, seeds, berries, and even high-fat dairy products. All these foods are part of what’s called the ketogenic diet—a way of eating that’s high in fat and very low in carbohydrates.
The research team believes this diet may help keep the brain working well and even protect it from damage over time.
One of the researchers, Professor Ai-Ling Lin, and her student Kira Ivanich, are especially interested in people who carry a gene called APOE4. This gene is known to increase the risk of developing Alzheimer’s later in life.
Not everyone has this gene, but those who do—especially women—may have more trouble turning sugar (glucose) into energy for the brain. And that energy is very important for memory and thinking clearly.
In a study using mice, Lin and Ivanich discovered that female mice with the APOE4 gene had healthier gut bacteria and better brain energy when they followed a ketogenic diet compared to those eating a high-carb diet. This difference didn’t show up in male mice, which suggests that women with this gene might benefit more from eating this way.
Normally, our brains use glucose as their main source of energy. But when people eat a low-carb, high-fat diet, the body produces ketones instead. These ketones can be used as an alternative fuel. According to Ivanich, this switch in fuel might help keep brain cells healthier, which could lower the chance of Alzheimer’s developing later in life.
The findings also support a growing idea in science: that nutrition should be personalized. Not every diet works the same for everyone. Things like genetics, age, sex, and even gut health can affect how the body responds to food. So instead of giving one-size-fits-all advice, researchers like Lin are working to understand which diets work best for which people.
Lin moved to the University of Missouri in part because of the advanced research tools available there. The university’s NextGen Precision Health building has high-tech equipment and both research and clinic spaces in one place. This setup helps researchers test ideas in the lab and then quickly move on to studying them in real people.
Ivanich’s passion for this work is also personal. Her grandmother had Alzheimer’s, and this sparked her interest in finding ways to protect brain health. She hopes their research can make a real difference for people in the future.
The study, titled “Ketogenic diet modulates gut microbiota-brain metabolite axis in a sex-and genotype-specific manner in APOE4 mice,” was published in the Journal of Neurochemistry.
In summary, this research shows that the ketogenic diet might help some people protect their brains, especially women with the APOE4 gene.
It supports the idea of tailoring diets to each person’s unique biology and encourages early steps to protect brain health long before memory problems start. While more research is needed, these early findings offer hope that something as simple as changing what’s on your plate could one day help fight Alzheimer’s.
If you care about nutrition, please read studies about 9 signs you have inflammation in your body. Could an anti-inflammatory diet help? and high-salt diet strongly changes your kidneys.
For more about diet, please read studies that fiber is your body’s natural guide to weight management and diet and nerve damage in diabetes: a novel insight.
The study is published in the Journal of Neurochemistry.
Copyright © 2025 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
