Patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) benefit from taking BrainXpert Energy Complex twice daily. A six-month study proved that the special ketonic drink is an effective alternative source of energy for the brain. For the first time, MCI can now be treated specifically.
15-20% of people over 65 suffer from a decline in cognitive function (MCI), which is considered a transitional stage between normal aging and dementia. The cognitive impairments may result from, among other things, less glucose being available to the brain as an energy source. Symptoms such as memory loss, forgetfulness, and a decrease in decision-making ability and judgment can result.
In the six-month BENEFIC (Brain ENErgy, Functional Imaging and Cognition) randomized controlled trial, the University of Sherbrooke, Canada, investigated the role of ketones in the association with MCI. The question was whether ketones could be used by the brain as an alternative energy source to glucose. For this purpose, a special ketonic drink containing a compound of ketogenic medium-chain triglycerides (kMCT) and milk protein was administered twice daily.
For this purpose, 82 individuals with MCI were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to an intervention group and a placebo group. The intervention group received the ketogenic drink in a serving of 30 g/day kMCT, which increased blood ketones (acetoacetate [AcAc] and beta-hydroxybutyrate [BHB]). The placebo drink provided an equivalent amount of energy that did not produce ketones. Both drinks were taken twice daily for six months. Cognitive function was measured at baseline and after six months of study. Episodic memory was evaluated using the French version of the Free and Cued Selective Reminding Test (FCSRT) and the Brief Visual Memory Test-Revised (BVMT-R). For executive functions, attention, and processing speed, the Trail-Making Test, the Stroop Color and Word Interference Test (Stroop), and the Verbal Fluency Test (VF) from the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System were used, respectively. The Boston Naming Test (TNT) was used to assess language ability.
Ketones can replace glucose
The study results confirmed that taking BrainXpert Energy Complex clinically showed a doubling of ketones consumed by the brain, significantly reducing the brain energy deficit caused by impaired glucose metabolism. Participants also showed a statistically significant reduction in MCI symptoms: they had improved memory, improved word recall, were able to think faster, and were better able to perform multiple tasks simultaneously compared to participants given the placebo drink.
However, this breakthrough in MCI therapy is said to be just the beginning, as study leader Prof. Stephen Cunnane shared, ” The finding of significant improvement in cognitive function in patients with MCI is an exciting development that greatly motivates us to stay on this research path. This is just the beginning, and the hope is that new innovations can be found that not only improve brain function, but also slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease and other age-related forms of cognitive decline. These results should significantly improve the quality of life for people with MCI.”
BrainXpert, a food for special medical purposes, is a ketonic drink for the treatment of patients with mild cognitive impairment and will be launched in Switzerland in the fall of 2021.
Source: “New Study: BrainXpert Energy Complex Shows Significant Improvement in Cognitive Function in Patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI),” 4. November 2020, Nestle HealthScience
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Nestle Health Science
Further reading:
- Fortier M, et al: A ketogenic drink improves brain energy and some measures of cognition in mild cognitive impairment Alzheimer’s & Dementia 2019;15: 625-634.
- Fortier M, et al: A ketogenic drink improves cognition in Mild Cognitive Impairment: results of a 6-month RCT. In press Alzheimer’s & Dementia 2020
InFo NEUROLOGY & PSYCHIATRY 2021; 19(1): 38.
