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A ketogenic diet regulates microglial activation to treat drug addiction.

Frontiers in pharmacology
May 5, 2025
Jie Ji et al. (2 authors)
Journal ArticleReviewMolecular Study
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers aimed to explore the potential of a ketogenic diet (KD) as a treatment for drug addiction by examining its effects on microglia-mediated inflammation and glucose metabolism disorders.

Results Summary

The study found that a KD may alleviate glucose metabolism disorders caused by alcohol use disorders, reduce withdrawal symptoms, and promote an anti-inflammatory state in microglia, suggesting its potential as a treatment for drug addiction.

Population

Individuals with drug addiction, particularly those with alcohol use disorders.

Effective Dosage

Not specified

Duration

Not specified

Interactions

None mentioned

Extracted Claims (8)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
ketogenic diet (KD)
increase
a variety of neurological disorders
-
-
was shown to have therapeutic benefits
#1
ketogenic diet (KD)
decrease
glucose metabolism disorders caused by alcohol use disorders
-
-
can alleviate
#2
ketogenic diet (KD)
increase
ketone metabolism
-
-
increasing
#3
ketogenic diet (KD)
decrease
withdrawal symptoms
-
-
reducing
#4
ketogenic diet (KD)
increase
microglia to a predominantly anti-inflammatory state
-
-
may promote the transition
#5
ketogenic diet (KD)
decrease
microglia-mediated inflammation
-
-
plays a variety of roles in controlling
#6
ketogenic diet (KD)
decrease
drug addiction
-
-
enormous potential to treat
#7
ketogenic diet (KD)
decrease
microglial activation
-
-
inhibition of
#8
Abstract

Drug addiction is a chronic and potentially deadly disease that is considered a global health problem and describes the alteration of brain function by psychostimulant drugs through changes in the reward system. However, there is still no ideal strategy for the management of drug addiction. Previous studies have suggested that microglia are involved in events associated with neuroplasticity and memory, which are also related to drug addiction. Many studies have shown that psychoactive substances may act directly on immune cells, altering their function and inducing the production of various inflammatory mediators. In recent years, a ketogenic diet (KD) was shown to have therapeutic benefits as a dietary therapy for a variety of neurological disorders. With respect to drug addiction, studies have shown that a KD can alleviate glucose metabolism disorders caused by alcohol use disorders by increasing ketone metabolism, thereby reducing withdrawal symptoms. This finding indicates the potential of a KD as a treatment for drug addiction, since a KD may promote the transition of microglia to a predominantly anti-inflammatory state through several mechanisms. Here, we discuss recent research showing that a KD plays a variety of roles in controlling microglia-mediated inflammation, opening new treatment avenues to treat drug addiction. This succinct analysis offers evidence of the enormous potential of a KD to treat drug addiction through the inhibition of microglial activation.

Study Links
Quality Scores
SafetyNot Assessed
Efficacy75/10
Quality65/10
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.05
Weight Score1.38
Normalized Score0.63
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