Brain acuity -vs- Keto diet

[Klingon]

What do you guys use to "keep the brain working" while on keto diet??? When I cut the carbs, I have a hard time to stay concentrated at work... I look like a dumb blondie! lol

I know some people who were doing ok with ginkgo biloba... Any suggestion???

 

[Scythian_Blade]

I find that if I have enough fat and kcals, mental accuity increases rather than decreases on keto. I am actually taking college finals now on keto and my level of concentration has increased. Do you have this problem after having been on keto for several weeks?

You will get a brain fog and lack of mental acuity on any diet if you run out of energy substrate for the brain. Maybe your kcals are too low?

There may not be much you can do to avoid the initial brain fog other than to be really strict on the carbs and eat plenty of fat to facilitate the metabolic shift. For me it lasts a few of days, then dissipates.

Also, I think ginko bilioba takes quite a while to show noticible results, or am I totally off?

 

[macrophage69alpha]

there is not much you can do directly.. the effect is related to low levels of glucose.. the human brain does not run efficiently on ketones.

Scyth blade.. would guess that your neurological improvement is due to the fact that you likely suffered from hyperglycemia

most people that like keto have insulin sensitivity issues

 

[HANSEL]

My brain functions like crap on Ketones. Ill never try a KETO diet during school again.

 

[Klingon]

I guess I'm gonna try the ginkgo... 'Cause I never had this mental acuity increase, unfortunately!!! It is a fact that the human brain does need glycogen to function properly...

I heard after 7-10 days with ginkgo, you can expect to feel more alert...

 

[Scythian_Blade]

there is not much you can do directly.. the effect is related to low levels of glucose.. the human brain does not run efficiently on ketones.

Scyth blade.. would guess that your neurological improvement is due to the fact that you likely suffered from hyperglycemia

most people that like keto have insulin sensitivity issues

In my case, I think you hit the nail on the head. I have serious insulin sensitivity issue (some genetic and some due to poor nutrition for the last 10 years or so I am sure)

Macro, do you think an increase in mental acuity might be the result of enhanced activity of norepinephrine and epinephrine on low carb diets? I know lipolysis is stimulated by the release of these two substances. They have an effect on gluconeogenesis too I believe. On the one side, you have the fact that the brain does not tend to run as efficiently on ketones (as you mentioned) than on straight glucose. I am thinking this norepinephrine response is kind of a combative force that might mask the negative glucose deprived effects.

I have seen one post one another board that attempted to explain the sleep deprivation some people experience on keto using this logic. It was also noted that a fasted state tends to increase catecholemine response on the short term and this might explain an increase in alertness.

Anecdotally, I have noticed over the years that I do better staying awake driving if I have no food at all in my system. Until now I never understood why.

-Blade