tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
J Transl Med
. 2020 Nov 20;18(1):441.
doi: 10.1186/s12967-020-02600-9.
The dark side of the spoon - glucose, ketones and COVID-19: a possible role for ketogenic diet?
Antonio Paoli[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Stefania Gorini[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Massimiliano Caprio[SUP] 3 4 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is posing a serious challenge to the health-care systems worldwide, with an enormous impact on health conditions and loss of lives. Notably, obesity and its related comorbidities are strictly related with worse clinical outcomes of COVID-19 disease. Recently, there is a growing interest in the clinical use of ketogenic diets (KDs), particularly in the context of severe obesity with related metabolic complications. KDs have been proven effective for a rapid reduction of fat mass, preserving lean mass and providing an adequate nutritional status. In particular, the physiological increase in plasma levels of ketone bodies exerts important anti-inflammatory and immunomodulating effects, which may reveal as precious tools to prevent infection and potential adverse outcomes of COVID-19 disease. We discuss here the importance of KDs for a rapid reduction of several critical risk factors for COVID-19, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and hypertension, based on the known effects of ketone bodies on inflammation, immunity, metabolic profile and cardiovascular function. We do believe that a rapid reduction of all modifiable risk factors, especially obesity with its metabolic complications, should be a pillar of public health policies and interventions, in view of future waves of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Keywords: Diabetes; Hyperglycaemia; Inflammation; Metabolic rehabilitation; Obesity; Sars-CoV-2; VLCKD.
. 2020 Nov 20;18(1):441.
doi: 10.1186/s12967-020-02600-9.
The dark side of the spoon - glucose, ketones and COVID-19: a possible role for ketogenic diet?
Antonio Paoli[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Stefania Gorini[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Massimiliano Caprio[SUP] 3 4 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 33218357
- DOI: 10.1186/s12967-020-02600-9
Abstract
The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is posing a serious challenge to the health-care systems worldwide, with an enormous impact on health conditions and loss of lives. Notably, obesity and its related comorbidities are strictly related with worse clinical outcomes of COVID-19 disease. Recently, there is a growing interest in the clinical use of ketogenic diets (KDs), particularly in the context of severe obesity with related metabolic complications. KDs have been proven effective for a rapid reduction of fat mass, preserving lean mass and providing an adequate nutritional status. In particular, the physiological increase in plasma levels of ketone bodies exerts important anti-inflammatory and immunomodulating effects, which may reveal as precious tools to prevent infection and potential adverse outcomes of COVID-19 disease. We discuss here the importance of KDs for a rapid reduction of several critical risk factors for COVID-19, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and hypertension, based on the known effects of ketone bodies on inflammation, immunity, metabolic profile and cardiovascular function. We do believe that a rapid reduction of all modifiable risk factors, especially obesity with its metabolic complications, should be a pillar of public health policies and interventions, in view of future waves of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Keywords: Diabetes; Hyperglycaemia; Inflammation; Metabolic rehabilitation; Obesity; Sars-CoV-2; VLCKD.