Pilot feasibility and safety study examining the effect of medium chain triglyceride supplementation in subjects with mild cognitive impairment: A randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND Impaired brain glucose metabolism appears to be a potential pathogenic feature of mild cognitive impairment (MCI). This study examined the potential for increasing circulating ketone bodies through medium chain triglyceride (MCT) supplementation, as a means to beneficially modulate brain homeostasis in subjects with MCI. METHODS Six participants with MCI were enrolled in a randomized placebo-controlled trial. Participants received 56 g/day of either medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) or placebo for 24 weeks. Serum β-hydroxybutyrate concentrations, apolipoprotein-E4 status, and cognitive assessments were carried out. Due to the small number of participants only the raw scores were examined. RESULTS Intake of MCT oil increased serum ketone bodies and improved memory, while intake of placebo did not show improvement in any of the cognitive measures tested. CONCLUSIONS Consumption of 56 g/day of MCTs for 24 weeks increases serum ketone concentrations and appears to be a candidate for larger randomized control trials in the future that quantify the modulation of cognitive function through supplementation with ketone precursors, in patients with MCI.