Welcome to the American Brain Council

There is currently an explosion of research going on in the field of brain health. We are learning more now than ever before, but many of the most practical insights are not making it to those in greatest need.

Patient advocacy and research associations are really good at asking for money, but while more money and research is always needed, they have not done a good job of sharing the most practical findings with their donors and the public. So that’s what we are doing.

The Good News

Unlike these associations the American Brain Council Foundation does not ask for large sums of money, yet we provide what you likely are looking for—practical research based answers—on what you can do NOW to avoid memory loss, Alzheimer’s and dementia.

An Exciting New Way to Energize Your Brain

One of the most significant discoveries in the field of brain health and medicine in the past decade has been the rediscovery of the value of intermittent fasting and a ketogenic diet in maintaining the health of the brain, and reducing the risk for or promoting recovery from cognitive or mental decline to include early stage Alzheimer’s.

We use the term “rediscovery,” since historical records show that before humans even knew what their brain was for, they knew the value of fasting and what we now call ketosis, in maintaining the health of their body and the clarity of their mind (or heart, which anciently was believed to be the source of thoughts).

More recent research has shown that not only do ketones and ketosis produce an alternative more efficient, even preferred fuel for our cells, they can actually facilitate the creation (biogenesis) of new mitochondria organelles (1), the actual generators of energy in our cells. AND they can increase the production of BDNF (Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor) (2), described by some researchers as “miracle grow” for the brain. BDNF helps both with the survival and the development of neurons. Additionally, these ketones play a role in the creation of synapses, for better communication between neurons.

So ketones are not just a preferred fuel for our tiny cellular engines; they actually appear to play a role in rebuilding more of these generators in our cells for a quantum and enduring leap in energy production. Moreover, these flexible little organelles can generate energy from a variety of sources – sugars, carbs, proteins, glycogen, cellular debris and a variety of fatty acids – as well as ketones.

Ketosis-evoked neuroprotective effects may even lead to delays in both aging and the development of related diseases “through improving mitochondrial function, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects,… modulation of neurotransmitter systems and RNA functions.” (3)

This is great news for anyone with an aging declining brain, which is typically starving for energy. And it’s especially good news for anyone who knows the value of ketosis but has had difficulty achieving that state. This energy deficit is now believed to be a major contributor to Alzheimer’s (perhaps even more than amyloid plaque, which pharmaceutical companies have spent billions trying to remove). It’s also a major contributor to other age-related disorders like diabetes, metabolic syndrome, hypertension, Crohn’s, Parkinson’s, ALS and MS, as well as anxiety and depression. (See Dr. Mattson’s excellent article on how supplementing with BHB (ketones) can help with these and more.  under Drug Free Mental Health Solutions) 

ABC Endorsement

For these and other reasons, the American Brain Council recently undertook an investigational study to determine the best products currently available for promoting ketosis. After reviewing the recommendations of some of the top experts in Brain Health (like Dale Bredesen, MD from UCLA, who recently reversed cognitive decline in 9 of 10 advanced Alzheimer’s patients, and a major advocate of ketosis(4)), reviewing comparison studies on more than a dozen of the best products in this category, and conducting our own in-house comparison trial with 20 seniors, ages 57 to 90, we have chosen to endorse Kenetik, as our “Preferred Product” in this category.

This designation was based on the following.

As noted Vita Nav Inc. developed a unique patented formulation called Kenetik, that our investigation found outperformed the competition in a number of key areas.

  1. It tastes better than their closest competition. And the sweeteners used are among the best from natural sources that, unlike most sweeteners, do not adversely affect the brain.
  2. Was more cost effective. Costs less for 10 g of the active ingredient (esters or salts). Gave better bang for the bucks. It boosted ketone levels more than twice as high as the powders or MCT oils tested.
  3. Was easier and more convenient to use. No diluting, mixing, measuring needed. It’s ready to use in its current bottle.
  4. Some of the other products required some time to get used to, i.e., one needs to take a lesser dose and gradually move to the therapeutic dose or unpleasant intestinal discomfort or diarrhea may ensue. None of our study participants reported such issues with Kenetik. Some formulas may contain unhealthy levels of salt, if taken at therapeutic doses over time, Kenetik does not.
  5. Their company advisors, like Dr. Mattson, are among the top experts and innovators nationally in this field, and they have developed a unique, extraordinarily effective product from natural renewable sources. Moreover, they are in the process of making this product even more cost effective, with various flavors.

These features are particularly important to our target population, consisting primarily of seniors and their adult children concerned about deteriorating mental as well as physical health and energy levels. But this is also important for those concerned about their pocket book in these inflationary times, as well as product taste.

Moreover, though not our focus, this can be an effective product for those desiring to lose body fat.  Again more effective than MCT oils, especially for reducing hunger to avoid the evening munchies that can wreak havoc on a ketogenic diet.

Therefore, for these and other reasons we have chosen to endorse this product as a significant contributor to brain health, in this exciting new field, and would encourage all readers to consider adding this to their daily regimen, to promote the benefits of achieving and maintaining a state of ketosis.  For a 10% or more discount go to:
https://drink-kenetik.kckb.st/brain-health  A portion of purchases with this link will provide funding for the American Brain Council’s new Brain Health Central Resource Library. We will also send you a free guide on How to Achieve Ketosis. Plain and simple.

And we would invite your feedback on your experience with this and related products in this field.  You can send your feedback to David@abcbrain.org  If the link above does not give you a discount please email us, and we will make sure you get your discount.

REFERENCES

  1. Paoli A, Bianco A, Damiani E, Bosco G. Ketogenic diet in neuromuscular and neurodegenerative diseases. Biomed Res Int. 2014;2014:474296. doi: 10.1155/2014/474296. Epub 2014 Jul 3. PMID: 25101284; PMCID: PMC4101992. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25101284/
  2. Sleiman SF, Henry J, Al-Haddad R, et al. Exercise promotes the expression of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) through the action of the ketone body β-hydroxybutyrate. Elife. 2016;5:e15092. Published 2016 Jun 2. doi:10.7554/eLife.15092 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4915811/
  3. Kovács Z, Brunner B, Ari C. Beneficial Effects of Exogenous Ketogenic Supplements on Aging Processes and Age-Related Neurodegenerative Diseases. Nutrients. 2021 Jun 26;13(7):2197. doi: 10.3390/nu13072197. PMID: 34206738; PMCID: PMC8308443. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34206738/
  4. https://www.apollohealthco.com/bredesen-protocol/