Researchers in Italy have found that a ketogenic diet can shield young rats from the long-term mental and behavioral impacts of prenatal stress. The high-fat, low-carbohydrate regimen, administered after weaning, improved sociability and reduced stress-related issues in the offspring of stressed mothers. These findings, presented at the ECNP conference in Amsterdam, suggest potential early dietary interventions, though human trials are needed.
An extensive body of research indicates that maternal stress during pregnancy can lead to ongoing psychological and developmental conditions in offspring. In a recent study, Italian researchers explored whether a ketogenic diet could mitigate these effects. Pregnant rats were subjected to stress in the final week before birth. Their offspring were weaned at 21 days and then assigned either a standard control diet or a ketogenic diet, high in fat and low in carbohydrates.
At 42 days of age, the young rats were tested for stress-induced deficits, including poor sociability and anhedonia, or lack of interest in surroundings. Those on the ketogenic diet showed notable improvements: longer grooming times and greater sociability compared to the control group. Among rats born to stressed mothers on a normal diet, 50% developed stress-related problems later in life. In contrast, only 22% of male offspring and 12% of female offspring on the ketogenic diet exhibited these issues.
The diet appears to induce biological changes, such as enhancing mitochondrial efficiency and altering hormone balance. Lead researcher Dr. Alessia Marchesin of the University of Milan explained: "We discovered that feeding young rats a ketogenic diet -- a high-fat, very low-carbohydrate regimen -- right after weaning almost completely protected them from the lasting effects of stress they'd experienced before birth. The diet seems to have acted like a shield for their developing brains, so preventing social and motivational problems from ever taking root."
She highlighted sex-specific benefits: males via reduced inflammation, females through boosted antioxidant defenses. Dr. Marchesin noted caveats, including slower growth in the ketogenic group, possibly linked to lower calorie intake, and the need to understand sex differences better before human applications.
Commenting independently, Dr. Aniko Korosi, Associate Professor at the University of Amsterdam, said: "This work nicely contributes further to the nascent field of Nutritional Psychiatry. The role of nutrition in modulating mental health is gaining attention... It will be intriguing to further explore what are the biological processes involved in these beneficial effects and if such effects are sex specific."