Ketogenic Diet Interventions in Parkinson's Disease: Safeguarding the Gut Microbiome

NCT05469997 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: H21-03747
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 52
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Parkinson's Disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder with common gut-related symptoms, which are attributed to alterations in the gut microbiome - the collection of microorganisms that live within the gut. Classical ketogenic diets (KD) have shown to be beneficial in PD and non-PD populations but are associated with alterations in the gut microbiome that are characteristic of a perturbed system. This study aims to investigate the safety of modified Mediterranean-ketogenic interventions that are thought to be safer alternatives to the classical KD, as it relates to the gut microbiome health in patients with PD. We hypothesize that the modified Mediterranean-ketogenic interventions will not be associated with any significant perturbation of the gut microbiome in PD patients.

Conditions

Parkinson Disease

Keywords

Parkinson's Disease; Gut Microbiome; Ketogenic Diet; Mediterranean Diet; Medium-Chain Triglyceride; Life-style Interventions

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Change from baseline and difference across interventions in measures of fecal and serum calprotectin, a biomarker for gut inflammation.

  We will assess changes from baseline in levels of fecal and serum calprotectin, a biomarker for gut inflammation that is found at elevated levels in PD patients, before and after each 8-week intervention. We will also compare the two interventions to determine their relative safety.

  Preintervention 1 (Baseline 1)/ Post-intervention 1 (Week 8)/ Pre-intervention 2 (baseline 2; Week 16)/ Post-intervention 2 (Week 24)

• Changes from baseline and differences across interventions in other measures of gut health, namely short-chain fatty acid production, gut-barrier integrity, and microbial composition.

  We will assess changes from baseline in the following biomarkers of gut health before and after each 8-week intervention: Short-chain fatty acid (SCFA)/ butyrate production measured in freshly frozen fecal samples Gut microbiome compositions measure in fecal samples. Levels of zonulin, a biomarker for gut-barrier function, measured in fecal and blood serum samples. We will track any potential adverse events.

  Preintervention 1 (Baseline 1)/ Post-intervention 1 (Week 8)/ Pre-intervention 2 (baseline 2; Week 16)/ Post-intervention 2 (Week 24)

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• The number of participants who completed the study after successful enrollment relative to the total enrolled participants.

  Post-intervention 1 (Week 8)/Post-intervention 2 (Week 24)

• Percent time spent in clinically relevant levels of ketosis ( equivalent to >0.5 mmol/L) by each participant throughout each intervention.

  Post-intervention 1 (Week 8)/Post-intervention 2 (Week 24)

Other Outcomes (11)

• Changes from baseline in motor and non-motor Parkinson's Disease symptoms after each intervention

  Preintervention 1 (Baseline 1)/ Post-intervention 1 (Week 8)/ Pre-intervention 2 (baseline 2; Week 16)/ Post-intervention 2 (Week 24)

• Tracking changes from baseline in severity of Fatigue Symptoms after each intervention

  Preintervention 1 (Baseline 1)/ Post-intervention 1 (Week 8)/ Pre-intervention 2 (baseline 2; Week 16)/ Post-intervention 2 (Week 24)

• Changes from baseline in apathy symptoms after each intervention

  Preintervention 1 (Baseline 1)/ Post-intervention 1 (Week 8)/ Pre-intervention 2 (baseline 2; Week 16)/ Post-intervention 2 (Week 24)

Study Arms (2)

MeDi(KD-MCT)

EXPERIMENTAL

The participants in this arm will first undergo the MeDi-KD intervention followed by the MeDi-MCT intervention, after an 8-week washout period.

Behavioral: Mediterranean-Ketogenic Diet; Dietary Supplement: Mediterranean diet supplemented with medium-chain triglyceride oil

MeDi(MCT-KD)

EXPERIMENTAL

The participants in this arm will first undergo the MeDi-MCT intervention followed by the MeDi-KD intervention, after an 8-week washout period.

Behavioral: Mediterranean-Ketogenic Diet; Dietary Supplement: Mediterranean diet supplemented with medium-chain triglyceride oil

Interventions

Mediterranean-Ketogenic Diet BEHAVIORAL

In the MeDi-KD group, the participants will adhere to a modified Mediterranean-ketogenic diet. The ketogenic component of the diet will require limiting the intake of carbohydrates to about 10% of all calories consumed in a day, while obtaining most of the energy from healthy fats, mostly from plant-based sources (\~70-75% of your daily caloric intake) and lean proteins (\~15-20% of your daily caloric intake). The ketogenic ratio (the ratio of fat to carbohydrates) will be gradually increased during the first week from 1:1 to 3:1. The Mediterranean component of the diet will encourage the participants to consume more green leafy vegetables, nuts, and olive oil, while limiting the consumption of processed or fried food, red meat, full-fat dairy, and sweets.

Also known as: MeDi-KD

MeDi(KD-MCT); MeDi(MCT-KD)

Mediterranean diet supplemented with medium-chain triglyceride oil DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

The participants will adhere to the Mediterranean diet. In addition, they will be asked to take two daily doses of medium-chain triglyceride oil (MCT oil). The MCT oil supplement (Nutiva MCT oil, Nutiva Inc.) is approved by Health Canada (NPN: 80086912) and will be used according to its approved condition of use (i.e., source of medium-chain fatty acids which supports energy production in the body at a cellular level \[ATP\]). Each serving of this product provides 130 Calories from MCTs (14 g) with a C8-C10 ratio of 60:40. Nutiva MCT oil can be mixed into any beverage of choice, but cannot be used for cooking. participants will start the intervention by taking 5 mL of MCT oil twice daily for the first day to acclimate their bodies to the supplement and gradually increase the dose to 14 g BID by the end of week 1. The participants may be asked to increase the dose to 20 mL of MCT twice daily if tolerability remains positive.

Also known as: MeDi-MCT

MeDi(KD-MCT); MeDi(MCT-KD)

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 45 Years - 85 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Age between 40-85 years
• PD diagnosis based on Movement Disorder Society (MDS) criteria \[52\]
• Hoehn \& Yahr score of 1 to 3
• On stable dopaminergic medication for at least one month

You may not qualify if:

• Atypical parkinsonism
• Medical or psychiatric conditions that would prevent full participation in the nutrition intervention
• Significant dysphagia
• Diabetes on insulin
• Anti-coagulation on warfarin
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Dementia defined by Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) Scores of less than 21
• Inability to fill in electronic questionnaires or understand study instructions
• Use of immunomodulatory agents
• Probiotic use in the last 4 weeks (except for dietary sources such as yoghurt, kefir etc.), or antibiotic use in the last 3 months prior to the trial
• Use of MCT oil or on ketogenic diet in last 8 weeks prior to the trial
• Allergic to MCT oil, coconut oil, or coconut

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of British Columbia: lead
• Weston Family Foundation: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Djawad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health

Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z3, Canada

Location

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MeSH Terms

Conditions

Parkinson Disease

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Parkinsonian Disorders; Basal Ganglia Diseases; Brain Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Movement Disorders; Synucleinopathies; Neurodegenerative Diseases

Study Officials

• Silke Appel-Cresswell, MD

  University of British Columbia

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: SUPPORTIVE CARE
• Intervention Model: CROSSOVER
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Associate Professor (Tenure)

Model Details: This safety study consists of two 8-week interventions (MeDi-MCT and MeDi-KD) in randomized order using a cross-over design, separated by an 8-week washout period. Participants will be randomized into either the MeDi-MCT or the MeDi-KD group for the first phase of the study. After 8-weeks of intervention, they will undergo an 8-week washout period where no interventions will be applied. Subsequently, the participants will commence the second phase of the study by receiving the other study intervention for 8 weeks.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: June 15, 2022
• First Posted: July 22, 2022
• Study Start: March 1, 2023
• Primary Completion: October 30, 2024
• Study Completion: October 30, 2024
• Last Updated: March 23, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-03

Locations

CA (1)