# Optimizing ketogenic diet strategies to increase health span and longevity

> **NIH NIH P01** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT DAVIS · 2020 · $360,937

## Abstract

Project Summary – Project 4
We demonstrated for the first time that life span is increased and several functional parameters, including
memory and motor function, are significantly improved in late life in mice fed a ketogenic diet (KD) in isocaloric
amounts to a CTL diet. These increases in longevity and healthspan occurred in mice that were started on the
KD diet in middle age and did not differ in weight compared to the control mice. The proposed studies will build
on this work and take a critical step toward determining the duration and periodicity of ketosis required to
increase healthspan. The studies will also determine if less restrictive dietary strategies than continuous
feeding of a KD provide a route to improve physiological function in late life. We propose to test the influence
on aging of intermittent KDs (iKD) and dietary ketone supplements.These dietary approaches are intended to
mimic the periodic ketosis that occurs with calorie restriction and intermittent fasting. We hypothesize that diet
strategies (iKD or KS) which induce intermittent, brief periods of ketosis will increase health span and longevity
without requiring weight loss in wild-type mice and a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. We propose three
specific aims to test the hypothesis: 1) To determine if iKD feeding strategies that induce brief periods of
ketosis (KD fed three days spread throughout the week or three consecutive days during the week) increase
health span and longevity in mice; 2) To determine if dietary supplements that increase blood ketone levels
(caprylic and capric acids or a ketone ester) will increase health span and longevity in mice; and 3) To
determine if intermittent feeding of a KD alters disease progression in the PSAPP mouse model of Alzheimer's
disease. These studies will take a necessary step toward determining if intermittent consumption of a KD or
dietary supplements that increase blood ketone levels offer a viable approach to increase functional life span.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9955165
- **Project number:** 5P01AG062817-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT DAVIS
- **Principal Investigator:** JON J. RAMSEY
- **Activity code:** P01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $360,937
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** — → —

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9955165

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9955165, Optimizing ketogenic diet strategies to increase health span and longevity (5P01AG062817-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9955165. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*