The ketogenic diet stimulates mitophagy and mitochondrial biogenesis, leading to more and healthier mitochondria in cells.

“The key for my research that I've outlined, the real magic, is that this diet stimulates two processes that relate to mitochondria. It stimulates a process called mitophagy, which is getting rid of old and defective mitochondria, and replacing them with new ones. And it also stimulates a process called mitochondrial biogenesis, which means that after people have done the ketogenic diet for a while-- months or years-- many of their cells in their bodies and brains will have more mitochondria. And those mitochondria will be healthier.”