Ketogenic Diet and Mental Health
Over the years, I’ve talked a lot about ketogenic therapy—and the deeper I looked, the more I realized this isn’t a fad diet. It’s a metabolic intervention with a long medical history.
Ketogenic therapy has been used in epilepsy care for over 100 years, and now researchers are studying it “off-label” as an approach that may help some people with mental health symptoms. What’s compelling is the biology they’re exploring, including:
- lower inflammation
- shifts in glutamate/GABA signaling
- improved mitochondrial function and brain energy stability
One statistic that really stood out to me: in one study, 64% of participants reduced their psychotropic medication during the intervention.
This won’t apply to everyone, and this is not a “stop your meds” message—withdrawal can be brutal and should be handled carefully. But before anyone pressures a child (or anyone) to take a drug they’re clearly saying they don’t want, listen and explore options.
Because we’re watching drug side effects get mislabeled as new “disorders,” followed by more prescriptions to treat symptoms the first drugs may have created. If you want a reality check, look up the medication on Drugs.com and read the side effects and black box warnings.
Here’s the evidence showing Ketogenic therapy works for treatment of mental illness
Ketogenic Therapy Treatment for Serious Mental Illness | myCME – Learn More about Metabolic mind.
Danan A, Westman EC, Saslow LR, Ede G. The Ketogenic Diet for Refractory Mental Illness: A Retrospective Analysis of 31 Inpatients. Front Psychiatry. 2022 Jul 6;13:951376. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.951376. PMID: 35873236; PMCID: PMC9299263.
Danan A, Westman EC, Saslow LR, Ede G. The Ketogenic Diet for Refractory Mental Illness: A Retrospective Analysis of 31 Inpatients. Front Psychiatry. 2022 Jul 6;13:951376. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.951376. PMID: 35873236; PMCID: PMC9299263.
