"Ketogenic diets may be used to treat mental illness in the future
Adapted from Ketogenic diet as a metabolic treatment for mental illness by Nicholas G. Norwitz, Shebani Sethi Dalai, and Christopher M. Palmer.
Now they are being used for other neurological conditions such as schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder and binge eating disorder.
There is strong evidence that common biological pathologies underlie these conditions such as abnormal glucose metabolism, neurotransmitter imbalances, oxidative stress and inflammation. These factors are all improved with a ketogenic diet.
Controlled clinical trials have shown improvement in:
Obesity, Type Two Diabetes, Multiple Sclerosis, Epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease and Autistic Spectrum Disorder.
Uncontrolled clinical trials have shown improvement in:
Uncontrolled clinical trials have shown improvement in:
Parkinson’s disease and Schizophrenia.
Case series and animal models have shown improvement in: Cardiovascular Disease, Binge eating disorder, Major Depressive disorder, Bipolar disorder and ADHD.
It is estimated that people who have mental illness live around 7 to 10 years less than those who do not have a mental illness. Sometimes this is due to suicide, but more often it is due to concurrent diabetes, heart disease, respiratory disease, infectious disease and cancer. All of these conditions are raised in people with mental illness. Sometimes this is due to poor health behaviours such as smoking or other lifestyle issues, and drug side effects can also cause problems. But even in people of a healthy weight and who are not on drugs, if they have mental illness, they are also more likely to have physical illness. Could switching the body and brain away from glucose use towards fat and ketone use improve matters?
Cerebral glucose hypometabolism and insulin resistance are features of Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Schizophrenia, and Epilepsy. In one recent Cochrane review of epilepsy, as many as 55% of patients had complete remission of their fits on a ketogenic diet.
GABA/glutamate imbalance is a feature of Epilepsy and Schizophrenia. Oxidative stress is a feature of Schizophrenia, Bipolar disorder and Major Depressive Disorder. Oxidative stress and inflammation are mutually reinforcing processes. Major Depressive Disorder, Schizophrenia have these issues.
The Virta Health Group has demonstrated that a ketogenic diet is a well tolerated and effective strategy for treating type two diabetes. It reversed the condition in 54% of patients compared to 5% who received standard care. Alzheimer’s patients also improved on a ketogenic diet and also benefitted from medium chain triglyceride supplementation. (MCTs). Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease and Multiple Sclerosis patients also showed improvement in studies. About 50 to 80% of patients with Alzheimer’s disease have cross over symptoms with schizophrenia, Bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder. These conditions all share common metabolic abnormalities.
It is thought that the ketogenic diet affects the gut microbiome and gut issues are thought to influence Autistic Spectrum Disorder. Two clinical trials reported sometimes complete symptom remission in patients with Childhood Autism when treated with a ketogenic diet.
Some case studies involve psychiatric patients who embarked on ketogenic diets for weight loss and gut problems, only to find a massive improvement in their mental conditions as well. Dr Christopher Palmer reported about an elderly woman with over 50 years of schizophrenia who was able to stop all her antipsychotic medication and has been symptom free for over 12 years. Another middle aged woman who had schizophrenia and depression went into complete remission and was able to get her degree and a full time job in the last four years. Both remain unmedicated and on their ketogenic diets.
Results with Binge eating disorder have also been impressive. These patients are usually on 20-30g of carbohydrate a day."
Case series and animal models have shown improvement in: Cardiovascular Disease, Binge eating disorder, Major Depressive disorder, Bipolar disorder and ADHD.
It is estimated that people who have mental illness live around 7 to 10 years less than those who do not have a mental illness. Sometimes this is due to suicide, but more often it is due to concurrent diabetes, heart disease, respiratory disease, infectious disease and cancer. All of these conditions are raised in people with mental illness. Sometimes this is due to poor health behaviours such as smoking or other lifestyle issues, and drug side effects can also cause problems. But even in people of a healthy weight and who are not on drugs, if they have mental illness, they are also more likely to have physical illness. Could switching the body and brain away from glucose use towards fat and ketone use improve matters?
Cerebral glucose hypometabolism and insulin resistance are features of Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Schizophrenia, and Epilepsy. In one recent Cochrane review of epilepsy, as many as 55% of patients had complete remission of their fits on a ketogenic diet.
GABA/glutamate imbalance is a feature of Epilepsy and Schizophrenia. Oxidative stress is a feature of Schizophrenia, Bipolar disorder and Major Depressive Disorder. Oxidative stress and inflammation are mutually reinforcing processes. Major Depressive Disorder, Schizophrenia have these issues.
The Virta Health Group has demonstrated that a ketogenic diet is a well tolerated and effective strategy for treating type two diabetes. It reversed the condition in 54% of patients compared to 5% who received standard care. Alzheimer’s patients also improved on a ketogenic diet and also benefitted from medium chain triglyceride supplementation. (MCTs). Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease and Multiple Sclerosis patients also showed improvement in studies. About 50 to 80% of patients with Alzheimer’s disease have cross over symptoms with schizophrenia, Bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder. These conditions all share common metabolic abnormalities.
It is thought that the ketogenic diet affects the gut microbiome and gut issues are thought to influence Autistic Spectrum Disorder. Two clinical trials reported sometimes complete symptom remission in patients with Childhood Autism when treated with a ketogenic diet.
Some case studies involve psychiatric patients who embarked on ketogenic diets for weight loss and gut problems, only to find a massive improvement in their mental conditions as well. Dr Christopher Palmer reported about an elderly woman with over 50 years of schizophrenia who was able to stop all her antipsychotic medication and has been symptom free for over 12 years. Another middle aged woman who had schizophrenia and depression went into complete remission and was able to get her degree and a full time job in the last four years. Both remain unmedicated and on their ketogenic diets.
Results with Binge eating disorder have also been impressive. These patients are usually on 20-30g of carbohydrate a day."
As regular readers know, this blog is presented in a magazine style - we hope something for everyone. You will find a variety of articles, studies, thoughts, photographs, music and recipes!
However, not all the recipes ideas featured in this blog may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter.
All the best Jan
an interesting read. i always read about certain diets being key to helping people with certain long term conditions. and in my case MS. i have read so many people writing about being cured of MS through diet. i have never found that changing my diet helped!!
ReplyDelete...mental health has always been important and it certainly is important these days.
ReplyDeleteAgain so interesting.
ReplyDeleteInteresting.
ReplyDeleteVery in depth research and results. I have found, for me personally, diet had a lot to do with my heart SVT
ReplyDeleteParece una buena dieta. Te mando un beso y gracias por los consejos.
ReplyDeleteGracias por los consejos, parece una buena dieta. Te mando un beso.
ReplyDeleteWorking in the in home care system. One would could be amaze how some of these people eat.
ReplyDeleteCoffee is on and stay safe
This is really good to know. I had NO idea. Thanks for bringing us this vital information, Jan.
ReplyDeleteGood gut health seems to be the key to solving so many health problems. Thanks for the interesting article Jan.
ReplyDeleteAn interesting post.
ReplyDeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteInteresting post, it is good to know.
Mental Health is very important.
Take care, enjoy your day. Have a happy new week!
Thank you Jan for this post.
ReplyDeleteGod bless you.
Good info to know, thanks Jan.
ReplyDeleteI heard about this from a friend, that went on the keto diet to eliminate her medicine for mental illness. In the end she had to go back to her medicine but stuck with the diet to lose weight
ReplyDeleteThis is very interesting information and I will be forwarding it to someone who might benefit from a Keto diet.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting tests, it would be much better than medication. Valerie
ReplyDeleteWow, we really are what we eat! Take care xx
ReplyDelete👌
ReplyDeleteI hadn't heard of this diet.
ReplyDeleteWonderful information. Too bad all of these foods are so expensive that most families eat what fills them up and what they can afford.
ReplyDeleteI want to do intermittent fasting. But my problem is that I have low blood pressure.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.alyinwanderland.com/2022/02/cute-grunge.html
Today, I ate fish, a sliced avocado, kiwi, blueberries, and jalapeno peppers.
ReplyDeleteVery informative.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great information Dear Jan! Yes we enjoy to read your magazine style posts. I am not sure but according to our historians; in Ottoman Empire times, special diet and very very soft music (maybe religious or traditional Turkish music) also were used for the mental illness. Thanks for the post.
ReplyDeleteWow it is amazing how food can change our mood as well as our health.
ReplyDelete