Ketogenic Nutrition in Psychiatry
Exciting News! I’m embarking on Georgia Ede’s course: Ketogenic Diet for Mental Health, and I’m so excited to delve deeper into the potentially transformative potential of this approach. I did an Advanced Ketogenic Nutrition course several years ago but this particular focus on mental health is what really appeals to me.
A recent pilot study (May 2024) published in Psychiatry Research explored the effects of a ketogenic diet on individuals with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia who also had existing metabolic abnormalities. The findings shed light on the intricate relationship between metabolic dysfunction and psychiatric disorders, revealing how addressing metabolic health can positively influence mental health outcomes.
Understanding the Connections
Psychiatric disorders such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia are increasingly being linked to underlying metabolic dysfunctions like glucose hypometabolism, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and disrupted neurotransmitter balance. Here’s how these mechanisms are connected:
- Glucose Hypometabolism:
People with psychiatric disorders often experience impaired glucose metabolism in the brain, which limits the availability of glucose—a primary energy source for neurons. This deficiency can lead to decreased neuronal activity, impaired synaptic function, and contribute to cognitive symptoms and mood dysregulation. - Mitochondrial Dysfunction:
Mitochondria are responsible for generating energy (ATP) within brain cells. Dysfunctional mitochondria in psychiatric conditions result in reduced energy production, increased free radical generation, and ultimately, neuronal damage. A ketogenic diet helps bypass this by providing ketones as an alternative energy source, thereby enhancing mitochondrial function and energy availability. - Oxidative Stress:
Oxidative stress results from an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants, leading to cellular damage. This is a common feature in psychiatric disorders, contributing to neuroinflammation and neuronal injury. Ketones have been shown to reduce oxidative stress by upregulating antioxidant defenses, thus protecting neurons from damage. - Disrupted Neurotransmitter Balance:
Neurotransmitter imbalances, such as dysregulation of glutamate and GABA, are commonly observed in mood and psychotic disorders. The ketogenic diet has been shown to modulate neurotransmitter levels, promote GABAergic signaling, and stabilize glutamate activity, which may reduce symptoms like anxiety, mood swings, and agitation.
Study Outcomes:
Participants in the study experienced:
- A 27% reduction in insulin resistance (HOMA-IR),
- A 25% decrease in triglyceride levels, and
- A significant improvement in psychiatric symptoms, including a 32% reduction in Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale scores and a 31% improvement in Clinical Global Impression severity.
- Additionally, 79% of participants with elevated psychiatric symptoms at baseline showed a marked improvement during the study.
There are several limitations to this study though – including small sample size, and lack of a control group. However,this research underscores the potential of a ketogenic diet to complement traditional psychiatric treatments, offering new hope for individuals with treatment-resistant conditions. There have been several other papers published exploring the use of ketogenic diets in treatment resistant mental illness (2022) and bipolar disorder (2020) as well as a systematic review (2021) which identified 14 experimental or observational studies that evaluated the impact of ketogenic diets on conditions such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, major depressive disorder, and anorexia nervosa. This particular review found positive outcomes in many cases, with participants reporting reduced symptoms and improved quality of life.
All this potentially means that by addressing root causes of metabolic dysfunction, we can help restore balance in brain function, ultimately enhancing mental and metabolic health.
Can’t wait to get into the nitty gritty of Dr. Ede’s course and look forward to integrating these insights into my practice to support better outcomes for my clients. Stay tuned for more updates!
