Ketogenic diet could help patients with mental illness

A small pilot study led by Stanford Medicine researchers found a ketogenic diet can restore metabolic health in people living with serious mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, and may improve their psychiatric conditions.

The results suggest dietary intervention can be a powerful aid in treating mental illness. According to the study, antipsychotic medications often cause metabolic side effects, such as insulin resistance and obesity, which lead many patients to stop taking the medications.

Before the trial, 29% of the participants met the criteria for metabolic syndrome, defined as having at least three of five conditions: abdominal obesity, elevated triglycerides, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (or “good” cholesterol), elevated blood pressure and elevated fasting glucose levels. After four months on a ketogenic diet, none of the participants had metabolic syndrome.

Read more: Science Direct

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