According to recent statistics, mental health conditions affect more than 57.8 million adults in the United States alone. This includes conditions such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Antipsychotic medications are essential for symptom management, but it has been found that they lead to metabolic side effects like weight gain and insulin resistance, negatively impacting individuals’ quality of life. Thus, addressing these challenges, researchers explored whether a ketogenic diet can enhance metabolic and psychiatric outcomes for patients with extreme mental health issues. The ketogenic diet is high in fats and low in carbohydrates and protein. This diet has previously shown effectiveness in managing conditions like diabetes, obesity, and mental health disorders.Â
A recent study published in Psychiatry Research found that a 4-month ketogenic diet, along with standard medication and treatment, can improve the quality of life in people with severe mental illness and metabolic conditions. This study involved 21 adults who were diagnosed with bipolar disorder (76%) or schizophrenia (24%) who were also taking antipsychotic medication and were overweight or had a metabolic issue, like insulin resistance. Participants were female (62%) and white (76%), averaging 43 years old. They received instructions to follow a ketogenic diet with specific macronutrient ratios: 10% carbs, 30% protein, and 60% fat. Even though they did not count calories, these participants were asked to consume 1200 calories per day and limit their net carbs to about 20 grams daily. Participants received a 1-hour training session, educational materials, ketogenic cookbooks, recipes, and a personal coach to help with diet adherence.Â
The diet instruction included daily vegetable, salad, and water intake recommendations, along with guidance on measuring blood ketone levels.Â
Researchers analyze their dietary compliance on a weekly basis with a blood ketone meter. This study included regular medical and psychiatric evaluations by a psychiatrist. Participants maintained their usual psychiatric treatments and medications throughout the study.Â
It was seen that out of 21 participants, 14 strictly followed a ketogenic diet. Those who did show a decrease in psychiatric symptoms had fewer cases of schizophrenia and shorter illness duration compared to the adherent group.Â
Initially, 29% of participants had metabolic syndrome criteria, and over 85% had multiple medical conditions like obesity, hyperlipidemia, or prediabetes. On average, participants lost 10% in body weight and body mass index (BMI), 11% in waist circumference, 17% in fat mass index, and 6% in systolic blood pressure, alongside improvements in metabolic markers such as visceral fat, inflammation, HbA1c, triglycerides, and insulin resistance. Higher ketone levels suggest greater diet adherence, which is correlated with better metabolic health.Â
By shifting the brain’s energy source from glucose to ketones, the diet can improve mental health outcomes such as mood stabilization and cognitive function. Research suggests that this metabolic shift may also improve psychiatric symptoms by decreasing neuroinflammation and increasing gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a neurotransmitter that helps regulate mood.Â
The ketogenic diet is not widely recommended as an adjunctive therapy for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder treatment due to limited research. Still, preliminary studies suggest it may have potential benefits, so as with anything in the medical field, this is an evolving topic and worth exploring further.Â
Journal Reference – Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165178124001513Â
