A pilot study by Stanford Medicine discovered that a ketogenic diet plan improved psychiatric and metabolic conditions in patients with major mental disorders like schizophrenia and bipolar illness, who were on antipsychotic medications. The diet resulted in considerable health improvements, suggesting dietary intervention as a possible treatment method.A little medical trial led by Stanford Medicine discovered that the metabolic impacts of a ketogenic diet plan might help stabilize the brain.For people living with major mental health problem like schizophrenia or bipolar condition, basic treatment with antipsychotic medications can be a double-edged sword. While these drugs assist regulate brain chemistry, they frequently cause metabolic adverse effects such as insulin resistance and obesity, which are stressful enough that lots of patients stop taking the medications.Now, a pilot research study led by Stanford Medicine researchers has discovered that a ketogenic diet plan not just brings back metabolic health in these clients as they continue their medications, but it even more improves their psychiatric conditions. The outcomes, published March 27 in the journal Psychiatry Research, recommend that a dietary intervention can be an effective help in treating mental illness.”Its very encouraging and very promising that you can take back control of your disease in some way, aside from the normal standard of care,” stated Shebani Sethi, MD, associate teacher of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and the first author of the brand-new paper.The senior author of the paper is Laura Saslow, PhD, associate teacher of health habits and life sciences at the University of Michigan.Making the ConnectionSethi, who is board certified in obesity and psychiatry, keeps in mind when she first noticed the connection. As a medical trainee working in an obesity clinic, she saw a client with treatment-resistant schizophrenia whose auditory hallucinations quieted on a ketogenic diet.That triggered her to go into the medical literature. There were just a few, decades-old case reports on using the ketogenic diet to deal with schizophrenia, however there was a long track record of success in utilizing ketogenic diet plans to treat epileptic seizures.”The ketogenic diet has been proven to be effective for treatment-resistant epileptic seizures by lowering the excitability of neurons in the brain,” Sethi said. “We thought it would deserve exploring this treatment in psychiatric conditions.”A couple of years later on, Sethi coined the term metabolic psychiatry, a brand-new field that approaches psychological health from an energy conversion perspective.Meat and VegetablesIn the four-month pilot trial, Sethis team followed 21 adult individuals who were identified with schizophrenia or bipolar illness, taking antipsychotic medications, and had a metabolic problem– such as weight gain, insulin resistance, hypertriglyceridemia, dyslipidemia or impaired glucose tolerance. The participants were advised to follow a ketogenic diet plan, with around 10% of the calories from carbs, 30% from protein and 60% from fat. They were not told to count calories.”The focus of eating is on entire non-processed foods including protein and non-starchy vegetables, and not restricting fats,” stated Sethi, who shared keto-friendly meal concepts with the participants. They were likewise provided keto cookbooks and access to a health coach.The research team tracked how well the participants followed the diet plan through weekly procedures of blood ketone levels. (Ketones are acids produced when the body breaks down fat– rather of glucose– for energy.) By the end of the trial, 14 clients had been completely adherent, 6 were semi-adherent and only one was non-adherent. Feeling BetterThe participants went through a variety of metabolic and psychiatric assessments throughout the trial.Before the trial, 29% of the participants satisfied the criteria for metabolic syndrome, defined as having at least 3 of 5 conditions: stomach obesity, elevated triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol, raised high blood pressure and raised fasting glucose levels. After 4 months on a ketogenic diet, none of the participants had metabolic syndrome.On average, the participants lost 10% of their body weight; minimized their waist circumference by 11% percent; and had lower high blood pressure, body mass index, triglycerides, blood sugar levels and insulin resistance.”Were seeing substantial changes,” Sethi stated. “Even if youre on antipsychotic drugs, we can still reverse the obesity, the metabolic syndrome, the insulin resistance. I believe thats extremely encouraging for patients.”The psychiatric advantages were likewise striking. On average, the participants enhanced 31% on a psychiatrist score of psychological disease called the medical worldwide impressions scale, with three-quarters of the group revealing medically significant enhancement. Overall, the individuals also reported much better sleep and greater life satisfaction.”The participants reported improvements in their energy, sleep, mood and lifestyle,” Sethi stated. “They feel healthier and more enthusiastic.”The researchers were pleased that the majority of the participants stuck with the diet plan. “We saw more benefit with the adherent group compared to the semi-adherent group, indicating a prospective dose-response relationship,” Sethi said.Alternative Fuel for the BrainThere is increasing proof that psychiatric diseases such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder originate from metabolic deficits in the brain, which impact the excitability of neurons, Sethi said.The scientists hypothesize that simply as a ketogenic diet enhances the remainder of the bodys metabolism, it also improves the brains metabolic process.”Anything that enhances metabolic health in general is most likely going to improve brain health anyhow,” Sethi said. “But the ketogenic diet can offer ketones as an alternative fuel to glucose for a brain with energy dysfunction.”Likely there are multiple mechanisms at work, she included, and the main purpose of the little pilot trial is to assist scientists find signals that will guide the design of bigger, more robust studies.As a physician, Sethi looks after many clients with both severe mental disorder and weight problems or metabolic syndrome, but few studies have actually focused on this undertreated population.She is creator and director of the metabolic psychiatry clinic at Stanford Medicine”Many of my clients struggle with both health problems, so my desire was to see if metabolic interventions could assist them,” she stated. “They are seeking more aid. They are seeking to just feel better.”Reference: “Ketogenic Diet Intervention on Metabolic and Psychiatric Health in Bipolar and Schizophrenia: A Pilot Trial” by Shebani Sethi, Diane Wakeham, Terrance Ketter, Farnaz Hooshmand, Julia Bjornstad, Blair Richards, Eric Westman, Ronald M Krauss and Laura Saslow, 20 March 2024, Psychiatry Research.DOI: 10.1016/ j.psychres.2024.115866 Researchers from the University of Michigan; the University of California, San Francisco; and Duke University contributed to the study.The study was supported by Baszucki Group Research Fund, Keun Lau Fund and the Obesity Treatment Foundation.
The diet plan led to considerable health enhancements, suggesting dietary intervention as a prospective treatment method.A small clinical trial led by Stanford Medicine discovered that the metabolic results of a ketogenic diet may assist stabilize the brain.For individuals living with severe psychological illness like schizophrenia or bipolar condition, basic treatment with antipsychotic medications can be a double-edged sword. While these drugs assist regulate brain chemistry, they typically trigger metabolic side impacts such as insulin resistance and weight problems, which are upsetting enough that many patients stop taking the medications.Now, a pilot research study led by Stanford Medicine scientists has discovered that a ketogenic diet not only restores metabolic health in these patients as they continue their medications, but it even more improves their psychiatric conditions.”A couple of years later, Sethi created the term metabolic psychiatry, a new field that approaches mental health from an energy conversion perspective.Meat and VegetablesIn the four-month pilot trial, Sethis group followed 21 adult individuals who were diagnosed with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, taking antipsychotic medications, and had a metabolic abnormality– such as weight gain, insulin resistance, hypertriglyceridemia, dyslipidemia or impaired glucose tolerance. Feeling BetterThe participants underwent a variety of psychiatric and metabolic assessments throughout the trial.Before the trial, 29% of the individuals satisfied the requirements for metabolic syndrome, specified as having at least 3 of five conditions: abdominal weight problems, raised triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol, elevated blood pressure and elevated fasting glucose levels.”Likely there are several systems at work, she included, and the primary function of the little pilot trial is to help researchers find signals that will guide the design of larger, more robust studies.As a physician, Sethi cares for many patients with both major mental health problem and weight problems or metabolic syndrome, however few research studies have focused on this undertreated population.She is creator and director of the metabolic psychiatry center at Stanford Medicine”Many of my patients suffer from both diseases, so my desire was to see if metabolic interventions might help them,” she said.