People with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder have abnormally high levels of lactate in their bodies and brains just at rest. And if you ask them to exercise, it goes through the roof. People started focusing in on mitochondria as a possible link between mental illness and type 2 diabetes.
Christopher Palmer, MD, is the Director of the Department of Postgraduate and Continuing Education at McLean Hospital and an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. For over 27 years he’s held administrative, educational, research, and clinical roles in psychiatry. His new book, Brain Energy: A Revolutionary Breakthrough in Understanding Mental Health—and Improving Treatment for Anxiety, Depression, OCD, PTSD, and More, is out now.