The ketogenic diet is being used as an epilepsy treatment in tens of millions of people. It changes neurotransmitter systems, changes hormones, decreases brain inflammation and changes to gut microbiome. We have solid reason to believe that it would really be helpful in these people with serious mental illness. There's a lot of overlap between epilepsy and serious mental illnesses.
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.