Metabolic Mind

“Can Drinking Ketones Help Treat Mental Illness?” featuring Dr. Karin Huizer

14 snips
May 31, 2025
In a fascinating discussion, Dr. Karin Huizer, a psychiatry resident from the Netherlands, shares her groundbreaking research on using ketone esters for treating mental health issues. Living with bipolar disorder herself, she bridges personal experience with science. Dr. Huizer explains why exogenous ketones might offer hope for treatment-resistant patients. She details her pilot study's design, the role of wearable tech in tracking biomarkers, and the growing field of metabolic psychiatry. The conversation is rich in insight and compassion, envisioning innovative mental health interventions.
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ANECDOTE

Personal Bipolar Experience Fuels Research

  • Dr. Karin Huizer shares her personal experience living with bipolar 2 disorder from her teenage years.
  • This personal journey fuels her clinical empathy and scientific curiosity in psychiatry research.
INSIGHT

Ketones as Accessible Intervention

  • Starting a ketogenic diet is challenging, especially for patients with severe mental illness.
  • Exogenous ketones may offer a more achievable way to induce ketosis for such patients.
INSIGHT

Innovative Trial with Real-Time Biomarkers

  • A single ingestion crossover study with ketone esters tests metabolic, cognitive, and biological impacts in early psychosis.
  • Innovative wearable nanotech measures dynamic cortisol, melatonin, and inflammatory markers in sweat.
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