Huberman Lab

Transform Your Mental Health With Diet & Lifestyle | Dr. Chris Palmer

Mar 31, 2025

Dr. Chris Palmer, a board-certified psychiatrist and professor at Harvard, explores the profound connections between diet, lifestyle, and mental health. He discusses how nutrition and mitochondrial health can alleviate conditions like ADHD and bipolar disorder. The conversation covers innovative treatments like creatine, the impacts of ultra-processed foods, and the ketogenic diet's therapeutic potential. Palmer emphasizes the importance of understanding metabolic health, vitamin B12's role, and the implications of vaccines on mental well-being, advocating for holistic approaches to mental health.

03:12:02

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Episode guests

Chris Palmer MD

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Dr. Chris Palmer emphasizes the critical role of mitochondrial health in influencing both physical well-being and mental health outcomes.

Adequate nutrition, especially B vitamins and iron, is essential for supporting mitochondrial function and preventing cognitive impairments.

Lifestyle factors like exercise, sleep, and stress management are pivotal in maintaining optimal mitochondrial health and enhancing mental resilience.

The ketogenic diet shows promise in improving metabolic health and alleviating symptoms of various mental health disorders, particularly when tailored to individual needs.

Research indicates a complex link between inflammation, immune responses, and mental health, underscoring the need for comprehensive treatment approaches.

Deep dives

Introduction to Metabolic Health and Its Importance

Metabolic health refers to the state of the body's metabolism and its ability to effectively utilize energy. It encompasses mitochondrial health, which is critical for energy production in cells, and can significantly impact mental health. Improved metabolic health can be achieved through lifestyle changes, addressing factors like diet, exercise, sleep, and the management of inflammation. The integration of metabolic health with mental health therapies is emerging as a groundbreaking approach in treating psychiatric disorders.

Intro

2min

Exploring the Link Between Metabolism and Mental Health

2min

Integrating Mental Health: Beyond Biological and Psychological Models

6min

Metabolic Psychiatry and Healthy Living

4min

The Neurochemical Dance: Mental Health and Metabolism

11min

Mitochondria: The Powerhouses of Hormonal Balance

9min

The Foundations of Mitochondrial Health and Lifestyle

22min

Mental Health and Aging

7min

The Dangers of Ultra-Processed Foods

14min

10.

The Ketogenic Diet and Its Impact on Health

14min

11.

Exploring Fasting and Dietary Fats in Health

3min

12.

Navigating Diet, Mental Health, and Emerging Treatments

27min

13.

Exploring Supplements and Their Role in Mental and Metabolic Health

6min

14.

Rethinking Health: The Vitamin B12 Connection

20min

15.

Vaccines, Mitochondria, and Mental Health

23min

16.

Metabolic Health and Neurodevelopmental Disorders

18min

17.

Introduction and Engagement for Mental Health Transformation

3min

My guest is Dr. Chris Palmer, M.D., a board-certified psychiatrist and professor at Harvard Medical School. He explains how specific nutrition, exercise, supplement-based, and other factors can improve mitochondrial health and thereby provide relief from adult and childhood ADHD, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and symptoms of autism. We discuss mitochondrial biology, whether vaccines can impact inflammation and mitochondrial health, and the potential ramifications. We also review creatine, methylene blue, and urolithin A, as well as the role of B vitamins and iron in treating depression. By the end of this episode, you will understand the powerful link between metabolic health and mental health, and the lifestyle, dietary, and other factors you can leverage to help overcome common mental health challenges and disorders.

Read the episode show notes at hubermanlab.com.

Thank you to our sponsors

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Timestamps

00:00:00 Dr. Chris Palmer

00:02:15 Integrating Metabolic, Mental & Physical Health; Childhood Trauma & Risk

00:10:46 Sponsors: Our Place & LMNT

00:13:44 Depression Causes, Molecule Model?, Neuroplasticity?; Metabolism

00:22:20 Mitochondrial Functions, Stress Response, Mental Health

00:31:09 Sponsors: AG1 & Eight Sleep

00:33:59 Mitochondrial Health & 6 Pillars of Lifestyle Medicine

00:39:38 Stimulants, Mitochondria, Dopamine; Alcohol

00:45:47 Nicotine; Substance Use, Metabolic Health & Disease

00:52:23 Children, Energy & Metabolic Function; Diseases of Aging & Mental Disorders

00:59:18 Sponsor: Function

01:01:06 Diet & Metabolism; Ultra-Processed Foods, Additives, GRAS

01:09:30 Rebellious Spirit, Ultra-Processed Foods & Food Industry Funding

01:19:14 Ketogenic Diet, Epilepsy, Schizophrenia, Bipolar

01:22:52 Ketogenic Diet, Fasting & Mitochondria; Gut Microbiome, Brain Metabolism

01:30:06 Low-Fat Diets; Tool: Occasional Fasts; Ketogenic Diet; Intermittent Fasting

01:38:40 Nutrition Research, Food Industry Lobbyists; Ultra-Processed Foods, Addiction

01:46:55 Creatine & Mitochondrial Health

01:52:34 Methylene Blue & Mitochondria; Serotonin Syndrome

02:02:58 Urolithin A, Mitochondria Function; Supplements & Appropriate Use

02:11:14 Vitamin Deficiencies, Iron Deficiency

02:16:06 Vitamin B12 & Folate Deficiency, Autoimmune Disorders

02:24:48 Mental Illness & Root Causes

02:29:02 Vaccines, Inflammation, Mitochondria, Autism

02:39:17 Neurodevelopmental Disorder Onset & Follow-Up

02:45:31 Vaccines, Autism, Future Research; Mother Obesity & Diabetes

02:51:23 Father Obesity & Autism; Poor Metabolic Health, Blood Biomarkers

02:56:44 Assessing Metabolic Health & Biomarkers; National Institutes of Health (NIH)

03:02:59 Future Directions, Bridging Mental & Physical Health

03:09:27 Zero-Cost Support, YouTube, Spotify & Apple Follow & Reviews, YouTube Feedback, Protocols Book, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter

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Huberman Lab

Transform Your Mental Health With Diet & Lifestyle | Dr. Chris Palmer

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

Introduction to Metabolic Health and Its Importance

Role of Mitochondria in Mental Health

Lifestyle Factors Influencing Mitochondrial Health

Impact of Nutrition on Mental Health

The Glycemic Index and Mitochondrial Function

The Efficacy of Ketogenic Diets

Supplements for Supporting Mitochondrial Function

Immune Response and Mental Health

Vaccines and Mitochondrial Health

Future Directions in Mental Healthcare

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts