Extend Podcast with Darshan Shah, MD 39. Dr. Chris Palmer: Can Fixing Your Diet Help Treat Mental Illness? The Science Says Yes!
Mar 4, 2025
In this enlightening discussion, Dr. Chris Palmer, a Harvard-trained psychiatrist and author of *Brain Energy*, connects metabolic health to mental illness. He highlights the alarming rise in mental health disorders and critiques traditional treatment methods. Dr. Palmer explains how poor nutrition and metabolic dysfunction can exacerbate issues like schizophrenia and depression. He advocates for a holistic approach, emphasizing dietary changes and lifestyle modifications as vital to mental wellness, and offers actionable insights for healing the brain.
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Mental Health Epidemic
- Mental disorders are a global epidemic, affecting 13% of the population annually and 20% in Western countries.
- Lifetime prevalence is about 50%, with rates escalating for autism, ADHD, depression, eating disorders, and opioid overdoses.
Post-WWII Shift
- The rise of mental health disorders correlates with post-WWII societal changes.
- These changes include increased obesity, diabetes, and autoimmune rates, suggesting a link between physical and mental health.
Metabolic Dysfunction and Westernization
- Obesity and diabetes are symptoms of metabolic dysfunction, which also manifests as mental illness in the brain.
- Westernization, with its ultra-processed foods and environmental toxins, likely contributes to this widespread dysfunction.
