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Psychiatric medications can sometimes impair metabolism in the long run, even though they might provide short-term relief from associated symptoms. This issue stems from the fact that many of these medications can have side effects that impact metabolic function. While they may be effective at reducing symptoms in the short term, their long-term use can lead to weight gain, metabolic syndrome, and other metabolic abnormalities. This can be particularly problematic for individuals with mental health conditions who may already be at an increased risk for metabolic issues. It is important for healthcare providers to carefully monitor the metabolic health of individuals taking psychiatric medications and consider alternative strategies if metabolic effects become concerning.
Psychiatric medications can be difficult and dangerous to stop, but they can also cause metabolic problems such as weight gain, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. While these medications can reduce symptoms, they may impair mitochondrial function in hyper-excitable cells, leading to long-term suppression and potential worsening of the illness. The metabolic theory suggests that mental disorders are metabolic disorders of the brain, and restoring metabolic health through strategies like exercise, ketones, fasting, and meditation can help normalize cell function. However, medications that act as a straight jacket on hyper-excitable cells can provide short-term relief but may weaken the cells over time. The controversy surrounding the metabolic theory of mental disorders stems from balancing symptom reduction with long-term effects on cellular health.
The current treatment approach to mental illness often fails to work for many individuals, leading to a rise in mental health disabilities worldwide. The book 'Brain Energy' provides insights into how metabolic interventions, such as dietary changes, exercise, and removal of metabolic toxins, can improve mental health conditions like anxiety, depression, OCD, PTSD, and more. It emphasizes the need for individuals to be proactive in their mental health advocacy and offers resources, including scientific literature, to help patients educate their healthcare providers about these alternative treatment options.
Exercise, particularly zone two training and cardiovascular activities paired with social interactions, is beneficial for mitochondrial health. Improving mitochondria in muscle cells can lead to neuroplasticity and brain benefits. However, the effectiveness of exercise as a treatment for mental illness can be limited by medications impairing mitochondrial function. Metabolic adaptations from exercise, including increased mitochondria, can benefit mental health conditions like bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and depression. The book 'Brain Energy' explores various levers like exercise, dietary interventions, stress reduction, and more to help individuals enhance their metabolic health and improve mental well-being.
Brought to you by Levels real-time feedback on how diet impacts your health, Athletic Greens all-in-one nutritional supplement, and LinkedIn Marketing Solutions marketing platform with 800M+ users.
Dr. Christopher M. Palmer (@chrispalmermd) is a Harvard psychiatrist and researcher working at the interface of metabolism and mental health.
Dr. Palmer 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 25 years, he has held administrative, educational, research, and clinical roles in psychiatry at Harvard. He has been pioneering the use of the medical ketogenic diet in the treatment of psychiatric disorders—conducting research in this area, treating patients, writing, and speaking around the world on this topic.
He has developed the first comprehensive theory of what causes mental illness, integrating existing theories and research into one unifying theory—the brain energy theory of mental illness. You can learn more in his new book Brain Energy: A Revolutionary Breakthrough in Understanding Mental Health—and Improving Treatment for Anxiety, Depression, OCD, PTSD, and More.
Please enjoy!
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This episode is brought to you by Athletic Greens. I get asked all the time, “If you could use only one supplement, what would it be?” My answer is usually AG1 by Athletic Greens, my all-in-one nutritional insurance. I recommended it in The 4-Hour Body in 2010 and did not get paid to do so. I do my best with nutrient-dense meals, of course, but AG further covers my bases with vitamins, minerals, and whole-food-sourced micronutrients that support gut health and the immune system.
Right now, Athletic Greens is offering you their Vitamin D Liquid Formula free with your first subscription purchase—a vital nutrient for a strong immune system and strong bones. Visit AthleticGreens.com/Tim to claim this special offer today and receive the free Vitamin D Liquid Formula (and five free travel packs) with your first subscription purchase! That’s up to a one-year supply of Vitamin D as added value when you try their delicious and comprehensive all-in-one daily greens product.
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This episode is also brought to you by LinkedIn Marketing Solutions, the go-to tool for B2B marketers and advertisers who want to drive brand awareness, generate leads, or build long-term relationships that result in real business impact.
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This episode is also brought to you by Levels! I wrote about the health benefits of using continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) more than ten years ago in The 4-Hour Body. At the time, CGMs were primitive and hard to use. Levels has now made this technology, and the unique insights that come from it, easy and available to everyone. Levels is making glucose monitoring simple, helping you see how food affects your health through real-time feedback. I started tracking my glucose years ago to learn more about what I should and shouldn’t be eating (including quantities, time of day, etc.), based on objective data from my own, unique physiology. Keeping my blood sugar stable is critical to my daily and long-term health and performance goals. Furthermore, poor glucose control is associated with a number of chronic conditions like diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, and obesity. It’s important.
If you’re interested in learning more about Levels and trying a CGM yourself, go to Levels.link/Tim.
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[07:14] How a woman overcame her 53-year streak of chronic paranoid schizophrenia.
[11:16] The backstory of Brain Energy‘s dedication.
[16:31] Chris’ thoughts on DSM-5 diagnostic categories.
[21:51] Chris’ first exposure to the ketogenic diet.
[28:35] Metabolic psychiatry.
[30:33] How ketosis affects the human body (e.g., sleep, mood, weight).
[39:35] Examining the mood elevation of ketosis on a bio-cellular level.
[44:24] When ketosis can be dangerous.
[46:44] How mitochondrial dysfunction can trigger a host of ailments.
[58:07] Dietary methods for sustaining ketosis over the long term.
[1:04:54] Common ketosis mistakes.
[1:07:53] Psychiatric medications, metabolism, and controversy.
[1:15:29] Indications that a medication impairs more than improves a patient’s condition.
[1:18:06] Resources to share with doctors open to conversation about these issues.
[1:20:41] Why quitting psychiatric medication cold turkey is a bad idea.
[1:23:20] Thoughts on the efficacy of exogenous ketones.
[1:30:32] Ketogenic diet as treatment for schizophrenia.
[1:38:34] Why you need to take radical ownership of your own health advocacy.
[1:40:33] Physical exercise for optimizing mitochondrial health.
[1:44:59] A cautionary note for people using medication for off-label results.
[1:48:49] Parting thoughts.
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For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast.
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Past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show include Jerry Seinfeld, Hugh Jackman, Dr. Jane Goodall, LeBron James, Kevin Hart, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jamie Foxx, Matthew McConaughey, Esther Perel, Elizabeth Gilbert, Terry Crews, Sia, Yuval Noah Harari, Malcolm Gladwell, Madeleine Albright, Cheryl Strayed, Jim Collins, Mary Karr, Maria Popova, Sam Harris, Michael Phelps, Bob Iger, Edward Norton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Neil Strauss, Ken Burns, Maria Sharapova, Marc Andreessen, Neil Gaiman, Neil de Grasse Tyson, Jocko Willink, Daniel Ek, Kelly Slater, Dr. Peter Attia, Seth Godin, Howard Marks, Dr. Brené Brown, Eric Schmidt, Michael Lewis, Joe Gebbia, Michael Pollan, Dr. Jordan Peterson, Vince Vaughn, Brian Koppelman, Ramit Sethi, Dax Shepard, Tony Robbins, Jim Dethmer, Dan Harris, Ray Dalio, Naval Ravikant, Vitalik Buterin, Elizabeth Lesser, Amanda Palmer, Katie Haun, Sir Richard Branson, Chuck Palahniuk, Arianna Huffington, Reid Hoffman, Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings, Rick Rubin, Dr. Vivek Murthy, Darren Aronofsky, Margaret Atwood, Mark Zuckerberg, Peter Thiel, Dr. Gabor Maté, Anne Lamott, Sarah Silverman, Dr. Andrew Huberman, and many more.
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