

Metabolic Mind
Bret Scher
Metabolic Mind is working to transform the study and treatment of mental disorders by exploring the connection between metabolism and brain health. Metabolic interventions like ketogenic therapy are being used to treat serious mental illnesses like Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia, and Major Depressive Disorder. We explore topics that can help you understand how Metabolic Psychiatry might help you or a loved one treat mental disorders
Watch our videos at https://www.youtube.com/@metabolicmind
Our channel is for information only. Consult your physician before changing your lifestyle or medications.
Watch our videos at https://www.youtube.com/@metabolicmind
Our channel is for information only. Consult your physician before changing your lifestyle or medications.
Episodes
Mentioned books

May 27, 2024 • 8min
Is It Safe for Me to Do a Keto Diet?
Ketosis is a therapeutic physiologic state induced by eating a keto (reduced-carb) diet that can treat, and often reverse, a wide range of illnesses from type 2 diabetes, to psychiatric conditions like bipolar disorder, depression and schizophrenia. A medical keto diet can be a very powerful intervention, but, sometimes, people are told that their other health conditions, such as gout or high LDL cholesterol, would make following a keto diet unsafe. In most cases, even with other health conditions, ketogenic therapy can be highly beneficial.
In this video, Dr. Bret Scher goes over some of the most common conditions that many people falsely believe would interfere with safe implementation of a keto diet, including: gallbladder removal, bariatric surgery, gout, high cholesterol and heart disease. He explains that following a keto diet with these conditions is, in fact, safe, if approached in the right way with clinical supervision.
Watch What Is the Difference between a Keto Diet and Ketogenic Therapy? - With Dr. Bret Scher:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iMXUpLYLkk
Watch LDL Risks and Benefits of Ketogenic Therapy- with Dr. William Cromwell:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jybPe48bGtY
Ketogenic Therapy in Patients With Pre-existing Medical Conditions:
https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/for-doctors/difficult-cases
If you or a loved one are looking to begin ketogenic therapy for a psychiatric condition, visit this page for resources:
https://www.metabolicmind.org/families-and-peers
Follow our channel for more information and education from Bret Scher, MD, FACC, including interviews with leading experts in Metabolic Psychiatry.
Learn more about metabolic psychiatry and find helpful resources at https://metabolicmind.org/
About us:
Metabolic Mind is a non-profit initiative of Baszucki Group working to transform the study and treatment of mental disorders by exploring the connection between metabolism and brain health. We leverage the science of metabolic psychiatry and personal stories to offer education, community, and hope to people struggling with mental health challenges and those who care for them.
Our channel is for informational purposes only. We are not providing individual or group medical or healthcare advice nor establishing a provider-patient relationship. Many of the interventions we discuss can have dramatic or potentially dangerous effects if done without proper supervision. Consult your healthcare provider before changing your lifestyle or medications.
#MetabolicMind
#KetoForMentalHealth
#MetabolicPsychiatry
#MetabolicNeuroscience
#KetogenicMetabolicTherapy
#NutritionalKetosis#MentalIllness#MedicalKeto#KetogenicTherapy
#KetoDiet#AntiKeto#KetoSafety

May 22, 2024 • 27min
Oxford’s Keto for ADHD & Depression Randomized Controlled Trial - with Ally Houston
Ally Houston, a pioneer in ketogenic therapy for ADHD and depression, shares his remarkable journey from a career in physics to mental health advocacy. He discusses a groundbreaking trial at Oxford testing the ketogenic diet's effects on ADHD and depression, emphasizing the importance of scientific validation. Ally explores the relationship between gut health and neurological well-being, while addressing the dual challenges and creativity associated with neurodevelopmental disorders. He also highlights a crowdfunding campaign to support this innovative study.

May 13, 2024 • 7min
What is a Good Bipolar Diet?
When looking for information about how nutrition can improve brain health, it is important to remember that you cannot necessarily believe everything you read. Dr. Bret Scher discusses a recent article from Healthline called Foods to Eat and Avoid With Bipolar Disorder as one example of an article that makes unsubstantiated claims. The article cites flawed studies and also jumps to conclusions that are not science-based. Will eating more beans, chocolate and whole grains help your bipolar disorder? Not likely.
When looking at articles that suggest nutritional interventions for mental illness, it is important to realize that ketogenic therapy is a unique dietary strategy that shifts the metabolic state of our bodies and brains. Ketogenic therapy is not a particular diet, but a physiologic state. By reducing carbs, we can shift to a ketone based metabolism, and this process has strong neurological and biological effects. It is important to distinguish ketogenic therapy, which has a growing evidence-base, from generalized and unsupported nutritional advice that is prevalent on the internet.
Follow our channel for more information and education from Bret Scher, MD, FACC, including interviews with leading experts in Metabolic Psychiatry.
If you or a loved one are looking to begin ketogenic therapy for a psychiatric condition, visit this page for resources:
https://www.metabolicmind.org/families-and-peers
Read about the completed and ongoing research exploring ketogenic therapy for psychiatric conditions:
https://www.metabolicmind.org/research
Learn more about metabolic psychiatry and find helpful resources at https://metabolicmind.org/
Article discussed: https://www.healthline.com/health/bipolar-disorder/foods-for-mania-and-depression
On the related topic of misinformation about nutrition for brain health see “New book: Change Your Diet, Change Your Mind by Metabolic Psychiatry Pioneer Dr. Georgia Ede” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ws_AlyJNo2I
Read Change Your Diet, Change Your Mind: https://www.amazon.com/Change-Your-Diet-Mind-Powerful/dp/1538739070
About us:
Metabolic Mind is a non-profit initiative of Baszucki Group working to transform the study and treatment of mental disorders by exploring the connection between metabolism and brain health. We leverage the science of metabolic psychiatry and personal stories to offer education, community, and hope to people struggling with mental health challenges and those who care for them.
Our channel is for informational purposes only. We are not providing individual or group medical or healthcare advice nor establishing a provider-patient relationship. Many of the interventions we discuss can have dramatic or potentially dangerous effects if done without proper supervision. Consult your healthcare provider before changing your lifestyle or medications.
#MetabolicMind
#KetoForMentalHealth
#MetabolicPsychiatry
#MetabolicNeuroscience#NutritionalKetosis#MentalIllness#AlternativeTreatment#KetoForDepression#KetoForBipolar#MedicalKeto#KetogenicTherapy#BipolarDiet

May 6, 2024 • 29min
Can a Medical Keto Diet Treat Depression in College Students? - with Dr. Jeff Volek
Can ketogenic therapy help college students living with depression? Jeff Volek, PhD, RD, is investigating this question in a pilot study at The Ohio State University, where he is a professor in the Department of Human Sciences. Dr. Volek has been a world-renowned expert in ketogenic diets for more than two decades. He has pioneered critical work raising awareness of how the keto diet can reverse diabetes and metabolic syndrome and enhance athletic performance and recovery.
In this interview with Dr. Bret Scher, Dr. Volek discusses his new work exploring ketogenic therapy for depression, including some of the challenges, especially for a college-age population, as well as the immense benefits. The study results so far are extremely promising, with students who maintain ketosis reporting a dramatic improvement in symptoms. Other topics they cover include how metabolic dysfunction underlies most chronic diseases, what a well-formulated keto diet looks like, and the importance of bringing ketogenic therapy into academic programs in dietetics and medicine. Dr. Volek shares that he is unaware of any academic programs that instruct on keto nutrition as a powerful medical intervention–this is a critical step to make metabolic therapies more mainstream.
Follow our channel for more information and education from Bret Scher, MD, FACC, including interviews with leading experts in Metabolic Psychiatry.
Experts in this episode:
Jeff Volek, PhD, RD
https://u.osu.edu/caffre/people/volek/
https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jeff-Volek/author/B001JOYRQE?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true
Clinical trial mentioned in the video:
https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06080932?cond=depression&term=Ketogenic%20Diet&rank=2&limit=10
If you or a loved one are looking to begin ketogenic therapy for a psychiatric condition, visit this page for resources: https://www.metabolicmind.org/families-and-peers
Read about the completed and ongoing research exploring ketogenic therapy for psychiatric conditions: https://www.metabolicmind.org/research
Learn more about metabolic psychiatry and find helpful resources at https://metabolicmind.org/
About us:
Metabolic Mind is a non-profit initiative of Baszucki Group working to transform the study and treatment of mental disorders by exploring the connection between metabolism and brain health. We leverage the science of metabolic psychiatry and personal stories to offer education, community, and hope to people struggling with mental health challenges and those who care for them.
Our channel is for informational purposes only. We are not providing individual or group medical or healthcare advice nor establishing a provider-patient relationship. Many of the interventions we discuss can have dramatic or potentially dangerous effects if done without proper supervision. Consult your healthcare provider before changing your lifestyle or medications.
#MetabolicMind
#KetoForMentalHealth
#MetabolicPsychiatry
#MetabolicNeuroscience#NutritionalKetosis#MentalIllness#AlternativeTreatment#KetoForDepression#KetoForBipolar#MedicalKeto#KetogenicTherapy#DepressionDiet#Depression

Apr 29, 2024 • 4min
Does the Brain Need Carbs?
The emerging field of metabolic psychiatry is demonstrating that many patients may be able to effectively treat serious psychiatric conditions, like bipolar disorder, major depression and schizophrenia, with ketogenic therapy. However, some individuals object to a medical keto diet claiming that the brain needs carbs. Ketogenic diets usually do, in fact, include some dietary carbs, but even if they didn’t, this is a false assertion.
Some clinicians and the American Diabetes Association may make this false declaration because they are confusing carbs with glucose. The brain does require glucose (synonymous with blood sugar). While glucose can come from dietary carbs, it can also be produced from fat and protein through a process called gluconeogenesis. In this video, Dr. Bret Scher dives into the details, as well as explaining why research related to dietary interventions can be misinterpreted, and can even become a source of confusing misinformation when taken out of context.
Follow our channel for more information and education from Bret Scher, MD, FACC, including interviews with leading experts in Metabolic Psychiatry.
Learn more about metabolic psychiatry and find helpful resources at https://metabolicmind.org/
About us:
Metabolic Mind is a non-profit initiative of Baszucki Group working to transform the study and treatment of mental disorders by exploring the connection between metabolism and brain health. We leverage the science of metabolic psychiatry and personal stories to offer education, community, and hope to people struggling with mental health challenges and those who care for them.
Our channel is for informational purposes only. We are not providing individual or group medical or healthcare advice nor establishing a provider-patient relationship. Many of the interventions we discuss can have dramatic or potentially dangerous effects if done without proper supervision. Consult your healthcare provider before changing your lifestyle or medications.
#MetabolicMind
#KetoForMentalHealth
#MetabolicPsychiatry
#Depression#MetabolicNeuroscience
#KetogenicMetabolicTherapy
#NutritionalKetosis#MentalIllness#AlternativeTreatment#KetoForDepression#KetoForBipolar#MedicalKeto#KetogenicTherapy

Apr 22, 2024 • 42min
Solutions to Prevent Early Death in Bipolar Disorder with Dr. Melvin McInnis
People with bipolar disorder are four to six times more likely to die prematurely compared to those without a psychiatric disorder. (In comparison, smokers are two to three times more likely to have a shortened lifespan.) There are several contributing factors, including things like metabolic dysfunction, as well consequences of lifestyle choices influenced by disease burden Science needs to urgently investigate these extremely poor outcomes in search of more effective interventions that will enhance quality of life for people with bipolar disorder. Emerging evidence and clinical experience indicate that ketogenic and metabolic therapies may have a central role in addressing this concerning trend.
Dr. Bret Scher interviews Dr. Melvin McInnis, Professor of Bipolar Disorder and Depression at University of Michigan, on these pressing topics. Dr. McInnis is working on a pilot trial that will look at a “ketogenic mimicking diet,” augmenting a low carb diet with exogenous ketones in bipolar disorder. Could this address unwanted metabolic dysfunction in this population? We applaud Dr. McInnins and his team for asking the question.
Experts in this episode:
Melvin McInnis, M.D., FRCPsych
https://medicine.umich.edu/dept/psychiatry/melvin-mcinnis-md
https://medicine.umich.edu/dept/prechter-program/melvin-g-mcinnis-md-frcpsych
Study
The Heinz C. Prechter Longitudinal Study of Bipolar Disorder
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5837550/
If you or a loved one are looking to begin ketogenic therapy for a psychiatric condition, visit this page for resources:
https://www.metabolicmind.org/families-and-peers
Follow our channel for more information and education from Bret Scher, MD, FACC, including interviews with leading experts in Metabolic Psychiatry.
Learn more about metabolic psychiatry and find helpful resources at https://metabolicmind.org/
About us:
Metabolic Mind is a non-profit initiative of Baszucki Group working to transform the study and treatment of mental disorders by exploring the connection between metabolism and brain health. We leverage the science of metabolic psychiatry and personal stories to offer education, community, and hope to people struggling with mental health challenges and those who care for them.
Our channel is for informational purposes only. We are not providing individual or group medical or healthcare advice nor establishing a provider-patient relationship. Many of the interventions we discuss can have dramatic or potentially dangerous effects if done without proper supervision. Consult your healthcare provider before changing your lifestyle or medications.
#MetabolicMind
#KetoForMentalHealth
#MetabolicPsychiatry
#MetabolicNeuroscience
#KetogenicMetabolicTherapy
#NutritionalKetosis#MentalIllness#AlternativeTreatment#MedicalKeto#KetogenicTherapy
#KetoForBipolar#Bipolar

Apr 15, 2024 • 23min
Trailblazing Stanford Trial Shows Keto Improves Serious Mental Illness - with Dr. Shebani Sethi
A pioneering, peer-reviewed pilot trial at Stanford, supported by funding from by Baszucki Group and others, investigated a 4-month keto diet intervention for individuals diagnosed with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia who also had metabolic abnormalities such as insulin resistance or impaired glucose tolerance. They saw dramatic psychiatric and metabolic improvements that warrant further research investigations and offer hope to patients looking for new treatment options.
Dr. Bret Scher interviews Shebani Sethi, MD, ABOM of Stanford University School of Medicine and Founding Director of the Stanford Metabolic Psychiatry Clinic. She discusses the details of this study which represents a milestone in the field of metabolic psychiatry: It is the first to investigate ketogenic therapy in serious mental illness since 1965.
Standard of care treatments for bipolar disorder and schizophrenia typically exacerbate metabolic dysfunction, often leading to increased cardiometabolic risk and comorbidities that shorten lifespan. This trial showed unique outcomes in terms of dual improvements in both metabolic function and psychiatric symptoms
Key findings of the single-arm pilot trial include:
- 79% of participants showed clinically meaningful psychiatric improvement
- 100% of participants who met the criteria for metabolic syndrome were in remission by the end of the study.
- Reductions were seen in weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and visceral adipose tissue.
- Improvements were identified across all psychiatric measures.
& more
Based on the results of Dr. Sethi’s study, along with preliminary data from a University of Edinburgh trial, Baszucki Group has followed its pilot trial grants with the establishment of a new global funding program: ReThink Bipolar: Researching Therapeutic Integration of Nutritional Ketosis in Bipolar Disorder. To date, the program has announced $8M in funding to McLean Hospital and the University of Pittsburgh for randomized controlled trials combining mechanistic explorations with a clinical ketogenic intervention.
Experts in this episode:
Shebani Sethi MD, ABOM
https://med.stanford.edu/profiles/shebani-sethi#bio
Twitter: @ShebaniMD
Study:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165178124001513?via%3Dihub
Stanford news release:
https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2024/04/keto-diet-mental-illness.html
If you or a loved one are looking to begin ketogenic therapy for a psychiatric condition, visit this page for resources:
https://www.metabolicmind.org/families-and-peers
Dive into the research happening on metabolic psychiatry:
https://www.metabolicmind.org/research
Follow our channel for more information and education from Bret Scher, MD, FACC, including interviews with leading experts in Metabolic Psychiatry.
Learn more about metabolic psychiatry and find helpful resources at https://metabolicmind.org/
About us:
Metabolic Mind is a non-profit initiative of Baszucki Group working to transform the study and treatment of mental disorders by exploring the connection between metabolism and brain health. We leverage the science of metabolic psychiatry and personal stories to offer education, community, and hope to people struggling with mental health challenges and those who care for them.
Our channel is for informational purposes only. We are not providing individual or group medical or healthcare advice nor establishing a provider-patient relationship. Many of the interventions we discuss can have dramatic or potentially dangerous effects if done without proper supervision. Consult your healthcare provider before changing your lifestyle or medications.
#MetabolicMind
#KetoForMentalHealth
#MetabolicPsychiatry
#MetabolicNeuroscience
#KetogenicMetabolicTherapy
#NutritionalKetosis#MentalIllness#AlternativeTreatment#MedicalKeto#KetogenicTherapy
#KetoForBipolar#KetoForSchizophrenia

Apr 8, 2024 • 7min
Are We Biased Toward a Keto Diet?
There are many biases both for and against a keto diet. At Metabolic Mind, an organization focused on ketogenic therapy for psychiatric conditions like bipolar, schizophrenia, and chronic depression, we acknowledge our own pro-keto bias; however, we also are proactive about taking a measured approach, grounding our understanding and content in scientific evidence.
Often, an anti-keto bias may be prevalent among traditional doctors due to limited education on therapeutic ketosis. You can recognize these red flags indicating an anti-keto bias:
- Referring to keto as one “diet”: Keto is not a “diet,” but a physiologic state
- Confounding studies on an incorrect definition of “low-carb” and ketogenic diets: They are not the same thing
- And others
Similarly, here are some claims that show a pro-keto bias and are unsubstantiated claims:
- A keto diet is super easy for everyone to follow: The perceived difficulty of a keto diet will vary for individuals
- All carbs are evil and dangerous: Fibrous carbs can be part of a balanced diet for individuals who have good metabolic health
- And others
At Metabolic Mind, we encourage everyone to take a balanced approach and to think critically about the current scientific evidence to make informed healthcare decisions.
If you or a loved one are looking to begin ketogenic therapy for a psychiatric condition, visit this page for resources:
https://www.metabolicmind.org/families-and-peers
Follow our channel for more information and education from Bret Scher, MD, FACC, including interviews with leading experts in Metabolic Psychiatry.
Learn more about metabolic psychiatry and find helpful resources at https://metabolicmind.org/
About us:
Metabolic Mind is a non-profit initiative of Baszucki Group working to transform the study and treatment of mental disorders by exploring the connection between metabolism and brain health. We leverage the science of metabolic psychiatry and personal stories to offer education, community, and hope to people struggling with mental health challenges and those who care for them.
Our channel is for informational purposes only. We are not providing individual or group medical or healthcare advice nor establishing a provider-patient relationship. Many of the interventions we discuss can have dramatic or potentially dangerous effects if done without proper supervision. Consult your healthcare provider before changing your lifestyle or medications.
#MetabolicMind
#KetoForMentalHealth
#MetabolicPsychiatry
#MetabolicNeuroscience
#KetogenicMetabolicTherapy
#NutritionalKetosis#MentalIllness#AlternativeTreatment#MedicalKeto#KetogenicTherapy
#KetoDiet#AntiKeto

Apr 1, 2024 • 23min
Collaborative Science: How Individuals are Enhancing Research - with Dave Feldman
Dave Feldman is a citizen scientist and founder of Citizen Science Foundation. In this interview, he sits down with us to discuss the success of the 2024 Collaborative Science (CoSci) Conference and how one community is helping make research better.
All proceeds from this year’s CoSci Conference are being used to help fund further research for lean mass hyper-responders. This year’s events included presentations from medical experts, researchers and individuals with their own citizen scientist journeys. The conference was a groundbreaking gathering that highlighted the spirit of scientific discovery.
Dave Feldman, Citizen Scientist
CitizenScienceFoundation.org
X: @realDaveFeldman
More about CoSci:
https://cosci.org/
Watch our interview with Dave about his lean mass hyper-responder study:
https://youtu.be/hNqqr5mqSU4
If you or a loved one are looking to begin ketogenic therapy for a psychiatric condition, visit this page for resources:
https://www.metabolicmind.org/families-and-peers
Follow our channel for more information and education from Bret Scher, MD, FACC, including interviews with leading experts in Metabolic Psychiatry.
Learn more about metabolic psychiatry and find helpful resources at https://metabolicmind.org/
About us:
Metabolic Mind is a non-profit initiative of Baszucki Group working to transform the study and treatment of mental disorders by exploring the connection between metabolism and brain health. We leverage the science of metabolic psychiatry and personal stories to offer education, community, and hope to people struggling with mental health challenges and those who care for them.
Our channel is for informational purposes only. We are not providing individual or group medical or healthcare advice nor establishing a provider-patient relationship. Many of the interventions we discuss can have dramatic or potentially dangerous effects if done without proper supervision. Consult your healthcare provider before changing your lifestyle or medications.
#MetabolicMind
#KetoForMentalHealth
#MetabolicPsychiatry
#MetabolicNeuroscience
#KetogenicMetabolicTherapy
#NutritionalKetosis#MentalIllness#AlternativeTreatment#MedicalKeto#KetogenicTherapy
#CoSci#CollaborativeScience

Mar 25, 2024 • 9min
Why Keto for Mental Health May Not Be Working for You - with Dr. Bret Scher
Dr. Bret Scher, a medical expert in ketogenic therapy and mental health, dives into the complexities of keto for mental wellness. He discusses how individual responses to the ketogenic diet can greatly vary and highlights seven common reasons why it might not be working, such as insufficient ketone levels and nutrient deficiencies. Dr. Scher emphasizes the importance of a tailored approach and suggests working with clinicians to overcome challenges and ensure better outcomes for those struggling with mental health conditions.


