Metabolic Mind

In this interview, Julie Milder, PhD, the director of neuroscience at Baszucki Group, discusses the groundbreaking research being done at the intersection of metabolism and mental health, including 13 clinical trials across eight institutions for ketogenic therapy for serious mental illness. Join us as Dr. Milder explains the importance of flexibility in scientific research, the unique opportunities provided by philanthropic funding, and the Baszucki Group's vision for the future of metabolic psychiatry. 🧑🏻‍🔬 Learn about the current state of the research: https://www.metabolicmind.org/research 🧠 Key Topics Discussed: The role of philanthropy in advancing scientific research The need for research that elucidates the underlying mechanisms of ketogenic therapy The flexibility and risks in funding innovative projects The need for patient-focused, treatment-first approaches The importance of supporting young investigators The vision for integrating metabolic health into psychiatric care The future of multi-site trials and large-scale research collaborations Expert Interviewed: Baszucki Group Director of Neuroscience, Julie Milder, PhD https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliemilder/ 🔗 Related Links: https://baszuckigroup.com/ https://baszuckigroup.com/news/baszucki-group-announces-columbia-universitys-martin-picard-phd-as-inaugural-recipient-of-1-5-million-baszucki-prize-in-science 📢 Stay Connected: Subscribe for more information and education from Bret Scher, MD, FACC, including interviews with leading experts in Metabolic Psychiatry. Follow us on X: @Metabolic_Mind Connect with us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/metabolicmind/ 👥 Join the Conversation: Share your thoughts in the comments below! Have questions? Drop them in the comments. 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 or 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 #BipolarTreatment #KetogenicMetabolicTherapy #NutritionalKetosis#MentalIllness#Science#Research#Psychiatry

There is an escalating crisis of metabolic dysfunction in our youth, with growing rates of obesity, diabetes, and mental illness. Is it safe to use ketogenic therapy in children and teens for better management or reversal of these conditions? Dr. Matthew Calkins, an early career physician board certified in family and obesity medicine, argues it is. A 2023 paper published in the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) exaggerates risks associated with a ketogenic diet in pediatric patients. It also conflates a keto diet for epilepsy with a well-formulated keto diet that can be used to treat obesity, diabetes, and mental health conditions. Dr. Calkins co-authored a rebuttal paper in the Journal of Metabolic Health. In this interview, Dr. Calkins shares more about the paper, as well as some of his experiences running a metabolic clinic at Atrium One Health. He shares his clinical, science-based perspective that ketogenic diets are nutrient-rich (not deficient) and that there is no evidence they trigger eating disorders. He helps patients of all ages make lifestyle changes and improve their health. He loves seeing them achieve dramatic outcomes like reducing BMI or being able to get off insulin. Seeing the explosion of research on ketogenic therapy for a variety of health conditions, Dr. Calkins is optimistic about the future of healthcare. Experts in this video: X: @MattCalkinsMD https://www.wakehealth.edu/providers/c/matthew-william-calkins Related Resources: Carbohydrate reduction for metabolic disease is distinct from the ketogenic diet for epilepsy https://journalofmetabolichealth.org/index.php/jmh/article/view/95 Low-Carbohydrate Diets in Children and Adolescents With or at Risk for Diabetes https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/152/4/e2023063755/193955/Low-Carbohydrate-Diets-in-Children-and-Adolescents?autologincheck=redirected 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 #KetogenicMetabolicTherapy #NutritionalKetosis#MedicalKeto#KetogenicTherapy #KetoDiet#KetoForPediatrics#KetoForDiabetes#KetoForObesity#KetoForKids

Discover the potential of ketogenic therapy for mental health and the vital role of collaborating with trained clinicians. Explore personal journeys and the challenges in accessing metabolic psychiatry. Learn about risks like hypomania and the importance of monitoring during the ketogenic diet. Delve into different treatment approaches tailored to individual needs, and find out how intermittent fasting can enhance the effects of keto. Personal experiences and resources are shared to support those on their metabolic journey.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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