A Keto Diet May Help Psychiatric Disorders. Here’s Why

A ketogenic diet may target metabolic dysfunction in mental illness and the side effects of their medications.

Illustration by The Epoch Times, Shutterstock

People with serious mental illness die, on average, 10 to 25 years earlier than everyone else—not from suicide, but from heart disease, diabetes, and metabolic failure. A growing number of researchers now believe the ketogenic diet could be one promising solution.

The ketogenic diet, which shifts the body’s fuel source from glucose to fat-derived ketones, has long been a clinical tool for drug-resistant epilepsy. Now, early-stage research is exploring whether the same metabolic mechanisms might benefit people living with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

A New Approach to Treating Mental Illness

Traditionally, mental illness has been seen as a disorder of the brain alone. It is becoming clearer, however, that mental health is closely associated with the body’s metabolism.