The Ketogenic Diet as a Transdiagnostic Treatment for Neuropsychiatric Disorders: Mechanisms and Clinical Outcomes

I'm delighted to share this new systematic review from our team including 53 publications representing 1,906 individuals!
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Mental Health Crisis at a Glance:

Neuropsychiatric disorders cause 19% of global disability and cost ~$1.7 trillion annually.

Shared metabolic dysfunction (like mitochondrial issues, inflammation, & glucose hypometabolism) could hold the key to improving mental health.

Enter the ketogenic diet.

Debunking Misinformation About Low-Carb Diets 🧵

The debate around low-carb diets has sparked plenty of myths, especially concerning their efficacy and safety. Let’s set the record straight with some evidence-based facts. Myth 1: Low-carb diets don’t work for weight loss.

Reality: Multiple studies, including this meta-analysis of 25 RCTs, show that low-carb diets result in greater short-term weight loss compared to comparison diets. The results are clear—low-carb diets do work, especially in the first 6-8 months.
…ubs.pericles-prod.literatumonline.com/doi/10.1111/do…

🧵 1/9 It's going to be extremely difficult to solve the mental health crisis when misconceptions about the causes of mental illness persist. Some believe the rates of mental illness can't be increasing—despite the data showing otherwise. #MentalHealthCrisis 2/9 On the other hand, there are those who argue that mental illness is only a result of trauma or social adversity. These perspectives, while important, overlook a crucial reality: mental illness can occur even in the absence of trauma and social adversity.

New! 🧵 1/11

Researchers at UC San Diego are developing a novel anti-inflammatory diet for first-episode psychosis (FEP) to address inflammation and metabolic issues.

Let’s dive into the details and see how this ties into ketogenic diet research for psychosis. 2/11
sciencedirect.com/science/articl…

How can you get your body to burn more calories?

Here are 9 strategies to consider...
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Build Muscle Mass: Engage in resistance training to increase muscle mass, as muscle tissue burns more calories than fat tissue, even at rest.

🧵1/ It's sad how much disagreement and fighting there is among different diet tribes, fitness enthusiasts, and health advocates. These conflicts often overshadow the vast amount of common ground we all share. 🧵2/ Whether you're into keto, veganism, paleo, or any other diet, the core message is often the same: prioritize whole foods, minimize processed junk, and take care of your body.

The human body usually has the ability to heal itself.

Although this may sound like "woo woo" science, it's true.

When people understand the complex science of promoting healing, they are led to some basic, common-sense strategies... 1. Give your body and brain what they need:

* Real food
* Adequate hydration
* Restorative sleep
* Movement/exercise
* Purpose in life
* Connections/relationships
* Appropriate light exposure

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The hidden epidemic of depression... in people over 60.

Antidepressant use INCREASES WITH AGE in the US.

https://twitter.com/ChrisPalmerMD/status/1737086964262682947

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cdc.gov/nchs/products/…

When providers talk to people about changing their health behaviors— eating less or exercising more—they often get similar answers: “It’s too hard,” or, “I don’t have enough energy.” 🧵 These answers are almost always met with strong disapproval. They are viewed as excuses for laziness, or signs of not taking the issue seriously enough, or of a lack of discipline.

Defining what "dysfunction" means is difficult and has been a challenge to scientists; it can mean very different things in different research studies. 🧵 The same can be said for cars. If a car is “dysfunctional,” what does that mean? It could mean that the engine sputters when traveling down the highway.

Let’s talk about #mitochondria and #mentalhealth. Specifically, mitochondrial dysfunction…

Mitochondrial dysfunction is the term most frequently used to describe impairment in mitochondrial function. 🧵 The diseases and illnesses that have been associated with mitochondrial dysfunction are widespread, and the list includes almost all of the psychiatric disorders.

A #health lesson 🧵

If a plant isn’t thriving, you should give it more water, right?

Well… yes, sometimes.

Less water?

Well… yes, sometimes. Maybe try more sunlight?

Well, yes, sometimes.

Less sunlight?

Well, yes, sometimes.

Ready for a quick #science lesson? 🧵

In your body, energy needs to be produced in the right amount, in the right place, at the right time, and it goes through an unimaginably fast recycling process that involves #mitochondria. The #mitochondria that aren’t moving appear to stay in places where things are always happening—either near factories where proteins are made (ribosomes) or synapses where there is a lot of activity, which is a very important fact relevant to how the #brain functions.