New evidence from the first-ever RCT shows ketogenic therapy can rapidly improve metabolic health in schizophrenia-spectrum and bipolar I disorders, and shows early signals of psychiatric improvement.
In this video, Dr. Bret Scher breaks down this newly published study led by Dr. Judith Ford at UCSF: the first randomized controlled trial with peer-reviewed results investigating ketogenic therapy in people with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders and bipolar-1 disorder with psychotic features.
You’ll learn:
- How the study was designed (a 1-month randomized phase plus an optional 3-4 month single-arm extension)
- What happened in the first 30 days (clear improvements in metabolic markers; psychiatric outcomes showed trends that did not reach statistical significance in the randomized portion)
- What improved over longer follow-up in the extension phase (encouraging changes in metabolic health, cognition, and psychiatric measures)
- Why this matters for patients and families today, and what future, longer controlled trials need to confirm
Published in Schizophrenia Bulletin and funded by the NIMH and Baszucki Group, this study adds to the growing literature on the potential benefit of ketogenic therapy for psychiatric disorders.
These results indicate the need for larger, extended randomized controlled trials to test the safety and efficacy of ketogenic therapy in patients living with serious mental illness.
👉 Learn more about the study by visiting our website: https://www.metabolicmind.org/trials/featured-post/peer-reviewed-results-of-first-ever-randomized-controlled-trial-of-ketogenic-diet-in-schizophrenia-spectrum-and-bipolar-i-disorder/
🔎 Have questions about how to apply metabolic therapies effectively? Submit them at metabolicmind.org/questions to be featured in a future Metabolic Mailbag episode.
Expert Featured:
Dr. Bret Scher, MD, FACC
- Baszucki Group Medical Director
- https://x.com/bschermd
Resources Mentioned:
Metabolic improvements with a ketogenic diet correlate with symptom improvement in psychosis: A randomized controlled trial
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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.