First RCT of Keto for Schizophrenia & Bipolar Disorder: Results & Future Directions

New results from first-of-its-kind randomized controlled trial on a ketogenic diet for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder with psychosis offer important insights into metabolic psychiatry and mental health treatment.

In this interview, Dr. Bret Scher sits down with Dr. Julie Milder to walk through the study results, recently published in Schizophrenia Bulletin. As the first RCT in psychosis-spectrum conditions to publish in the peer-reviewed literature, it’s an important step toward understanding how metabolic interventions may play a role in serious mental illness.

Key insights from the study:

• In the 1-month randomized portion of the trial, the ketogenic group showed significant improvements in metabolic health markers compared to diet-as-usual
• Psychiatric symptoms trended toward improvement, but were not statistically significant at 1 month
• Participants who opted into the ketogenic extension part of the study (4 total months of keto), saw improvements in depression, cognition, and positive and negative symptoms.

In this video, Dr. Milder also breaks down important additional context about the limitations of the study, including the length of the randomized portion of the trial and the variance in dietary support between the two diet groups.

This study adds to growing evidence linking metabolic health and psychiatric conditions and explores whether ketogenic therapy may play a role in addressing underlying mechanisms.

👉 Want to learn more about the trial? Visit our study page: 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. Julie Milder

• Baszucki Group Director of Neuroscience
• http://linkedin.com/in/juliemilder

Dr. Bret Scher

• 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

• https://doi.org/10.1093/schbul/sbag082

Free CME Clinician Trainings:

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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.