{"id":140998,"date":"2025-09-13T12:48:13","date_gmt":"2025-09-13T12:48:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/140998\/"},"modified":"2025-09-13T12:48:13","modified_gmt":"2025-09-13T12:48:13","slug":"keto-diet-may-improve-symptoms-pilot-study-shows","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/140998\/","title":{"rendered":"Keto Diet May Improve Symptoms, Pilot Study Shows"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"KetoShare on Pinterest<\/a>Emerging evidence suggests that a ketogenic diet could help support mental health. Alexander Spatari\/Getty ImagesA new pilot study reports that young adults experienced a 70% reduction in depression symptoms after following a ketogenic diet.Participants also reported improvements in cognitive performance, overall well-being, and modest weight loss.Researchers suggest that nutritional ketosis could potentially serve as an adjunctive therapy alongside medication and counseling.However, a keto diet is not a replacement for professional mental health support, and further research is needed before keto can be recommended as a standalone treatment.<\/p>\n

The pilot trial tracked 16 college students with major depressive disorder over 10\u201312 weeks and found that participants experienced a roughly 70% decrease in depression scores. <\/p>\n

They also experienced improvements in overall well-being, cognitive performance, and even modest weight loss.<\/p>\n

The 16 students who completed the pilot trial were receiving medication, counseling, or both for major depressive disorder (MDD)<\/a> before beginning the keto diet. <\/p>\n

The findings suggest that attaining nutritional ketosis<\/a> through diet is a feasible adjunctive therapy for depression and pave the way for a larger clinical trial. The findings were published on September 10 in Translational Psychiatry<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Previous research<\/a> has suggested that medications and counseling reduce depressive symptoms by about 50% in a similar time period.<\/p>\n

\u201cA 70% drop in depression symptoms in just 10\u201312 weeks is impressive, especially alongside better well-being and memory, said Shelly Dar<\/a>, a therapist specializing in anxiety and mood disorders. Dar wasn\u2019t involved in the study.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I\u2019d stress that this was a small pilot without a control group, so we can\u2019t say keto caused the change,\u201d she told Healthline.<\/p>\n

The effects of the ketogenic diet on neurological conditions like epilepsy<\/a> are well established. Therefore, the potential brain health benefits of ketosis are of increasing interest to researchers.<\/p>\n

When the body is in a state of ketosis, the brain shifts from using glucose as its primary energy source to ketones, explained Mike Kocsis, founder of Balance My Hormones<\/a> in the United Kingdom. Kocsis wasn\u2019t involved in the new pilot study. <\/p>\n

\u201cIn the Ohio State study, the participants not only had lower depression scores but also showed better cognitive performance, which means overall brain function has improved,\u201d Kocsis noted.<\/p>\n

Emerging evidence suggests a ketogenic diet may support other mental health conditions.<\/p>\n

Early studies have examined the effects of the keto diet on various neurological and psychiatric conditions, including:<\/p>\n

Larger studies, of course, are needed to confirm these findings.<\/p>\n

The results of the new pilot study are certainly encouraging, but the research has some limitations. <\/p>\n

Dar noted the findings show potential, not necessarily proof. Larger, more rigorous studies are needed before the keto diet should be recommended as a first-line treatment for depression.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn my therapy work, I see how much clients want practical options they can control themselves, so findings like this feel encouraging, even if we need more evidence,\u201d she added. <\/p>\n

Still, the keto diet should not be viewed as a substitute for medication or professional help. \u201cI see diet as an add-on, not a replacement,\u201d Dar said. <\/p>\n

\u201cIn the study, students kept their usual medication and counselling. That\u2019s the safe model; we don\u2019t want people dropping therapy or antidepressants<\/a> in favor of a restrictive diet,\u201d she continued.<\/p>\n

According to Dar, there usually isn\u2019t one single \u201cfix\u201d when it comes to treating depression.<\/p>\n

Kocsis agreed. \u201cDietary interventions such as keto should be seen as complementary, not replacements, for certain treatments,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

There are risks to consider, too. \u201cKeto can be socially isolating, hard to stick to, and risky if you\u2019ve ever struggled with disordered eating,\u201d Dar said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a therapist, I\u2019d be mindful of the psychological impact of restrictive eating. It can either empower someone or tip them into old, unhelpful patterns,\u201d she noted.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re experiencing symptoms associated with depression, remember that you\u2019re not alone. Reach out to your doctor or a mental health professional for support.<\/p>\n

If your doctor recommends the keto diet to complement your mental health treatment, Kocsis said to transition gradually. \u201cSlowly start to reduce carbs over 1-2 weeks rather than cutting them overnight, as this will help minimize \u2018keto-flu\u2019 symptoms like fatigue and headaches,\u201d he advised. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a good idea to focus on whole foods, plenty of non-starchy vegetables, healthy fats such as olive oil<\/a>, nuts, and avocado<\/a>, and quality protein sources to avoid nutrient gaps,\u201d he added. <\/p>\n

Dar noted that other, less restrictive dietary patterns, such as increasing your intake of whole foods<\/a> and following a Mediterranean-style diet<\/a>, have been shown to help support mood.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat matters most is finding a sustainable routine that supports mental health without adding extra stress or pressure,\u201d Dar said.<\/p>\n

Diet aside, Dar said not to underestimate the power of healthy habits<\/a> like good sleep, exercise, therapy, social support, and cutting back on alcohol<\/a> or illicit substances. <\/p>\n

\u201cThese are powerful tools for mood, and I\u2019d encourage anyone to build those habits, whether or not they try keto,\u201d she said. \u201cSmall consistent changes like better sleep or daily structure can be just as stabilizing as bigger interventions.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Share on PinterestEmerging evidence suggests that a ketogenic diet could help support mental health. Alexander Spatari\/Getty ImagesA new…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":140999,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[49,48,84,75802,393,394],"class_list":{"0":"post-140998","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-mental-health","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-health","11":"tag-keto-diet-improves-depression-symptoms-pilot-study","12":"tag-mental-health","13":"tag-mentalhealth"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/140998","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=140998"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/140998\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/140999"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=140998"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=140998"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=140998"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}