Eating this diet has massive impact on symptoms of depression in a matter of months, scientists say
Students say this popular diet improved their mental health
- A pilot study suggests the ketogenic (keto) diet could significantly reduce depression symptoms, potentially by 70 per cent in under three months.
- Research involving 16 Ohio State University students indicated that the diet outperformed current treatments by 20 per cent in symptom reduction.
- Participants in the study also experienced improved cognitive test performance and weight loss, factors previously linked to better mental health.
- While the exact mechanism is not yet fully understood, the keto diet involves a high-fat, low-carbohydrate intake, shifting the body's energy source to ketones.
- This finding supports previous research, including a Stanford Medicine trial, which also linked the keto diet to improvements in serious mental illnesses like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.