Discover the powerful link between diet and mental health in this deep dive. It’s not nearly as simple as most people think. Learn six different ways that your food choices can impact mood, energy, and even severe mental health conditions. From nutrient deficiencies to the Mediterranean and ketogenic diets, I unpack the science of food for brain health. Don’t miss this transformative guide to eating for your mind!
Dietary interventions have significant potential as a transdiagnostic treatment for neuropsychiatric disorders in Epilepsy, Bipolar Disorder, Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), Schizophrenia, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Migraine, Anxiety Disorders, Stress-Related Disorders, Multiple Sclerosis (MS).
Studies and mentioned:
Sapien Labs report looks at the impact of ultra-processed food on mental wellbeing: https://sapienlabs.org/whats_new/report-out-from-sapien-labs-examines-impact-of-ultra-processed-food-on-mental-wellbeing/
Diets and Disorders: Can Foods or Fasting Be Considered Psychopharmacologic Therapies?: https://www.psychiatrist.com/jcp/can-foods-or-fasting-be-psychopharmacologic-therapies/
SMILES Trial: https://bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12916-017-0791-y
PREDIMED Study: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1800389?query=featured_home
The Ketogenic Diet as a Transdiagnostic Treatment for Neuropsychiatric Disorders: Mechanisms and Clinical Outcomes: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40501-024-00339-4
I hope this video answered some of your questions about how food and dietary interventions can impact and improve mental health. If you would like to hear me share my thoughts on other mental health topics please fill out this form!
Dr. Christopher Palmer is a Harvard psychiatrist and researcher working at the interface of metabolism and mental health. He is the Founder and Director of the Metabolic and Mental Health Program and the Director of the Department of Postgraduate and Continuing Education at McLean Hospital and an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. For almost 30 years, he has held administrative, educational, research, and clinical roles in psychiatry at McLean and Harvard. He has been pioneering the use of the medical ketogenic diet in the treatment of psychiatric disorders—conducting research in this area, treating patients, writing, and speaking around the world on this topic. Most recently, he has proposed that mental disorders can be understood as metabolic disorders affecting the brain, which has received widespread recognition in both national and international media outlets.
