Metabolic Mind

GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and Wegovy are changing how the medical system approaches obesity and metabolic disease. But are they a replacement for dietary intervention? Or are dietary interventions a replacement for these medications? Could they be used together for even better outcomes? In this conversation, Dr. David Ludwig (Harvard, Boston Children’s Hospital) and journalist Gary Taubes exp...

Ketogenic therapy for mental illness is changing lives. And now, it’s becoming more accessible than ever. Dr. Bret Scher chats with licensed mental health counselor Nicole Laurent about her innovative online program and nonprofit initiative aimed at providing low-to-no-cost metabolic therapy support to people with serious mental illness. Nicole shares how her own journey through cognitive impairme...

Does psychiatric medication withdrawal exist — or is it just a myth? For anyone who’s lived through it, the question alone can feel insulting. Psychiatric drug withdrawal is real. While the experience varies widely, for many, it’s not “brief and mild” as many guidelines state it is. It can be intense, destabilizing, and often misunderstood. One of the most painful challenges is trying to determine...

Visceral fat, insulin resistance, and metabolic dysfunction are driving the chronic disease epidemic—and yet, they're still misunderstood. In this compelling conversation, former FDA commissioner Dr. David Kessler, MD, explains why he believes visceral adiposity is the greatest public health failure of our lifetime. Dr. Kessler brings decades of experience (as a pediatrician, legal expert, policy...

What if We're Using GLP-1 Medications All Wrong? Drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro are transforming the landscape of medical weight loss, but could their side effects be a sign that we’re not harnessing their full therapeutic potential? In this eye-opening conversation, Dr. Ben Bikman, metabolic health researcher and professor at BYU, joins Dr. Bret Scher to explore a powerful new framework...

Did you know that your blood sugar spikes differ from everyone else's? Even with the same food! A new study in Nature Medicine supports what many have long suspected: there is no one-size-fits-all diet. The foods that spike your blood sugar might not affect someone else the same way, and your unique metabolic profile could be the reason why. In this episode of the Metabolic Mind podcast, Baszucki...

Can ketogenic therapy help treat multiple mental health disorders at once? In this video, we explore a dramatic case report where ketogenic therapy put bipolar depression, binge eating disorder, anxiety, PTSD, and ADHD into remission. Clinical psychologist Dr. Erin Louise Bellamy joins Dr. Bret Scher to discuss her recently published case report of a 38-year-old woman whose life went from “a mind...

Can adenosine and a ketogenic diet help treat addiction? New research explores the powerful role of adenosine, dopamine, and metabolic health in addiction, and how dietary strategies could support recovery. In this interview, Dr. Bret Scher speaks with Dr. Susan Masino, a neuroscience and psychology professor at Trinity College, about her groundbreaking work on adenosine and its potential to regul...

Have you ever thought about stopping psychiatric medications? Maybe you have tried it. If so, you’re not alone. Many individual across the world have considered or tried stopping their psychiatric medications and success is variable. The withdrawal from psychiatric medication tapering can be incredibly complex, and doing it safely requires both medical and psychological support. But, as Dr. Anders...

Is it really treatment-resistant depression or are we using the wrong treatments? In this episode, Dr. Bret Scher is joined by psychiatrist Dr. Georgia Ede to examine a new large, population-based analysis on the use of antipsychotics versus third-line antidepressants in people diagnosed with treatment-resistant depression, and what effect that has on suicide risk. They discuss: What treatment-res...

Are ketogenic diets dangerous? What about nutrient deficiencies, gout, gut health, keto rash, bone density loss, or kidney stones? In this video, registered dietitian and ketogenic therapy expert Beth Zupec-Kania, RDN, CD, shares insights from over 30 years of clinical experience to address the most common concerns and misconceptions about ketogenic therapies From vitamin and mineral intake to gal...

Is nutrition research getting the support it needs to inform public health policy? Despite the rise in chronic diseases related to lifestyle factors like diet, nutrition research only receives $2.2 billion of the $30 billion NIH budget. At first glance, this may seem like a lot of money, but its utilization is spread thin, and, as Dr. David Ludwig and Gary Taubes highlight in this interview, it’s...

Can exogenous ketones help treat mental illness? In this interview, psychiatry resident and researcher in the Netherlands Dr. Karin Huizer shares groundbreaking insights into her pilot study using ketone esters for mental health. The hope is that this early research will inform us to whether or not supplemental ketones are a viable option for mental health, which could be especially useful for pat...

Youth mental illness is on the rise, and treatment options are often limited, especially for kids with bipolar disorder. This Mental Health Awareness Month, we’re highlighting a groundbreaking new real-world data collection funded by the Baszucki Group exploring ketogenic therapy as a promising intervention for children and adolescents living with bipolar disorder. In this interview, Elizabeth Err...

Can ketogenic therapy help reduce or even resolve symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)? Dr. Chris Palmer and research assistant Aaron MacDonald join Metabolic Mind to discuss one of the first published case series exploring metabolic and ketogenic interventions for OCD. In this video, you’ll learn: - Why OCD deserves more attention as a serious, life-limiting condition - How three indiv...

Can ketogenic therapy improve both cardiovascular and mental health? A new study at Mayo Clinic is exploring that question—and during Mental Health Awareness Month, it's especially exciting to see one of the world’s most prestigious medical institutions investigating the connection between ketogenic therapy and psychiatric care. This research marks a powerful full-circle moment: the ketogenic...

Dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and cognitive decline should not be inevitable parts of aging. In this interview, Dr. Lily Mujica-Parodi and Dr. Kirk Nylen join Dr. Bret Scher to discuss groundbreaking research revealing a key metabolic midlife marker of accelerated cognitive decline and a potential solution for slowing it. In this interview, you’ll learn: Why brain network stability rapidly declin...

Mitochondria do more than power our cells: they shape how we think, feel, and experience the world. In this interview, Dr. Martin Picard breaks down his new research that illuminates how mitochondria affect brain energy, brain networks, mental health, and ultimately, our quality of life. Dr. Picard walks us through his team's revolutionary brain mapping study, which examined over 700 sections of t...

Creatine isn’t just for gym gains, it supports your brain too! Creatine is best known for boosting physical performance, but research has also identified its ability to improve areas of cognitive function like memory and mood. Research suggests that when creatine is used alongside first-line treatments, like antidepressants and CBT, it may enhance therapeutic outcomes, leading to faster and more r...

The first-ever clinical trial of ketogenic therapy for pediatric bipolar disorder is now enrolling. In March, we announced two new initiatives funded by the Baszucki Group aiming to explore ketogenic metabolic therapy in pediatric bipolar patients. The first major initiative—now actively enrolling participants—is a multi-site clinical trial conducted by four institutions within the Baszucki Group-...

Could ketogenic therapy change the future of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) treatment? The CDC estimates that 1 in 36 children are affected by ASD but due to the wide variety of signs and symptoms associated, it’s likely that this doesn’t account for everyone impacted. And treatment options are scarce and vary in effectiveness. In this video, Dr. Bret Scher sits down with Dr. Eline Dekeyster, Assi...

Can type 2 diabetes be reversed, eliminating the need for medications with completely normal blood sugar levels? For decades, type 2 diabetes has been considered a chronic, progressive conditions and the standard approach has been to just manage it to slow it down. But what if remission was possible? Dr. David Unwin, a UK-based NHS physician, has demonstrated how low-carb and ketogenic interventio...

Not all medical research is created equal, so how do we know which studies to trust? The phrase evidence-based medicine (EBM) is often misunderstood and misused. What does it truly mean to rely on evidence in clinical decision-making? Dr. Gordon Guyatt, the father of the term evidence-based medicine, explains how to assess scientific studies, understand the strength of different types of evidence,...

Can the ketogenic diet help kids with bipolar disorder? We are excited to announce new research is finally exploring this question. The ketogenic diet was first discovered over 100 years ago for children with epilepsy. Could ketogenic therapy also improve mental health outcomes for youth with serious conditions like bipolar disorder? Dr. Kirk Nylen joins Dr. Bret Scher to discuss two groundbreakin...

Can you safely taper off psychiatric medications? And what are the potential harms of long-term psychiatric care? Laura Delano spent years as a professional patient, navigating psychiatric diagnoses, multiple medications, and a life defined by treatment. In this interview, Laura discusses her 13-year experience as a psychiatric patient, the impact of long-term medication use, and how she took cont...