Metabolic Mind

Emerging evidence suggests mitochondrial dysfunction can cause or contribute to many psychiatric and neurologic disorders. To promote metabolic and mental health, it’s crucial to better understand mitochondria and what we can do to keep them healthy. As Dr. Martin Picard explains, mitochondria are small components of cells that are involved in just about every disease process, and by extension, in...

Dr. Mary Newport saw first hand the beneficial effects ketones can have for Alzheimer’s dementia when her husband experienced dramatic cognitive improvements. But this was back in 2008 when coconut oil or MCT oil wasn’t easy to find, and metabolic neuroscience was rarely discussed. Fast forward to 2023, and we now have multiple studies demonstrating improved cognition with ketogenic interventions...

Nutritionist Amy Berger literally wrote the book on using therapeutic nutritional ketosis from a ketogenic diet to prevent and treat Alzheimer’s dementia. Now Ms. Berger joins us to review two new studies about ketosis and Alzheimer’s disease and how they fit into the overall scientific basis. Expert featured in this episode: Amy Berger, Certified Nutrition Specialist https://www.tuitnutrition.com...

A new program for treating Anorexia Nervosa with Ketogenic Therapy called AnorExit is accepting clients. Early evidence and clinical experience indicate that therapeutic nutritional ketosis from a ketogenic diet may effectively treat anorexia nervosa. That's because therapeutic ketosis is much more than a so-called "restrictive diet." Ketosis changes how our brains create energy and...

Anorexia nervosa is a devastating eating disorder with the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric illness. Restricted diets are considered contraindicated in anorexia. However, emerging evidence suggests that therapeutic nutritional ketosis from a ketogenic diet could be a safe and effective treatment for those battling anorexia. In this podcast, we share the stories of participants of the firs...

Caroline lived with anorexia for 15 years and got to the point where she gave up hope of ever recovering and living a “normal” life. That is until her aunt, Dr. Barbara Scolnick, helped Caroline start a ketogenic diet and ketamine infusions. The result was dramatic. Caroline says she is now cured of her anorexia and lives the “normal” life she never thought she would. But it took courage, support,...

A new study of Ketogenic Diet for treating Anorexia Nervosa will launch at UC San Diego in late summer 2023. Leading psychiatrist and researcher Dr. Guido Frank joins The Metabolic Mind Podcast to discuss the goals and design of the upcoming trial. Patients will be enrolled for a study duration of 16 weeks. Dr. Frank also discusses the lack of new treatment paradigms for Anorexia, as well as poten...

Dr. Matthew Bernstein is a Harvard-trained psychiatrist with over two decades of clinical experience. Yet, despite his extensive training and experience, he wasn’t helping his patients thrive as he had hoped. So when a personal experience led him to nutritional ketosis, he realized this could be a missing link for helping his patients. Over the ensuing year, Dr. Bernstein has focused on metabolic...

Michelle Hurn put her anorexia into remission using nutritional ketosis through a ketogenic diet. That meant going against everything she was taught as a patient and as a dietitian. Now she wants to share her journey and help others achieve similar breakthrough results. But the path wasn’t easy. In this interview, you’ll hear how Michelle struggled for years to treat her anorexia and how she had t...

There’s a common belief that being in nutritional ketosis or following a ketogenic diet increases your risk of developing heart disease. But the reality is there is no such evidence. Instead, the incorrect belief is based on inaccurate and misleading data, and the assumption that LDL cholesterol increases in everyone on a keto diet. But, as board-certified cardiologist and lipidologist Dr. Bret Sc...

Metabolic health is strongly connected to mental health, and metabolic therapies, like nutritional ketosis, or the insulin-sensitizing medication metformin, can improve psychiatric symptoms or even put them into remission. But how strong is the evidence connecting metabolic and mental health? Stanford psychiatrist Dr. Shebani Sethi and Dalhousie psychiatrist Dr. Cynthia Calkin help us explore the...

Can a keto diet help with tapering psychiatric medications in conditions like bipolar disorder, depression, schizophrenia, anxiety, or other psychiatric illness? Can you decrease or even stop taking some or all of your medications? There is no universal answer to this question; it depends on the individual.  Psychotropic medications are typically first-line therapy for treating serious mental illn...

A newly published pilot study indicates a keto diet combined with ketamine infusions can dramatically improve anorexia nervosa eating disorder. But it may not be right for everyone. Hear from the study’s authors about why they conducted the study and who they think this approach could help. Experts featured in this video: Barbara Scolnick, MD Internist and Eating Disorder Specialist Guido Frank, M...

Metabolic dysfunction, such as insulin resistance and pre-diabetes, is closely associated with symptoms of depression. But how do we know if metabolic dysfunction causes depression? Or if metabolic therapies could treat depression? Those are more difficult questions to answer, but there is accumulating biological evidence that links insulin resistance and depressive disorders. Dr. Natalie Rasgon,...

Here's an inspiring story of one family using nutritional ketosis to treat dementia and eventually regain their lives. While everyone may not have as dramatic benefits from a keto diet, Mary and her daughter Suzi demonstrate what's possible. Born with Down's Syndrome, Suzi lived with cognitive delay but was always able to enjoy her life and her family. Then, at the age of 43, dementia...

Dr. Cynthia Calkin's study using Metformin in treatment-resistant Bipolar Disorder showed that improving insulin resistance dramatically improved depression outcomes. This research is helping shift the paradigm for how we treat bipolar disorder. Her clinical practice and research studies demonstrate that metabolic dysfunction significantly contributes to mental illness and, perhaps even more i...

If you or a loved one lives with bipolar disorder, this podcast is one you don’t want to miss. Dr. Iain Campbell is a shining example of what “success” looks like in treating serious mental illness. For years, Dr. Campbell took medications to minimize his most serious symptoms of Bipolar Disorder but never felt well. Then, by chance, he tried a  ketogenic diet, which, as he describes it, “turned t...

Metabolic Mind is a non-profit initiative providing education & resources at the intersection of metabolic & mental health. Metabolic interventions like nutritional ketosis are being used to treat serious mental illnesses like Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia, & Major Depressive Disorder. We are here to help you learn if a ketogenic lifestyle could help you or a loved one living with a...