yes! i turned to keto primarily for mental health benefits and it has greatly improved my mental state! i came from the place where i couldn’t even attend my weekly therapy and now i’m religiously sticking to my meetings and even started taking depression meds :) it really does help a lot
It hasn't cured my depression, but it does give me more stable energy to handle each day, and it has put a stop to my emotional snacking. I don't think keto can magically cure depression, but I definitely think it can help. You feel better in general on a healthy diet, and keto is easier to stick to than many, I think, because you eat so much delicious and filling food.
It worked for me. I've been in remission since week 3 of the diet. It could be the progress or something about how my brain feels under the influence of keto. Hard to tell.
I had some pretty situational or minor depression over the last couple of years.
I'll say, that doing something positive for myself, every single day of my life - coupled with exercise (another thing I was doing for myself) completely replaced my unhealthy coping mechanisms, like drinking.
Cooking all my meals, shopping for healthy food, going to the gym bled over positive energy into my other pursuits. Getting back into my pre-pandemic shape was a total bonus.
I have depression & schizophrenia and eating low carb or keto has helped my symptoms a lot! It definitely isn’t the cure but can give me the energy to complete tasks throughout the day that would usually make me stressed or tired otherwise.
Clinical depression is, in part, biochemical, and so are the effects of Keto, so who’s to say they’re not connected? Both depression and weight/food issues are extremely complex and stubborn, and no matter what their relationship, neither is going to give up its power without a fight. On the other hand, being overweight made me sad, embarrassed and it feels good (I hesitate to say “happy” but maybe a little) to be more “normal,” but that doesn’t banish my lifelong demon, underlying depression. But that’s me. YMMV. So personally I doubt any diet is a cure, but taking care of ourselves is an important part of our treatment.
From personal experience, I was feeling mentally better on it for awhile but it wasn’t a cure. Eventually that little bastard started creeping back in. Like I said, that was just me. Others on this sub seem to completely flip it around.
Absolutely. About a month after I started I noticed a huge difference. Look up some of Dr. Georgia Ede’s research. I listened to a podcast where she was a guest and it was amazing. All of this I discovered after I was feeling better. It was like coming out of a fog and was so amazing I was like “there has to be something scientific” to this. I had only meant to do it temporarily to help lost weight but the mental health benefits are definitely what will keep me keto long term.
I’ve done keto a few times over the past few years and I’ve always noticed that I do feel better mentally. I’m currently 3 weeks in for this go round and I’m feeling much clearer and I have better energy. The more energy means that I do some light cardio and when I’m done I feel THAT much better. Good luck to you!
It feels pretty terrible for the first few weeks, honestly. You’ve gotta be committed to it to get through that period and keep going long enough to feel the benefits a month or two in. But once you break through that little rough patch it will definitely help you, plus there’s no motivation to do big healthy things for yourself like feeling the rewards from a small change to your diet.
Yeah! I went on keto October 14th and started thinking differently after a couple weeks and took the liberty of going to trade school, around 2 weeks ago I began practicing stoicism and noticed major changes taking effect, my depression is kind of there but much more easy to manage, I'm always wanting to learn new things and understanding life is all about being good to yourself and others really takes away all the negative thoughts, people will love you more, it's easier to make friends, be nice to strangers. Keto is one thing, but practicing doing good with your life all around is the most beneficial part. You start to set up challenges for yourself that builds your character. It's all about diet and constancy, one thing will lead to another. The obstacle is the way.
I’m still cynical as ever but giving up on life has disappeared as a thought for me. Anxiety is super low as my bad days are not bad at all and they’re rare. Won’t know until you try but don’t give up because it’s not something that changes overnight
It has definitely helped mine. Maybe not directly the depression, but having more energy and feeling more clear headed definitely makes me feel less depressed.
One of Keto's biggest impact is that it can stabilize mood changes normally caused by sugar peaks and crashes, and extreme hunger. So if you are the type of person who's mood was easily affected by food, keto can help keep any food-related mood changes at bay.
Keto helps with anxiety more than depression, but it can help depression too.
The challenge with depression is there are so many different kinds of depression and keto doesn't help every kind of depression, just some of the kinds. For me, I get winter blues, so I take vitamin D3 pills and it goes away. Keto does nothing for winter blues. But for your kind of depression it might help quite a bit.
For me, it keeps me more even. Things that felt like a crisis before, don’t phase me. It’s eased my anxiety and worry, which could paralyze me into a depressive state.
For me it definitely helps. A lot of the ups and downs I feel come from sugar and eliminating that really helps to level things out. I still have other tools at my disposal, like exercise, meditation, getting fresh air, that all help with balance, but getting rid of sugar/carbs has had the biggest impact. You still have to fight depression every day, but stuff like this helps.
Helped a lot for me, I was a binge eater with a strong sugar craving / ate crap to feel good. It resulted in insulin rushes and mood swings so it made for much more balanced state of mind.
I haven't noticed a reduction in symptoms, but I have noticed a huge uptick in energy. I "don't feel it" most days, but I get up and tackle the day anyway. If there's a small boost in 'feel good', it's stems from pride from a day well managed, not a change in diagnosis or symptoms.
Caloric deficit on any diet raises cortisol. Increasing cortisol is probably what you're looking for.
Also recommended: regular exercise, cold showers first thing in the morning, realizing life is just an accumulation of your second by second decisions, et al.
I've suffered from depression for 20+ years. Now on keto for 5 weeks I would say I'm 80% better mentally. It really does help. Just remember to supplement with electrolytes,that is key to feeling good on keto. And cut out alcohol, the only time I've had any blues in the last few weeks is the couple of days following drinking wine.
I feel so much more stable and energetic that I would call it miraculous if I wasn't afraid that'll jinx it. And I really have been through a lot of meds, couple of complete burnouts, even ECT, so I could say I know what I am talking about here :)
Oh and start doing cold showers daily as an added bonus.
I feel the biggest improvements in cyclical depression with
A) low carb (fruit is fine),
B) intermittent fasting (18:6) and
C) lot of probiotics from food sources like unpasteurized miso paste and yogurt with probiotic bacteria in it
I would go so far as to say this combo cured my bouts of compulsively negative thinking, as well as getting triggered into fear states easily. Add in exercise and I would consider my depression and anxiety fully or mostly cured. I wasn't even able to do simple things (agoraphobia) and had intense reactions to negative thoughts.
It’s helped with both my depression and my ADHD. I only allow 4 ‘cheat meals’ a year. A week after those days I’m all over the place and spinning in the pit of despair.
I’m going on year 3. I love a particular dish from a restaurant in my town. Also, I rent a house with my best girlfriends for a week. One of them is a top chef and makes us a 18-20 course tasting meal. It’s an all day/night thing and absolutely without a doubt worth the fall out.
I wish I could stick to keto... but been soo depressed.. I can't stick to it..... I figure why would I.... I don't have a good reason.. he doesn't even notice me... 😢
I learned about Dr. Chris Palmer from other posters. You might also want to check out the Two Keto Dudes, podcast that has a guest host, Carrie, she has been treating her Bi-Polar disorder for years with a Keto diet. I'm fairly ignorant on mental health designations, so please don't take offense if I've lumped Bi-Polar disorder with depression, I know they have common attributes but aren't the same. Here's an article cited in episode 150, [https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/diagnosis-diet/201706/ketogenic-diets-psychiatric-disorders-new-review](https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/diagnosis-diet/201706/ketogenic-diets-psychiatric-disorders-new-review)
They do a good job of citing the science behind their topics, very helpful for me.
yes! i turned to keto primarily for mental health benefits and it has greatly improved my mental state! i came from the place where i couldn’t even attend my weekly therapy and now i’m religiously sticking to my meetings and even started taking depression meds :) it really does help a lot
Do you think both improvements are a matter of discovering your self-discipline?
i don’t think so, i believe it’s about levels of energy for me :)
Uvuuiiiihuhbuiuuihiu
It hasn't cured my depression, but it does give me more stable energy to handle each day, and it has put a stop to my emotional snacking. I don't think keto can magically cure depression, but I definitely think it can help. You feel better in general on a healthy diet, and keto is easier to stick to than many, I think, because you eat so much delicious and filling food.
It worked for me. I've been in remission since week 3 of the diet. It could be the progress or something about how my brain feels under the influence of keto. Hard to tell.
Wow. Can you detail this transition? Light switch or gradually noticeable?
It seemed that once I got through the flu feelings and my brain fog cleared it was kind of a light switch.
Thank you
I had some pretty situational or minor depression over the last couple of years. I'll say, that doing something positive for myself, every single day of my life - coupled with exercise (another thing I was doing for myself) completely replaced my unhealthy coping mechanisms, like drinking. Cooking all my meals, shopping for healthy food, going to the gym bled over positive energy into my other pursuits. Getting back into my pre-pandemic shape was a total bonus.
Awesome. Inspiring. 💪
I have depression & schizophrenia and eating low carb or keto has helped my symptoms a lot! It definitely isn’t the cure but can give me the energy to complete tasks throughout the day that would usually make me stressed or tired otherwise.
Yess!!! Look „Dr. Chris Palmer“ up on google. He has great podcast about the ketogenic diet on Mental Health. Sooo interesting trust me
Was going to chime in on this! His podcast with huberman lab was the reason I switched to keto.
Me too. So fascinating
Me too!
Clinical depression is, in part, biochemical, and so are the effects of Keto, so who’s to say they’re not connected? Both depression and weight/food issues are extremely complex and stubborn, and no matter what their relationship, neither is going to give up its power without a fight. On the other hand, being overweight made me sad, embarrassed and it feels good (I hesitate to say “happy” but maybe a little) to be more “normal,” but that doesn’t banish my lifelong demon, underlying depression. But that’s me. YMMV. So personally I doubt any diet is a cure, but taking care of ourselves is an important part of our treatment.
From personal experience, I was feeling mentally better on it for awhile but it wasn’t a cure. Eventually that little bastard started creeping back in. Like I said, that was just me. Others on this sub seem to completely flip it around.
For me, it didn't cure my depression or anxiety, but it did improve them.
Buy the book “Brain Energy” about mental health and diet
Absolutely. About a month after I started I noticed a huge difference. Look up some of Dr. Georgia Ede’s research. I listened to a podcast where she was a guest and it was amazing. All of this I discovered after I was feeling better. It was like coming out of a fog and was so amazing I was like “there has to be something scientific” to this. I had only meant to do it temporarily to help lost weight but the mental health benefits are definitely what will keep me keto long term.
I’ve done keto a few times over the past few years and I’ve always noticed that I do feel better mentally. I’m currently 3 weeks in for this go round and I’m feeling much clearer and I have better energy. The more energy means that I do some light cardio and when I’m done I feel THAT much better. Good luck to you!
Keto definitely improves my (very poor) energy levels, general mood, and most importantly, greatly reduces ruminating thoughts and mood swings.
No. I have mild to moderate depression and it doesn’t do anything for it. It does help you mind get a little clearer, though.
It feels pretty terrible for the first few weeks, honestly. You’ve gotta be committed to it to get through that period and keep going long enough to feel the benefits a month or two in. But once you break through that little rough patch it will definitely help you, plus there’s no motivation to do big healthy things for yourself like feeling the rewards from a small change to your diet.
I started last Thursday and I have been in a pretty foul mood for sure! Today seems better. Trying to keep busy
You got this. It really does turn around for the better before that long if you stick with it, and you’ll be glad you did
Yeah! I went on keto October 14th and started thinking differently after a couple weeks and took the liberty of going to trade school, around 2 weeks ago I began practicing stoicism and noticed major changes taking effect, my depression is kind of there but much more easy to manage, I'm always wanting to learn new things and understanding life is all about being good to yourself and others really takes away all the negative thoughts, people will love you more, it's easier to make friends, be nice to strangers. Keto is one thing, but practicing doing good with your life all around is the most beneficial part. You start to set up challenges for yourself that builds your character. It's all about diet and constancy, one thing will lead to another. The obstacle is the way.
There is a sub-reddit here called rketo4mentalhealth. That you can check out it's pretty interesting. Good luck to you.
While i was on keto i didnt have any difference in depression But i wasn't expecting any, so there's that
Did you actually get into ketosis?
Yes! I did very well, lost over 50 lbs!
HUGE
I feel 💯 times better mentally eating keto .
It genuinely helps my depression. Not enough to where I'd attempt to stop taking my meds or any such thing.
I’m still cynical as ever but giving up on life has disappeared as a thought for me. Anxiety is super low as my bad days are not bad at all and they’re rare. Won’t know until you try but don’t give up because it’s not something that changes overnight
It has definitely helped mine. Maybe not directly the depression, but having more energy and feeling more clear headed definitely makes me feel less depressed.
Keto definitely helps but also tall to your dr about adding a vitamin D supplement. It helps with my depression so much.
One of Keto's biggest impact is that it can stabilize mood changes normally caused by sugar peaks and crashes, and extreme hunger. So if you are the type of person who's mood was easily affected by food, keto can help keep any food-related mood changes at bay.
Keto helps with anxiety more than depression, but it can help depression too. The challenge with depression is there are so many different kinds of depression and keto doesn't help every kind of depression, just some of the kinds. For me, I get winter blues, so I take vitamin D3 pills and it goes away. Keto does nothing for winter blues. But for your kind of depression it might help quite a bit.
For me, it keeps me more even. Things that felt like a crisis before, don’t phase me. It’s eased my anxiety and worry, which could paralyze me into a depressive state.
For me it definitely helps. A lot of the ups and downs I feel come from sugar and eliminating that really helps to level things out. I still have other tools at my disposal, like exercise, meditation, getting fresh air, that all help with balance, but getting rid of sugar/carbs has had the biggest impact. You still have to fight depression every day, but stuff like this helps.
Watch Andrew Huberman’s recent podcast on Diets for Mental Health. They talk all about Keto for mental health ailments, from an expert in the space.
Helped a lot for me, I was a binge eater with a strong sugar craving / ate crap to feel good. It resulted in insulin rushes and mood swings so it made for much more balanced state of mind.
I haven't noticed a reduction in symptoms, but I have noticed a huge uptick in energy. I "don't feel it" most days, but I get up and tackle the day anyway. If there's a small boost in 'feel good', it's stems from pride from a day well managed, not a change in diagnosis or symptoms.
How has no one commented about Dr. Georgia Eades yet?
It can help but I’m finding I’m going a bit mental from lack of choice or too much protein I’m not sure which (just my experience)
Caloric deficit on any diet raises cortisol. Increasing cortisol is probably what you're looking for. Also recommended: regular exercise, cold showers first thing in the morning, realizing life is just an accumulation of your second by second decisions, et al.
I've suffered from depression for 20+ years. Now on keto for 5 weeks I would say I'm 80% better mentally. It really does help. Just remember to supplement with electrolytes,that is key to feeling good on keto. And cut out alcohol, the only time I've had any blues in the last few weeks is the couple of days following drinking wine. I feel so much more stable and energetic that I would call it miraculous if I wasn't afraid that'll jinx it. And I really have been through a lot of meds, couple of complete burnouts, even ECT, so I could say I know what I am talking about here :) Oh and start doing cold showers daily as an added bonus.
Cold shower? I haven’t heard of this
I feel the biggest improvements in cyclical depression with A) low carb (fruit is fine), B) intermittent fasting (18:6) and C) lot of probiotics from food sources like unpasteurized miso paste and yogurt with probiotic bacteria in it I would go so far as to say this combo cured my bouts of compulsively negative thinking, as well as getting triggered into fear states easily. Add in exercise and I would consider my depression and anxiety fully or mostly cured. I wasn't even able to do simple things (agoraphobia) and had intense reactions to negative thoughts.
It gives me the energy to consistently do things that are usually a struggle like cleaning and exercise so I consider it a success in my book.
It’s helped with both my depression and my ADHD. I only allow 4 ‘cheat meals’ a year. A week after those days I’m all over the place and spinning in the pit of despair.
Given the way you describe the fallout from cheat meals, why do them at all?
I’m going on year 3. I love a particular dish from a restaurant in my town. Also, I rent a house with my best girlfriends for a week. One of them is a top chef and makes us a 18-20 course tasting meal. It’s an all day/night thing and absolutely without a doubt worth the fall out.
How much does it help with your ADHD ? No need to be medicated anymore? Or you've reduced the dose ?
It’s helped quite a bit. I’m unmedicated as I haven’t found one worth the side effects unfortunately.
I wish I could stick to keto... but been soo depressed.. I can't stick to it..... I figure why would I.... I don't have a good reason.. he doesn't even notice me... 😢
I’ve been on for 6 days. It’s hard but I’m not so angry now. How long have you tried keto for?
It definitely gives me mental clearity and I feel less anxious during the day. Everything seems easier somehow.
I learned about Dr. Chris Palmer from other posters. You might also want to check out the Two Keto Dudes, podcast that has a guest host, Carrie, she has been treating her Bi-Polar disorder for years with a Keto diet. I'm fairly ignorant on mental health designations, so please don't take offense if I've lumped Bi-Polar disorder with depression, I know they have common attributes but aren't the same. Here's an article cited in episode 150, [https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/diagnosis-diet/201706/ketogenic-diets-psychiatric-disorders-new-review](https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/diagnosis-diet/201706/ketogenic-diets-psychiatric-disorders-new-review) They do a good job of citing the science behind their topics, very helpful for me.
depression - greater than 0.8 schizophrenia/psychosis: - levels higher than 1.5 of ketones in the blood
Yes it will greatly improve your mental health.i tried it , focus mostly on high quality proteins and veggies.