Does a ketogenic diet cure schizophrenia? Do experts like Matthew M. Kurtz, Ph.D. What about the role of diet in mental health? Find out more below!
Examining the role of diet in the treatment of schizophrenia.
Highlights
- Case studies are defined in what they can tell us about dietary interventions for severe mental illness (SMI).
- Ketogenic diets can be beneficial for some people with schizophrenia.
- Carefully conducted studies of ketogenic diets for those with SMI remain deficient.
While on the way to attend a series of national talks for the “Take Back Your Health Tour,” Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Recently made a remarkable demand. At the Tennessee State Capitol, Kennedy said doctors at Harvard have “… treated schizophrenia with a keto diet …”. And “Now there is a study I saw two days ago that people lost their diagnosis of bipolar disorder by changing their diet.
As a professor of psychology, neurology, and behavioral work in the field of Severe mental illness For 25 years, I realized that “treating” these chronic conditions was not simple.
Read more here: Could automatic fasting be a ‘self-cleansing’ button for your energy and longevity?
Challenges Caused by Serious Mental Illness
Schizophrenia can be a devastating and chronic disease that is estimated to affect 3.7 million Americans and 5.7 to 7 million suffer from bipolar disorder. Many of these members of our community live in homeless shelters, public parks, emergency rooms, and increasingly our prisons.
Mental illness is regularly listed among the 15 causes of disability worldwide, with the unemployment rate for those diagnosed above the national standard in the United States. The average life expectancy of a person with schizophrenia is 15 to 25 years shorter than the US average. Probably the most tragic is that nearly 5% of people with schizophrenia die by suicide. Similarly, for people with bipolar disorder, the unemployment rate and mortality rate also increase (information on actor David Carradine’s suicide is clear).
Problems Caused by Serious Mental Illness Across Politics
Even in the deep political climate, we can all agree that schizophrenia and bipolar disorder represent a significant threat to our public health and cause unforgettable grief for millions of Americans and their loved ones. These facts make Secretary Kennedy’s comments particularly problematic.
First, the sciences he cites simply do not combine. In his comments on schizophrenia, Kennedy seems to be referring to a case study described by Dr. Chris Palmer, an assistant professor of psychology at Harvard Medical School. Palmer is director of metabolic and mental health programs at McLean Hospital.
In one case study, Palmer – a male patient with a history of schizophrenia for nearly 15 years, suffering from blurred vision, irrational beliefs, and other disability symptoms – continued a ketogenic diet high in saturated fat, which resulted in the loss of 10 pounds. Within three weeks. Along with the weight loss, Palmer claimed that “… a significant decrease in his perception and dementia and an improvement in his mood, energy and ability to concentrate.”
Limitations of individual cases: So can a ketogenic diet cure schizophrenia?
Palmer based his conclusions on the use of single-subject research design. In these studies, conclusions regarding the effectiveness of new therapies were drawn by measuring the target disease of interest (say, the frequency of hearing) at the beginning of the study, managing new therapies (in this case, ketogenic diets, including high intake of saturated fat and low carbohydrate intake), evaluating the effectiveness of that treatment (in that case, hearing), re-examination to see the sound. Pre-diet levels.
The problem is that the practical design of Palmer’s research did not include one of the key components, therapeutic exclusion. In contrast, patients skipped their diet five times of their consent during the year in which the patient was studied, and during each of those five times, the patient’s symptoms increased. Palmer hypothesized that the increased symptoms were due to disturbances of the ketogenic diet, but that these results could be attributed to worsening symptoms associated with the natural course of the disease. Schizophrenia is famous for its shift in symptoms over time, with periods of stabilization alternating with periods of acute symptoms.
Regardless of the specificity of each Palmer case, these reports are simple – individual case studies. Without a group of people with schizophrenia making a rigorous and random diagnosis of dietary and non-dietary control groups, with careful monitoring of dietary changes and measurement of reliable outcomes, these case studies remain suggestive and far from conclusive. (In honor of Palmer, in many public opinion, he shunned the use of ketogenic diets as a “cure” for schizophrenia).
Read more here: 6 ways your diet contributes to your mental health.
This does not mean that dietary changes for certain people with severe mental illness may not be helpful in their treatment process. But to be concise from case studies to prescriptions creates the expectation of a simple and quick, unsecured cure based on years of study of these complex issues.
The most worrying thing is that Kennedy’s comments can be seen as contributing to the stigma of stigmatization, suggesting that people with mental illness can be cured if they just focus on their diet or if they choose more positive health options.
How wonderful it would be if we lived in a world where simple and overlooked interventions could solve the most serious problems in thinking and living that have plagued mankind since ancient times. But things are not so simple.
Road ahead
In his honor, many of his professional secretaries have fought against the influence of Big Pharma in healthcare practice. In this sense, the MAHA movement he leads can provide direction. There are many non-pharmacological interventions, including training in social skills and awareness and integration of community-based mental health and primary health care with strong or progressive research. But some studies show that less than 10% of patients are enrolled in these treatments at some point. A greater focus on access to mental health care can help us get closer to the “cure” that Kennedy and many Americans seek for these serious illnesses.
References
Palmer, CM (2017). Ketogenic diets in the treatment of schizoaffective disorders: two case studies. Schizophr Res, 189, 208-209.
Written by Matthew M. Kurtz, Ph.D.
Originally Appeared on Psychology Today
