Controversial diet may actually help drug-resistant depression: study
Down in the dumps? Help might be hiding in your fridge.A new, first-of-its-kind study suggests a controversial diet could ease severe, drug-resistant depression — with improvements showing up in as little as six weeks.
That’s a potential lifeline for patients who’ve run out of other options.An estimated 30% of Americans with Major Depressive Disorder don’t respond to standard treatments, leaving them with lingering, often worsening symptoms that can upend everyday life.Enter the ketogenic diet, a high-fat, moderate-protein, low-carb eating plan that’s designed to push the body into a state called ketosis, where it burns fat instead of sugar for energy.That metabolic shift produces ketones, an alternative fuel source for the brain and muscles.
Scientists have long suspected ketones could benefit the brain.Previous research suggests they may provide a steadier energy supply, help regulate mood-related neurotransmitters like serotonin, reduce inflammation and even improve gut health — all factors linked to depression.To test the theory, researchers recruited 88 adults aged 18 to 65 who had with treatment-resistant depression.
They’d all scored at least a 15 on the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), a depression screening tool that goes up to 27 points.They were then split into two groups.The first went all-in on keto, eating three prepared meals a day, plus snacks, and using test strips to measure ketone levels in their urine.The other followed a “phytochemical” diet, incorporating one differently colored fruit or vegetable in their meals each day and swapping saturated animal fats for unsaturated plant oils.Both diets lasted six weeks.
At the end, researches saw improvements across the board: Depression scores dropped by an average of 10.5 points in the keto group, compared with about 8.3 points in the phytochemical group.Urine tests showed most keto participants successfully stayed in ketosis during the intensive support phase.But st...