The Big Pharma and Medical Pseudo-Science shill-website Medical News Today recently tried their best to stay neutral while reviewing a new study on the Ketogenic Diet and its potential to improve mood and mental well-being in the general population.
Considering that the study, like all “nutritional oriented” studies was very poorly done, and the writers at Medical News Today are totally clueless about human physiology, this might be a fun ride. As usual, I’ll try to set things right based on my +30 years in the industry – of which 20+ years was coaching athletes at the highest professional level.
“The ketogenic diet is characterized by high fat, low carbohydrate, and moderate protein intake. This diet has been acknowledged for its potential metabolic and psychological benefits.”
Yes, the ketogenic diet is exactly how we humans are constructed and supposed to eat. Unfortunately, many fall short because of bad food choices, as we humans are strict obligate hyper carnivores. That means that we can only thrive on the protein, fat, and other nutrients from an animal. As in meat, organ meats, animal fat, eggs, and the occasional raw unprocessed dairy.
“A recent pilot study from Stanford Medicine also reported improved symptoms in patients with severe mental illness after a 4-month ketogenic regimen and standard treatment. Building on these findings, the new research further explores the potential psychological benefits of the diet for the general public.”
Humans are made to run on a ‘fat metabolism,’ as in using the fat and some of the protein from our food for energy. This ‘fat metabolism’ will put us in a physiological state called ‘ketosis’ where we upregulate the production of ketones, a super-fuel for the brain.
As only a few tissues require glucose, while other tissues are very sensitive, we also have a physiological process called gluconeogenesis, where we produce the exact amount of glucose that we need at any given time from breaking down fat and some protein. This is why your body tightly regulates its blood glucose levels, because anything above the normal range will damage the sensitive tissues. And that is why consuming carbohydrates is extremely damaging and unhealthy, as the body must desperately try to use up and store away the excess glucose before too much damage is done. And that is also why so many “diseases” improve on a ‘ketogenic diet’ once you get fat adapted and your blood glucose levels are stable, as you can begin to heal from all the previous abuse.
Of course, any mental health problem will improve immensely, especially if you adopt our species-appropriate diet of strictly animal-based foods, as discussed earlier.
“Now, a new study investigated how the keto diet affects different aspects of mental health in the general global population.
The findings, published in Nutrition, suggest that following a ketogenic diet may be linked with better mental and emotional health in the general population, with benefits increasing over time.”
Yes, even if you screw up and consume some toxic foods, (as many unfortunately do on the ketogenic diet,) simply restoring your body to run on its natural fat metabolism will do a lot for your health. It’s a good first step.
How does the keto diet affect mental health?
“Researchers compared the self-reported mental health outcomes of individuals on a ketogenic diet with those on other diets, using data from two online surveys.
This study authors recruited participants via social media for two cohorts:
- 2021 cohort — 147 participants
- 2022 cohort — 276 participants
All participants were 18 or older and free from clinically diagnosed mood, anxiety, neurodevelopmental, and neurodegenerative disorders.”
Self-reported experiences via surveys are usually not the best method of gathering data, as people like to exaggerate or put themselves in better light. Still, as these were people with diagnosed mental problems and within a narrow field, they will likely be more sincere as they are focused on their problems and any kind of improvement.
With that said, if you understand human physiology, and if you, like I have done, have worked with more than a thousand clients, of which most have done variants of the ketogenic diet, you do not really need to do any “studies” to understand what will happen or what are going on. It’s all very simple and logical.
“To identify ketogenic dietary patterns within the cohorts, foods were categorized based on compatibility with the ketogenic diet:
- Ketogenic-friendly: meats, poultry, fish and seafood, certain dairy products, eggs, tofu, tempeh, nuts, most vegetables, tea, and coffee.
- Ketogenic-acceptable: fruit (fresh or frozen), most fruit juice, squash, low-calorie or diet beverages, certain meat substitutes, cottage cheese, and dairy or non-dairy spreads.
- Not ketogenic-friendly: fruits canned in syrup or dried, grains, potatoes, beans and pulses, sugary snacks and drinks, chips and savory snacks, low fat and flavored yogurts, and breaded or battered meats, poultry, and fish.
The surveys also asked participants whether they were following a ketogenic diet, their main reason for following it, if they measured their ketone levels, and if so, what their last reading was.”
First off, tofu, tempeh, nuts, and vegetables are not human food. These are extremely toxic, and so is tea and coffee. Damaging ‘edibles’ like these will screw up your results, as they will tax your body with a high toxic load. Also, tofu, tempeh, or any kind of soy-based garbage will skyrocket your estrogen levels, which is extremely unhealthy – even in women, as the ‘estrogen-like’ effects is not that of natural estrogen and will ‘fuck up’ your hormones really bad.
I’ve seen this first hand in many female clients.
And the “keto-acceptable” food items are NOT acceptable. These are even worse, except for the dairy. Unfortunately, most dairy are pasteurized and homogenized, which totally destroys it. If you enjoy dairy, go for low-temperature pasteurized variants that are not homogenized, or better, get raw milk and produce like cheese or kefir directly from a farm. If you can’t get that, do not consume dairy. Most people will do better without it anyway.
Only thing I would recommend is non-pasteurized or low-temperature pasteurized butter or ghee, as it’s an excellent source of fat and nutrients.
“Individuals reporting a ketogenic diet must have adhered to it for at least one week to be considered ketogenic diet followers in the final analysis. Those who said they weren’t following a ketogenic diet were simply grouped as ‘other diets’.”
One week is nothing. It takes at least 3 weeks to get somewhat ‘fat-adapted’ and several months to get fully fat-adapted, depending on how much damage you had previously done by consuming toxic carbohydrates.
This process, however, can be sped-up by some fasting, but that is only recommended if you have been eating well and the risk of you having nutrient deficiencies are small.
Keto diet reduced stress, anxiety, and depression
“Survey results identified 220 participants adhering to a ketogenic diet across the two cohorts. Their primary motivations for adopting a ketogenic diet were overall health and weight loss.
Notably, over 70% of participants did not monitor their ketone levels, leaving their actual ketosis status largely unconfirmed.”
Monitoring ketone levels can be a good thing the first time you try to get fat adapted. However, if you do it right, it does not matter, as you will arrive in ketosis anyway.
The first time I did the ketogenic diet in 1997, I used ketone sticks to measure ketones in the urine, and it was kind of motivating and interesting to see, although the concentration of ketones can vary depending on hydration, stress, and activity levels. So, simply measure first thing in the morning, and perhaps in the evening after winding down for the day.
“In the first cohort, the average body mass index (BMI) was classified as overweight among both ketogenic diet followers and those following other diets.
However, ketogenic diet followers had a significantly higher BMI than those on other diets, were older, and were more likely to have high blood pressure.”
Yes, of course, and as the shills you are, you did not explain the simple reason for why. As you mentioned, people adopting the ketogenic diet usually do it to lose fat weight and to improve their health. That means that those who recently adopted the ketogenic diet are much more likely to be obese and very unhealthy. If you want to check health parameters, you need to pick people with the same BMI and who has followed a specific way of eating for at least a couple of years.
“Both cohorts reported better psychological well-being among ketogenic diet followers, including:
- superior mood states (calmness, contentedness, alertness)
- reduced anxiety and depression
- fewer feelings of stress and loneliness
However, reported loneliness was not statistically significant after adjusting for group disparities.”
Yes, all this should improve significantly once you’re in ketosis, and especially once you are fully fat adapted, as in having endless energy – as your body can rely of your body fat for immediate energy anytime it needs it (and glucose for explosive energy though gluconeogenesis, which is a thousandfold time quicker than consuming carbohydrates for glucose and damaging the body.)
As for “reported loneliness,” that will always improve after a while on a real carnivorous diet, as you start to heal and your hormones bounce back, making you more confident and self-assure. I know of many clients that went from being anti-social and awkward, to actually seeking out people and relationships once they had begun to heal on the carnivore diet and their testosterone levels began to recover.
“These psychological benefits appeared regardless of ketone levels, suggesting that sustained dietary habits might contribute to mental well-being regardless of metabolic changes.”
Sustained dietary habits, as in following a “ketogenic-like diet” for a long period of time will restore your fat-adapted metabolism, and that is the key here.
And the mental-wellbeing is because of metabolic changes, as in running on fat and ketones, you morons. (And perhaps, also from a reduced toxic load, and improved gut flora, if you pick the right kind of foods.)
“Participants followed the ketogenic diet for an average of 24 months in the first cohort and 44 months in the second.”
Yes, that confirms it. They likely got fat adapted – unless they followed your retarded recommendations of “keto-acceptable” foods.
“The study authors noted that, in contrast to previous research, longer adherence to the ketogenic diet correlated with better mood.”
Of course, it takes a long time to heal all the previous damage. You will continuously feel better and better. Every single client I had who adopted our species-appropriate carnivorous diet has reported this, especially after a year or so. They are completely new humans. Better mental clarity, heightened awareness, higher intelligence, better logical reasoning skills, all previous mental fog and anxiety have vanished, and so on. I have hundreds of testimonials like these. Again, we do not need studies to validate what is logical if we understand that humans are carnivores and we can only thrive if we eat according to our species, just as every single animal on Earth.
How does the keto diet support mood and well-being?
“Medical News Today spoke with Jasmine Sawhne, MD. She noted that the diet could increase gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) levels, promoting calmness and relaxation.
The ketogenic diet may also influence neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin, which regulate mood, and the gut microbiome, which affects behavior and stress response, Sawhne explained.”
Actually, it’s all about restoring our natural metabolism and healing the body – to feed it in the way it is supposed to be fed. It’s not more complicated than that.
Also, removing carbohydrates and a lot of fiber and other gut-destroying things like defense chemicals, antinutrients, and pesticides as found in plant-based foods will improve your gut microbiome and allow your intestines to heal. This is very important for overall health and also your mental health.
And after this, Medical News Today quoted the controlled and misinformed Jasmine Sawhne that they still recommend a “balanced” whole-food and “plant-forward” diet. Again, the absolutely worst thing you can do for your health and well-being, as it goes totally against our physiology and what we should consume as a carnivorous species.
So, while this was a small step in the right direction, they tried to dismiss it by quoting a medical doctor shilling for Big Pharma. And they also listed some very bad food choices, trying to deceive those interested in trying a ketogenic diet, setting them up to fail miserably.
If you want real and honest ‘diet’ and ‘nutrition’ information, based on real human physiology and 30+ years of real life-experience, please check my Quick-Start Nutrition Archive.
And if that is not enough, or you feel overwhelmed and want some guidance with nutritional plans, health issues, fat loss, and/or transitioning from your current way of eating to our natural species-appropriate, species-specific way of eating, or going fully ‘raw’ carnivore, I’m available for both coaching and consultation.
