Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Has faced criticism from psychiatric researchers regarding his claims that a ketogenic diet can “cure” schizophrenia. The controversy centers on Kennedy’s statements during a recent “Take Back Your Health” tour, where he cited the work of Harvard psychiatrist Dr. Christopher Palmer as evidence of this purported cure.
Dr. Palmer, an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School, clarified that while he is grateful for Kennedy highlighting his research, he has never used the term “cure” in relation to ketogenic therapy for schizophrenia. “It’s unfortunate that he used the word cure,” Palmer told The Crimson. “If he had simply said powerful treatment, it would have been spot on.” Palmer’s research, based on two case studies published in 2019 in Schizophrenia Research, suggests that a ketogenic diet may ease symptoms of schizophrenia, but does not represent a cure for the serious mental health condition.
The case studies involved two women, aged 39 and 82, both of whom had long-term schizophrenia but were following a ketogenic diet for unrelated health issues – gastrointestinal distress and weight loss, respectively. Both patients experienced improvements in their schizophrenia symptoms while on the diet and eventually stopped taking their psychiatric medications. However, Palmer cautioned against abruptly discontinuing medication, citing one patient’s experience. After independently stopping her medication, she experienced a severe psychotic episode requiring over two months of hospitalization, despite continuing the ketogenic diet. She ultimately had to resume medication and safely taper off under medical supervision.
The ketogenic diet, characterized by a high fat, low carbohydrate intake, differs significantly from the “carnivore diet” followed by Kennedy himself, which consists solely of meat, poultry, eggs, seafood, and some dairy. Kennedy stated he is “particularly happy” with his carnivore diet, a preference revealed during a pre-Super Bowl interview with Fox News.
The potential benefits of ketogenic diets for neurological and psychiatric conditions have been recognized for nearly a century, originating as a treatment for childhood epilepsy in the 1920s. While its employ declined with the advent of new medications, interest in ketogenic therapy has resurfaced in recent decades, particularly for treatment-resistant epilepsy and, more recently, in psychiatric research. Approximately 20 controlled trials are currently underway investigating the efficacy of keto for a range of psychiatric conditions, including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
Researchers are exploring the underlying mechanisms by which a ketogenic diet might impact mental health, with a focus on mitochondrial function. Dr. Palmer believes mitochondrial dysfunction plays a role in many psychiatric disorders. Dr. Deanna Kelly, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, explained that keto alters mitochondrial function by shifting the body’s fuel source from glucose to fat. Researchers at the University of Edinburgh are utilizing brain imaging to further investigate these changes, with preliminary findings suggesting correlations between changes in brain glutamate levels and symptom improvement in patients with bipolar disorder, though the sample size was compact.
Despite the growing interest, questions remain regarding the long-term feasibility of adhering to a ketogenic diet, which requires significant lifestyle changes and can be costly. Researchers are also investigating whether less restrictive variations of the diet might be effective. Sydney Murray, a post-doctoral researcher in Dr. Kelly’s lab, noted that individual responses to keto vary, and some patients may be able to tolerate a more relaxed dietary approach.
Dr. Palmer expressed frustration that his work has become politicized, stating, “If we continue in these polarized camps of ‘Well, that’s a Republican treatment, or keto for schizophrenia is an RFK Jr treatment, therefore I aim for nothing to do with it,’ … we’re never going to make progress as a field.”
