Diet Doctor Podcast #100:
Bipolar disorder and keto diets
Bipolar disorder is more common than most people believe, affecting 5% of adults aged 18 to 29. And it can be a devastating condition. Many treatment options exist, but lifestyle interventions — especially diet — are a potentially underused aspect of therapy. Case reports and emerging evidence suggest ketogenic diets can be a life-altering treatment option for many people.
In this episode, we hear from Matt Baszucki about his dramatic story of severe bipolar disorder. His illness led him to homelessness and nearly losing his life. Fortunately, with the help of his family and physicians, he found a path to recovery. A ketogenic diet played a crucial role.
We also hear from Dr. Iain Campbell, who likewise has a personal history with bipolar disorder. Just by chance, he found a keto diet on his road to recovery and is now the co-principal investigator of a scientific study using a keto diet to treat bipolar disorder.
Finally, we hear from Dr. Chris Palmer, a Harvard psychiatrist who helped treat Matt with a ketogenic diet. Dr. Palmer has made it his mission to further the field of metabolic psychiatry. But he also warns that using a keto diet to treat bipolar disorder requires expertise and caution. People should make sure they have professional guidance before trying it.
If you or anyone you know has experience with bipolar disorder, this is an important episode about an emerging and potentially life-altering therapeutic option.
About the video
Virtual podcast recorded in May 2022, published in June 2022.
Host: Dr. Bret Scher
Producer: Hari Dewang
Table of contents
00:00 Introduction
03:21 Matt Baszucki
12:44 Nutrition approaches that didn’t help with Bipolar disorder
20:45 The effects of keto for bipolar disorder
30:58 Learning from Matt’s condition
38:34 Iain Campbell, PhD
39:50 Iain’s personal journey
46:49 Learning from Matt’s condition
55:31 Could a ketogenic diet be one of the solutions?
1:00:34 Chris Palmer, MD
1:11:05 Bipolar disorder, medication and insulin resistance
1:15:48 Thoughts on keto as a “miracle therapy”
In this episode, we hear from Matt Baszucki about his dramatic story of severe bipolar disorder. His illness led him to homelessness and nearly losing his life. Fortunately, with the help of his family and physicians, he found a path to recovery. A ketogenic diet played a crucial role.
We also hear from Dr. Iain Campbell, who likewise has a personal history with bipolar disorder. Just by chance, he found a keto diet on his road to recovery and is now the co-principal investigator of a scientific study using a keto diet to treat bipolar disorder.
Finally, we hear from Dr. Chris Palmer, a Harvard psychiatrist who helped treat Matt with a ketogenic diet. Dr. Palmer has made it his mission to further the field of metabolic psychiatry. But he also warns that using a keto diet to treat bipolar disorder requires expertise and caution. People should make sure they have professional guidance before trying it.
If you or anyone you know has experience with bipolar disorder, this is an important episode about an emerging and potentially life-altering therapeutic option.
About the video
Virtual podcast recorded in May 2022, published in June 2022.
Host: Dr. Bret Scher
Producer: Hari Dewang
