Medical Ketogenic Therapy and Metabolic Psychiatry

International research into the use of medical ketogenic dietary therapy for psychiatric conditions is growing. Areas of investigation include depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and other severe mental health conditions.

Although early findings are encouraging, this remains an emerging field. Further high-quality research is needed to establish which patients may benefit, how treatment should be delivered and what its longer-term outcomes may be.

Regardless of diagnosis, ketogenic dietary therapy in a medical setting requires careful assessment, monitoring and oversight by a suitably qualified and experienced registered dietitian, working alongside the patient's treating clinical team.

Medical ketogenic therapy should not be regarded as a replacement for prescribed psychiatric medication or established mental healthcare.