Keto Diet Slashes Depression Symptoms by 70%, Ohio Study Reveals

Keto Diet: A Potential Solution for Depression Symptoms?

Have you heard of the popular ketogenic diet, or as it’s more commonly known, “keto”? Initially gaining momentum as a weight-loss plan, researchers at Ohio State University (OSU) have now discovered its potential to reduce symptoms of depression.

How Keto Can Decrease Depression

A recent study found that 16 OSU students, who followed a well-structured keto diet for a minimum of 10 weeks, experienced a 70% decrease in depression symptoms. This finding is compelling, especially when considering that similar improvements are typically achieved through medications and counselling over the same period.

The severity of depression amongst the students did vary, but the study revealed that none worsened, and scores dropped by 37% by the second week. In addition to the reduction in depression symptoms, the students’ “global well-being” saw a threefold increase, with notable improvements in memory, processing speed, executive function, and attention.

Keto’s Impact on Weight Loss

Almost all participants lost weight, averaging an 11-pound loss and 2.4% decrease in body fat. The participant group included 10 women and six men, with an average age of 24. All of them were already receiving medication, counselling, or both for major depressive disorder before starting the keto diet.

The beginning of the trial saw participants receiving thorough education on the keto diet. The diet consists of fewer than 50 grams of carbs per day, combined with higher fat and moderate protein. They were advised to eat when hungry and stop when full, without the need to track calories.

How the Keto Diet Works

The keto diet works by converting fat into “ketones”, acids which are used by body and brain cells as a glucose alternative. OSU researchers noted that this state of nutritional ketosis provides greater access to ketones as both fuel and signalling molecules.

Based on their findings, the researchers concluded that achieving nutritional ketosis may serve as an “adjunctive therapy for depression” and warrants a larger clinical trial.

Keto’s Direct Impact on the Brain

In a conversation with Fox News Digital, Jeff Volek, Ph.D., the study’s lead author and an OSU professor of human sciences, explained that the “magnitude of improvements” was certainly remarkable. He stated, “There’s a lot of evidence that ketones improve brain function and can change people’s mood through a variety of different neurochemicals. The ketones could have a direct impact on certain neurotransmitters and so forth that are related to depression.”

Volek added that ketones are also anti-inflammatory, which could potentially improve mood. He also shared that weight loss might have a direct impact on mental health since evidence shows that people who are overweight and obese are more likely to be depressed.

Keto as an Alternative Treatment for Mental Health Disorders

If you’re struggling with a mental health disorder, Volek recommends considering a change in your eating pattern. “If you are someone who is suffering from a mental health condition, this is another tool in the toolbox that might be worth trying. And if so, seek out help to find somebody who understands the principles of the ketogenic diet and can support you in that process.”

Study co-author Ryan Patel, a psychiatrist at OSU’s Office of Student Life Counseling and Consultation Service, added that stress, anxiety and depression are the biggest “impediments to academic performance” for U.S. college students. About 40% of students report depression symptoms, while about half are receiving treatment.

Patel elaborated, “We have a treatment gap in that we have more students suffering from mental health concerns than can feasibly receive professional treatment. There is a need for finding ways of helping students on a large scale, and nutrition is one way we can do that.”

The trial did have one limitation, as it didn’t include a non-keto control group. According to Volek, this would ideally be included in a larger clinical trial. This pilot trial was supported by a grant from the Baszucki Group Brain Research Fund.