HealthDay (9/10, Gotkine) reports a study suggests that “a ketogenic diet (KD) is a feasible adjunctive therapy and is associated with improvements in depression symptoms among young adults with major depressive disorder (MDD).” Study participants received “standard-of-care counseling and/or medication treatment and were enrolled in a 10- to 12-week KD intervention.” Researchers observed that “73 percent of the time, nutritional ketosis was achieved. Postintervention, depressive symptoms decreased by 69 and 71 percent with the Patient Health Questionnaire and Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, respectively; improvement occurred within two to six weeks. There was a nearly threefold increase in global well-being.” In addition, “both body mass and fat mass decreased (−6.2 and −13.0 percent, respectively). A decrease was seen in serum leptin (−52 percent), while there was an increase in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (+32 percent). On several cognitive tasks, performance improved.” The study was published in Translational Psychiatry.
Related Links:
— “Adjunctive Ketogenic Diet Shows Promise In Alleviating Symptoms In Young Adults With MDD, Study Suggests,”Elana Gotkine, HealthDay, September 10, 2025