Dr. Palmer’s research & articles on ketogenic therapies
There is a tremendous amount of information, and mis-information, about the ketogenic diet available on the Internet, in self-help books, and by self-proclaimed experts. When otherwise healthy people simply want to lose a few pounds, relying on this information is probably fine. The worst that usually happens is they don’t lose weight. However, when using the ketogenic diet to treat serious medical conditions, reliable and accurate medical information is essential. As a physician, Dr. Chris Palmer is looking to provide at least some of this information here on ChrisPalmerMD.com. Our goal is to provide the most accurate and up-to-date information from trustworthy sources based on research and evidence. We welcome your ideas and recommendations for additional resources to share here.
Articles by Chris Palmer, MD
Rauch, AL. Palmer CM. Ketogenic Therapy for Brain and Mental Health. Charlie Foundation for Ketogenic Therapies.
From Dr. Palmer’s column, Advancing Psychiatry, in Psychology Today.
- “The Ketogenic Diet May Play a Role in Treating Alcoholism” This article describes the first-ever randomized, controlled trial of a dietary intervention in treating alcohol use disorder, most commonly known as alcoholism. Researchers from the NIH showed that this diet changed brain metabolism, reduced alcohol withdrawal symptoms, and reduced cravings for alcohol.
- “Changing a Child’s Diet Might Help Prevent Mental Illness” This article describes new research linking insulin levels and an increase in body mass index around the time of puberty to much higher rates of depression and psychotic disorders, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
- “Don’t Waste These Difficult Days” Finding your sense of meaning and purpose is essential in getting through the chaos and stress of this pandemic.
- The Mental Health Survival Guide to the Pandemic: Threats In Part 2 of this series, we review the near-term threats to mental health—mindless activity, losing a sense of meaning and purpose, substance use, loneliness, and depression.
- The Mental Health Survival Guide to the Pandemic Worried about the coronavirus and the economy? You’re not alone. Read more about the mental health risks of this pandemic, social distancing, and the economy.
- Making Sense of Nutritional Psychiatry. Can nutrition and diet affect your brain? Making sense of the hype, the wild claims, and the misinformation, along with the science.
- Are Americans Addicted to Screens—or Just Burned Out? New research shows Americans sitting even more of the day in front of screens.
- Six Steps to Stop an Addiction to Sugar and Junk Food. A new summit on sugar addiction launches this week.
- Chronic Schizophrenia Put Into Remission Off Medications. New research suggests ketogenic diet may play a role in treating schizophrenia.
- The Ketogenic Diet May Help Stop Seizures. This dietary treatment based on ancient medicine is making a comeback.
- Exercise and Fasting Linked to Brain Detox. New research paves the way for possible prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease.
- Diabetes and Depression: Which Comes First. These two illnesses have more in common than you probably realize.
- Is it Safe to Face Your Trauma? Are you terrified to face your trauma history? New research says you should.
Medical Journals
Norwitz NG, Dalai SS, Palmer CM. Ketogenic diet as a metabolic treatment for mental illness [published online ahead of print, 2020 Aug 6]. Curr Opin Endocrinol Diabetes Obes. 2020;10.1097/MED.0000000000000564. doi:10.1097/MED.0000000000000564 VIDEO ABSTRACT: https://cdn-links.lww.com/permalink/coe/a/coe_2020_07_08_palmer_med270505_sdc1.mp4
Zoltán Sarnyai, Christopher M Palmer, Ketogenic Therapy in Serious Mental Illness: Emerging Evidence, International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology, , pyaa036, https://doi.org/10.1093/ijnp/pyaa036
Sarnyai Z, Kraeuter AK, Palmer CM. Ketogenic diet for schizophrenia: clinical implication. Current Opinions in Psychiatry. 2019 Sep;32(5):394-401. doi: 10.1097/YCO.0000000000000535.
Palmer CM. Diets and Disorders: Can Foods or Fasting Be Considered Psychopharmacologic Therapies? Journal Clinical Psychiatry. 2019 Jul 9;81(1). doi: 10.4088/JCP.19ac12727.
Palmer CM, Gilbert-Jaramillo J, Westman EC. The ketogenic diet and remission of psychotic symptoms in schizophrenia: Two case studies. Schizophrenia Research. 2019 Jun; 208:439-440. doi: 10.1016/j.schres.2019.03.019. Epub 2019 Apr 6.
Gilbert-Jaramillo J, Vargas-Pico D, Espinosa-Mendoza T, Falk S, Llanos-Fernández K, Guerrero-Haro J, Orellana-Román C, Poveda-Loor C, Valdevila-Figueira J, Palmer CM. The effects of the ketogenic diet on psychiatric symptomatology, weight and metabolic dysfunction in schizophrenia patients. Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. July 31, 2018. Volume 1(1): 1-5. doi: 10.15761/CNM.100010
Palmer CM. Ketogenic diet in the treatment of schizoaffective disorder: Two case studies. Schizophrenia Research 2017 Nov;189:208-209. doi: 10.1016/j.schres.2017.01.053. Epub 2017 Feb 3.
More Medical Journal Articles by Dr. Palmer
Articles about Dr. Palmer’s work
Can You Eat to Beat Depression? By Debbie Koenig in WebMD’s Health News. December 2, 2019.
Prescription: More Broccoli, Fewer Carbs. How Some Doctors Are Looking To Food To Treat Illness. by Karen Weintraub for WBUR, an NPR station. June 4, 2019.
The Ketogenic Diet for Schizophrenia. By Raphael Sirtoli, PhD on Keto Nutrition from Science to Application. January 21, 2019.
Brain Food: What You Eat Impacts Your Mental Health prescription November 30, 2020
A mental health crisis is unfolding in the workplace. COVID-19 and racial injustice are to blame. By Jonathan Vanian, June 6, 2020.
The Sugar High Might Be a Myth: That afternoon treat might not improve your mood, and could make you more tired within the first hour of eating it. on Vice: Health. April 12, 2019. Retrieved from website January 26, 2020.
Low-Carbohydrate Diet Superior to Antipsychotic Medications: Two remarkable personal stories as told by their Harvard psychiatrist. Published in Dr. Georgia Ede’s Psychology Today column. September 29, 2017.
My Strict Keto Diet Is Helping Me Through This Read about Alexandra Samuel’s experience with the ketogenic diet, weight loss, and improvement in her mental health.
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COVID-19 and Your Mental Health
The COVID-19 pandemic is clearly taking an emotional and mental toll on most people. The following are some resources that might help.
- The Mental Health Survival Guide to the Pandemic Worried about the coronavirus and the economy? You’re not alone. Read more about the mental health risks of this pandemic, social distancing, and the economy.
- The Mental Health Survival Guide to the Pandemic: Threats In Part 2 of this series, we review the near-term threats to mental health—mindless activity, losing a sense of meaning and purpose, substance use, loneliness, and depression.
- “Don’t Waste These Difficult Days” Finding your sense of meaning and purpose is essential in getting through the chaos and stress of this pandemic.
Please Help!
Research funding for the ketogenic diet in psychiatry is limited. Even researchers who understand the science believe that the diet is too difficult to do, so it clearly won’t work. However, I know that people with chronic mental disorders CAN do this treatment and are desperate for a better solution. I need your help to fund the first randomized, controlled trial of the ketogenic diet for chronic mental illness! Please help support this work if you are able by clicking on the link below. McLean Hospital is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, so your gift is tax-deductible as allowed by law.
Dr. Palmer – I worked as a clinical psychologist for the Mass. Dept. of Mental Health for over 30 years in Fall River and treated hundreds of adults with persistent disorders including schizophrenia. Since retiring in 2007, I discovered the benefits of a ketogenic diet for myself, bringing my A1c from 6.3 to 5.4. I have been following Dr. Georgia Ede’s work and her recommendations for using ketogenic diets for mental health and learned of your work at McLean, where I once worked in the 1970s. I now work with bariatric physician Jessica Inwood, MD at Southcoast Health in Fall River helping her patients with starting the diet. Do you know of anyone in MA who is using this diet to treat people with chronic mental health diagnoses? I would love to be of assistance to them as I know there are few ketogenic practitioners in the New England Area. You can find more about me at http://www.drweed.net/LowCarbs.html
Dr. Weed,
Thanks for sharing your interest in this work. At this point, Dr. Ede and myself are the only people in MA that I know of who are using the ketogenic diet to treat serious mental illness. Unfortunately, both of our practices are filled, so there aren’t many options for people seeking help. I’m hoping to change this by continuing the research and education on this emerging treatment and hoping that more clinicians like you will step up and be willing to help people with this intervention.