Efficacy of Low Carbohydrate and Ketogenic Diets in Treating Mood and Anxiety Disorders: Systematic Review and Implications for Clinical Practice

By:
Daniel M. Dietch, Jess Kerr-Gaffney, Meghan Hockey, Wolfgang Marx, Anu Ruusunen, Allan H. Young, Michael Berk, Valeria Mondelli
Date:
2023
Resource type:
Blogs/news/opinion
Link:
View Review

This systematic review explores the potential role of low-carbohydrate (LC) and ketogenic diets (KD) in managing mood and anxiety disorders.

Key findings:

No high-quality evidence was found to confirm the efficacy of LC/KD for mood disorders.
Small-scale case studies suggest possible benefits, especially for bipolar and schizoaffective disorders.
Relapse after discontinuing the diet was reported, indicating potential dependency on continued dietary adherence.
More robust, well-designed clinical trials are needed to establish long-term safety and efficacy.
The review emphasizes that while ketogenic diets may offer mood benefits, they should not replace standard psychiatric treatments without further research.

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