Metabolic Mind

Ketogenic therapy for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression is gaining attention, but how can it be safely implemented into clinical practice?
A newly published expert consensus provides practical recommendations to help clinicians thoughtfully apply ketogenic metabolic therapy (KMT) for serious mental illnesses.
In this in-depth conversation, Dr. Matt Bernstein and Dr. Georgia Ede, both members of the expert committee, discuss how this Delphi consensus was developed, what it includes, and how it can be responsibly integrated into psychiatric practice.
In this interview, they discuss:
What a Delphi process is and why it was used
The results of the Delphi process (33 consensus statements and 10 clinical recommendations)
Who may be appropriate candidates for KMT
Absolute and relative contraindications
Recommended laboratory screening and monitoring
How long a trial should last before assessing efficacy
How clinicians can personalize implementation safely

Importantly, the authors emphasize that ketogenic metabolic therapy is not a replacement for standard psychiatric treatment. Rather, it may be considered alongside first-line therapies, particularly for individuals who have not responded adequately, cannot tolerate medications, or are seeking additional options.
Reflecting on the value of this work, Dr. Bernstein shares:
“I would have loved to have read this six years ago when I was starting to think about implementing these types of practices. It would have given me confidence to charge forward… I probably would have been further along now than I am.”
With randomized controlled trials ongoing and more research expected in the coming years, this consensus provides a thoughtful, experience-informed framework for clinicians who are seeing growing interest in metabolic approaches.
If you are a clinician, we encourage you to read the full publication.
If you are a patient or family member, consider sharing this interview and the paper with your care team to support an informed discussion about whether metabolic strategies may be appropriate in your individual case.
As always, clinical decisions should be made in partnership with qualified healthcare professionals.
📚 Read the Paper: Published in Frontiers in Nutrition: https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2026.1749406
🔎 Have questions about how to apply metabolic therapies effectively? Submit them at metabolicmind.org/questions to be featured in a future Metabolic Mailbag episode.
Expert Featured:
Dr. Georgia Ede
Harvard-Trained Psychiatrist
https://www.diagnosisdiet.com/

Dr. Matthew Bernstein
CEO of Accord: https://accordmh.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-bernstein-5743338/

Dr. Bret Scher
Baszucki Group Medical Director
https://x.com/bschermd

Resources Mentioned:
Awareness and Best Practices in using Ketogenic Therapy to Treat Serious Mental Illness: A Modified Delphi Consensus
https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2026.1749406

Ketogenic Diets for Mental Health Clinician Training Course
https://www.diagnosisdiet.com/training

Free CME Clinician Trainings:
Are you a clinician who would like to learn more about the science behind these therapies and how to implement them in practice? Earn CME with our growing library of courses from some of the top experts in the field including Dr. Chris Palmer, Dr. Georgia Ede, Dr. Matthew Bernstein, Dr. Mariela Glandt, Dr. Deanna Kelly, Dr. Julie Milder, Dr. Zoltan Sarnyai, and Dr. Bret Scher with more coming soon.
Our courses have been made FREE by grants from Baszucki Group, so we can spread these powerful therapies as widely as possible. Earn CME/CNE credits: https://www.metabolicmind.org/for-clinicians/trainings-courses/?utm_medium=organic-social&utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=cme-yt

Follow our channel for more information and education from Bret Scher, MD, FACC, including interviews with leading experts in Metabolic Psychiatry.
Learn more about metabolic psychiatry and find helpful resources at https://metabolicmind.org/

About us:
Metabolic Mind is a non-profit initiative of Baszucki Group working to transform the study and treatment of mental disorders by exploring the connection between metabolism and brain health. We leverage the science of metabolic psychiatry and personal stories to offer education, community, and hope to people struggling with mental health challenges and those who care for them.
Our channel is for informational purposes only. We are not providing individual or group medical or healthcare advice nor establishing a provider-patient relationship. Many of the interventions we discuss can have dramatic or potentially dangerous effects if done without proper supervision. Consult your healthcare provider before changing your lifestyle or medications.

Is a low-carb diet bad for your health? A recent New York Times article suggests so, but it leaves out critical context about ketogenic metabolic therapy and the role of metabolic health in chronic disease.
In this video, Dr. Bret Scher explains why balanced reporting on low-carbohydrate and ketogenic diets truly matters, especially for people with insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, PCOS, fatty liver disease, and many psychiatric conditions. Ketosis isn’t simply “eating fewer carbs.” It’s a distinct metabolic state that shifts the body’s primary fuel source and has documented therapeutic benefits in multiple conditions.
In this video, you’ll learn:
What nutritional ketosis actually is, and how it differs from general healthy eating
Why, for some individuals, carb quantity matters just as much as carb quality
The clinical evidence supporting ketogenic therapy for diabetes, PCOS, fatty liver, epilepsy, and mental health

While it’s true that not everyone needs to follow a low-carb or ketogenic diet, dismissing it without a clinical perspective does a disservice to the many who could benefit.
💡Interested in learning more about the safety and efficacy of ketogenic therapy? Check out our “Is Keto Safe?” topic page:
https://www.metabolicmind.org/resources/topics/is-keto-safe/
🔎 Have questions about how to apply metabolic therapies effectively? Submit them at metabolicmind.org/questions to be featured in a future Metabolic Mailbag episode.
#MetabolicMind #KetogenicTherapy #FoodAsMedicine
Expert Featured:
Dr. Bret Scher
Baszucki Group Medical Director
https://x.com/bschermd

Free CME Clinician Trainings:
Are you a clinician who would like to learn more about the science behind these therapies and how to implement them in practice? Earn CME with our growing library of courses from some of the top experts in the field including Dr. Chris Palmer, Dr. Georgia Ede, Dr. Matthew Bernstein, Dr. Mariela Glandt, Dr. Deanna Kelly, Dr. Julie Milder, Dr. Zoltan Sarnyai, and Dr. Bret Scher with more coming soon.
Our courses have been made FREE by grants from Baszucki Group, so we can spread these powerful therapies as widely as possible. Earn CME/CNE credits: https://www.metabolicmind.org/for-clinicians/trainings-courses/?utm_medium=organic-social&utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=cme-yt

Follow our channel for more information and education from Bret Scher, MD, FACC, including interviews with leading experts in Metabolic Psychiatry.
Learn more about metabolic psychiatry and find helpful resources at https://metabolicmind.org/

About us:
Metabolic Mind is a non-profit initiative of Baszucki Group working to transform the study and treatment of mental disorders by exploring the connection between metabolism and brain health. We leverage the science of metabolic psychiatry and personal stories to offer education, community, and hope to people struggling with mental health challenges and those who care for them.
Our channel is for informational purposes only. We are not providing individual or group medical or healthcare advice nor establishing a provider-patient relationship. Many of the interventions we discuss can have dramatic or potentially dangerous effects if done without proper supervision. Consult your healthcare provider before changing your lifestyle or medications.

How can doctors, psychiatrists, and other health practitioners implement keto for serious mental illnesses like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression?
In this short interview, Dr. Bret Scher sits down with Dr. Georgia Ede to discuss a newly published Delphi consensus paper in Frontiers in Nutrition, authored by eight experienced clinicians and researchers to establish best practices for the use of ketogenic metabolic therapy (KMT) in serious mental illnesses.
Using a structured expert consensus process, the group created 33 statements clarifying things like:
What ketogenic metabolic therapy is
Who may be appropriate candidates?
Safety considerations and medical screening
Monitoring standards and clinical implementation
How KMT can be integrated alongside standard psychiatric care

These statements were then brought to a larger group of experienced clinicians to assess broader consensus, which resulted in all 33 statements reaching the consensus threshold.
This paper is not a set of formal treatment guidelines. Instead, they represent an important first step in delivering practical, experience-informed guidance for clinicians who are seeing growing patient interest in metabolic approaches to serious mental illness
As research continues to evolve, this consensus provides a thoughtful framework for psychiatrists, primary care clinicians, therapists, dietitians, and multidisciplinary teams who wish to incorporate ketogenic metabolic therapy into individualized treatment plans.
If you are a clinician interested in learning more about metabolic approaches in psychiatry, we encourage you to explore the full publication.
If you are a patient or family member, consider sharing this paper with your care team to start an informed discussion about whether metabolic strategies may be appropriate in your individual case.
With the clinical evidence still accumulating and randomized controlled trials ongoing, we expect this clinical guidance to continue to evolve as more data and real word experience becomes available.
📚 Read the Paper: Published in Frontiers in Nutrition: https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2026.1749406
#MetabolicMind #KetogenicTherapy #MetabolicPsychiatry
🔎 Have questions about how to apply metabolic therapies effectively? Submit them at metabolicmind.org/questions to be featured in a future Metabolic Mailbag episode.
Expert Featured:
Dr. Georgia Ede
Harvard-Trained Psychiatrist
https://www.diagnosisdiet.com/

Dr. Bret Scher
Baszucki Group Medical Director
https://x.com/bschermd

Resources Mentioned:
Awareness and Best Practices in using Ketogenic Therapy to Treat Serious Mental Illness: A Modified Delphi Consensus
https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2026.1749406

Free CME Clinician Trainings:
Are you a clinician who would like to learn more about the science behind these therapies and how to implement them in practice? Earn CME with our growing library of courses from some of the top experts in the field including Dr. Chris Palmer, Dr. Georgia Ede, Dr. Matthew Bernstein, Dr. Mariela Glandt, Dr. Deanna Kelly, Dr. Julie Milder, Dr. Zoltan Sarnyai, and Dr. Bret Scher with more coming soon.
Our courses have been made FREE by grants from Baszucki Group, so we can spread these powerful therapies as widely as possible. Earn CME/CNE credits: https://www.metabolicmind.org/for-clinicians/trainings-courses/?utm_medium=organic-social&utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=cme-yt

Follow our channel for more information and education from Bret Scher, MD, FACC, including interviews with leading experts in Metabolic Psychiatry.
Learn more about metabolic psychiatry and find helpful resources at https://metabolicmind.org/

About us:
Metabolic Mind is a non-profit initiative of Baszucki Group working to transform the study and treatment of mental disorders by exploring the connection between metabolism and brain health. We leverage the science of metabolic psychiatry and personal stories to offer education, community, and hope to people struggling with mental health challenges and those who care for them.
Our channel is for informational purposes only. We are not providing individual or group medical or healthcare advice nor establishing a provider-patient relationship. Many of the interventions we discuss can have dramatic or potentially dangerous effects if done without proper supervision. Consult your healthcare provider before changing your lifestyle or medications.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is the leading cause of infertility in women, but what if the real issue isn’t the ovaries?
In this eye-opening conversation, Dr. Bret Scher speaks with Dr. Steven Palter, reproductive endocrinologist and founder of Gold Coast IVF, about the powerful connection between PCOS, metabolic health, mental health, and fertility.
For decades, PCOS has been treated symptom-by-symptom: birth control for irregular cycles, fertility drugs for ovulation, IVF for infertility. But Dr. Palter explains why this approach often misses the root cause: insulin resistance and metabolic dysfunction.
When you address the metabolic driver, everything can change.
Ketogenic and low-carbohydrate dietary approaches are showing promise in improving insulin sensitivity, restoring ovulation, improving mood, and even supporting fertility, often before significant weight loss occurs. In many cases, women who were preparing for IVF are conceiving naturally after correcting their metabolic health.
In this video, you’ll learn:
Why PCOS is best understood as a metabolic disorder
How insulin resistance drives infertility, mood changes, and long-term health risks
Why traditional “eat less, move more” advice often fails
How ketogenic therapy may restore ovulation and improve fertility
The connection between PCOS, depression, and binge eating
Why GLP-1 medications aren’t the same as metabolic repair

If you or someone you know is struggling with PCOS, infertility, or unexplained hormonal symptoms, this episode offers a hopeful and science-based perspective on what’s possible when metabolic health becomes the priority.
As always, consult your healthcare provider before making significant dietary changes.
💡Learn more about the safety and efficacy of ketogenic therapy on our “Is Keto Safe?” topic page: https://www.metabolicmind.org/resources/topics/is-keto-safe/
🔎 Have questions about how to apply metabolic therapies effectively? Submit them at metabolicmind.org/questions to be featured in a future Metabolic Mailbag episode.
#MetabolicMind #KetogenicTherapy #PCOS #InsulinResistance
Expert Featured:
Dr. Steven Palter
https://www.instagram.com/stevenpaltermd
https://www.tiktok.com/@stevenpaltermd
https://www.youtube.com/@StevenPalterMD
https://www.facebook.com/@stevenpaltermd

Resources Mentioned:
https://www.goldcoastivf.com/
pcosbaby.com

Free CME Clinician Trainings:
Are you a clinician who would like to learn more about the science behind these therapies and how to implement them in practice? Earn CME with our growing library of courses from some of the top experts in the field including Dr. Chris Palmer, Dr. Georgia Ede, Dr. Matthew Bernstein and Dr. Bret Scher with more coming soon.
Our courses have been made FREE by grants from Baszucki Group, so we can spread these powerful therapies as widely as possible. Earn CME/CNE credits: https://www.metabolicmind.org/for-clinicians/trainings-courses/?utm_medium=organic-social&utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=cme-yt

Follow our channel for more information and education from Bret Scher, MD, FACC, including interviews with leading experts in Metabolic Psychiatry.
Learn more about metabolic psychiatry and find helpful resources at https://metabolicmind.org/

About us:
Metabolic Mind is a non-profit initiative of Baszucki Group working to transform the study and treatment of mental disorders by exploring the connection between metabolism and brain health. We leverage the science of metabolic psychiatry and personal stories to offer education, community, and hope to people struggling with mental health challenges and those who care for them.
Our channel is for informational purposes only. We are not providing individual or group medical or healthcare advice nor establishing a provider-patient relationship. Many of the interventions we discuss can have dramatic or potentially dangerous effects if done without proper supervision. Consult your healthcare provider before changing your lifestyle or medications.

February is Heart Health Month, making it the perfect time to challenge common misconceptions about diet and cardiovascular health.
One claim that always resurfaces? That ketogenic diets are bad for your heart. But when you take a closer look at the science, that assumption simply doesn’t hold up.
In this video, Dr. Bret Scher breaks down the real evidence behind ketogenic diets and cardiovascular risk, addressing:
✅ How many “keto” studies don’t actually study true ketogenic diets
✅ The truth about LDL cholesterol on keto (it doesn’t go up for everyone!)
✅ Why triglycerides, HDL, insulin, and inflammation may matter more than LDL
✅ How keto compares to DASH for blood pressure and metabolic health
✅ Why saturated fat from real food behaves differently in the body
✅ The critical difference between ultra-processed high-fat/high-carb diets and low-carb, whole-food ketogenic diets
💡 Using the most up-to-date clinical evidence, Dr. Scher explains why ketosis can be a heart-supportive strategy, especially for those with type 2 diabetes, hypertension, insulin resistance, or poor metabolic health.
If you’re interested in learning more about the safety of ketogenic therapy, check out our “Is Keto Safe” topic page: https://www.metabolicmind.org/resources/topics/is-keto-safe/
🔎 Have questions about how to apply metabolic therapies effectively? Submit them at metabolicmind.org/questions to be featured in a future Metabolic Mailbag episode.
#MetabolicMind #KetogenicTherapy #FoodAsMedicine #HeartHealth
Expert Featured:
Dr. Bret Scher
Baszucki Group Medical Director
https://x.com/bschermd

Free CME Clinician Trainings:
Are you a clinician who would like to learn more about the science behind these therapies and how to implement them in practice? Earn CME with our growing library of courses from some of the top experts in the field including Dr. Chris Palmer, Dr. Georgia Ede, Dr. Matthew Bernstein, Dr. Mariela Glandt, Dr. Deanna Kelly, Dr. Julie Milder, Dr. Zoltan Sarnyai, and Dr. Bret Scher with more coming soon.
Our courses have been made FREE by grants from Baszucki Group, so we can spread these powerful therapies as widely as possible. Earn CME/CNE credits: https://www.metabolicmind.org/for-clinicians/trainings-courses/?utm_medium=organic-social&utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=cme-yt

Follow our channel for more information and education from Bret Scher, MD, FACC, including interviews with leading experts in Metabolic Psychiatry.
Learn more about metabolic psychiatry and find helpful resources at https://metabolicmind.org/

About us:
Metabolic Mind is a non-profit initiative of Baszucki Group working to transform the study and treatment of mental disorders by exploring the connection between metabolism and brain health. We leverage the science of metabolic psychiatry and personal stories to offer education, community, and hope to people struggling with mental health challenges and those who care for them.
Our channel is for informational purposes only. We are not providing individual or group medical or healthcare advice nor establishing a provider-patient relationship. Many of the interventions we discuss can have dramatic or potentially dangerous effects if done without proper supervision. Consult your healthcare provider before changing your lifestyle or medications.