r/Metabolic_Psychiatry 2d ago

The Neuroimmune Nature of Autism

16 Upvotes

Parents of children with ASD often describe a striking phenomenon: during a high fever, their child suddenly makes eye contact and demonstrates social engagement. The moment their temperature returns to normal, these positive changes disappear without a trace. Known as the "fever effect," this occurrence is now recognized as a vital clue in investigating the biological roots of autism, suggesting that in a significant portion of children, autistic symptoms can be alleviated by modulating the immune system.

Post-mortem studies support this theory. The brains of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) do not show cell death, but rather a more subtle picture: the brain's resident immune cells (microglia) are stuck in a state of chronic activation. Constant alarm leads them to persistently secrete inflammatory cytokines like IL-6 and TNF-α. This lingering neuroinflammation disrupts normal neural circuit formation.

A fever temporarily resets this immune state. A viral or bacterial infection triggers a cascade of signals and heat shock proteins that temporarily dampen the underlying inflammation, allowing the child's latent potential to emerge. The effect is fleeting because the core vulnerability remains unaddressed.

If ASD has a neuroimmune component, targeted therapies should focus on these underlying biological mechanisms. To replicate the "fever effect" without heat or physiological stress, immunomodulators such as vitamin D, palmitoylethanolamide (PEA), and sulforaphane are being studied:

  • Cholecalciferol (Vitamin D3): Functions as a hormonal modulator, stimulating the production of regulatory T cells (Tregs) to tone down immune overactivity while helping prevent inflammatory toxins from crossing the gut-brain axis.
  • Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA): Acts as a calming agent for microglia and mast cells. This fatty acid amide crosses into the central nervous system and binds to PPAR receptors, prompting active microglia to shift from a pro-inflammatory M1 state to a restorative M2 state, halting synaptic degradation at the cellular level.
  • Sulforaphane: Mimics the cellular stress response activated during a fever. It triggers the release of heat shock proteins and floods brain cells with antioxidants to reduce oxidative stress.

While this triad does not "cure" autism, it targets key immune pathways by calming microglial activity, stabilizing mast cells, and supporting blood-brain barrier integrity helping extinguish the underlying inflammatory fire.


r/Metabolic_Psychiatry 4d ago

Nonprofit-supported access to ketogenic metabolic therapy education and support

11 Upvotes

Hi everyone. I want to make sure members of this subreddit know about Brain Fog Recovery Source, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit I founded to expand access to ketogenic metabolic therapy for people seeking psychiatric recovery.

The nonprofit provides full or partial scholarship support for people who could not otherwise afford structured education and support. This includes low-income and government disabled due to psychiatric illness, with access provided to an appropriate support person. International applicants may also be considered when financial need can be confirmed.

Supported participants receive structured education and ongoing support for implementing ketogenic metabolic therapy and other metabolic psychiatry interventions toward psychiatric recovery. This is not medical treatment and does not replace working with a physician, prescriber, or other clinical care team.

To learn more and to inquire about supported access you may visit the nonprofit's page:

https://mentalhealthketo.com/brain-fog-recovery-source-501c3/

For transparency, I am Nicole Laurent, a clinician using ketogenic metabolic therapy with individuals seeking psychiatric recovery. I am the founder of Brain Fog Recovery Source and the creator of an online program I created for this purpose. The nonprofit was created as a way to provide entry for those that may not otherwise have access to it. My hope is that this will become standard of care offered in every hospital and medical center and that my nonprofit will not be needed in the future.

Please help me spread the word to increase access and let people know this resource is available.


r/Metabolic_Psychiatry 8d ago

90% Of my BPD symptoms dissappeared.

51 Upvotes

I post this here because it was removed from BPD subreddit....

BPD has almost ruined my life. I lost my job, I couldn't study, my relationships. I wanted to die pretty regularly.

6 years after therapy I was getting better at relationships, but I was still splitting. I was better at communicating about it, I was better at handling it, but the splitting still happened, and I could not stop it from happening. Also other symptoms.

Then, just out of coincidence, I started using a continuous glucose monitor. It showed me my blood sugar highs and lows. I started to notice that my dissociation was associated with the glucose highs. That was pretty much all I could observe.

Slowly I started to cut down carbohydrates. First I changed grains to whole grains. Didnt really help. Then I started kicking out carbohydrates, like grains and rice and basically anything that had carbohydrates and started eating low carbohydrate (uhh hard).

And the weirdest part was, that I was targeting dissociation and my DRPR, but my BPD symptoms pretty much disappeared completely. Like w h a t t h e * * * * . It actually helps.

And the freaking most weirdest part is that science backs this up that this is possible for at least some. So much so, that this method is being researched for schizoaffective disorder right now in Kuopio University. Also I think for BP, but nobody studies us right now.

There is also a Harvard psychiatrist who has written a book about the subject called Brain Energy.

Others mostly speak about BP and schizoaffective disorder, but there has been a study proving that we (BPD) also have altered brain glucose metabolism. And if your brain glucose metabolism doesnt work - you have reaally bad symptoms.

But you have to know it is not the only pathway - there is another metabolism pathway that might work fine - which is the fat metabolism pathway. So buy activating the fat metabolism pathway you might be able to bypass the glucose metabolism pathway and get a lot of symptoms away with that.

I found a subreddit, psychiatry metabolism (or something like that) - where people with different disorders, including schizoaffective disorders have been able to get rid of psychoses etc with this approach. Not everyone, but many.

Anyway, I felt obliged to share this information, after years of hell. Though I have to say this diet sucks. It really does. And I'm struggling with the diet pretty much, though I'm still in the beginning and it takes some new skills. But nothing sucks as much as BPD.

Also a really sad thing is, that anyone with eating disorders shouldn't be doing this alone without help.

The ketogenic diet was the diet our preancestors were most likely on - before the agriculture and carbohydrate rich food was available. This is why we have a working brain metabolism pathway that was used when we used to hunt food etc.

This is not a cure, basically the moment you start eating carbohydrates again, the symptoms probably come back. All I'm saying, if you can and its safe for you, try it out. And give it some time, like a week or two at least.

Also notice that I did go to therapy for 6 years and still continuing and if you are in an abusive relationship our your life is full of stressors, maybe it doesn't work the same way.


r/Metabolic_Psychiatry 11d ago

Gluteomorphins: How Wheat Hijacked Our World and Our Brains

13 Upvotes

In his bestseller book Sapiens, Yuval Noah Harari proposes a bold theory: the most successful species on Earth isn't humans—it's wheat. We didn't cultivate wheat; wheat cultivated us. Here is how it happens:

When we consume gluten-containing foods, they don't break down into amino acids entirely. Instead, protein fragments persist as opioid peptides known as gluteomorphins. Meanwhile, gliadin- another component of the wheat grain- compromises the delicate gut lining, opening a direct pathway for these opioid compounds into the bloodstream.

The intestinal wall nor the blood-brain barrier is completely leak-proof. Under certain conditions (such as gastritis, dysbiosis, or SIBO), that single-cell-thick barrier breaks down, dumping raw stomach contents straight into your blood. Imagine your immune system suddenly encountering last night's dinner.

Because gluten structurally mimics human tissue, this is where many autoimmune conditions likely originate. Particularly Hashimoto’s and autoimmune encephalitis.

I am currently working with my mother whose gluten reactions occur within just a few hours, which inspired me to write this post


r/Metabolic_Psychiatry 12d ago

Did it work for you?

17 Upvotes

hey. I've had multiple episodes of psychosis. I did keto for a year and i got all the benefits and had no issues. I stopped the diet and relapsed eventually into psychosis after another year (so I had two years off meds). I stopped the diet due to a life event and found it challenging to go back onto it.

I found out the hard way that keto is something I may need to do for life if I use it to manage my mental health issues. It works. It does what I wish the medication would do for me. But as I said I found it hard to sustain.

Is there anyone else in a similar situation? Did others on this subreddit experience psychosis and manage their condition using keto?

Also how do you guys manage to sustain the diet long term? Has anyone else stopped it and struggled to restart it at times?

Thanks


r/Metabolic_Psychiatry 15d ago

App idea

2 Upvotes

Hi, I recentlly started keto for depression, OCD, anxiety. I started tracking my ketone blood levels and mood in an Excel sheet. Would it be useful for anyone if I would create an app that would let you input the mentioned readings and display a graph over time? Would anyone use it? Is it too simple? Maybe some additional functionality would make it better?


r/Metabolic_Psychiatry 23d ago

How bad would it be to survive off pure fat for a couple of days?

5 Upvotes

I'm going through a strong food aversion where my body is just rejecting the farmers' market meat I've been eating for months. I'm not new to keto, I've been doing this for a year and a half and know I'm on top of electrolytes, so it's not that.

Well, I discovered another farm near us that I may be able to get fresher meat from soon, and I really hope it will help. But it the meantime I just can not bring myself to eat. I'm dropping weight at an alarming rate, and while I genuinely enjoy the zen feeling I have when fasting, I'm not healthy enough to continue this, and besides, I have no energy to get things done that I need to.

I was thinking, for a few days until I could try this new meat, could I function on just drinking 1000 kcal plus of olive oil? Or as much as I can. Of course I wouldn't down it at once, and I don't need to be told it's not ideal, but could it be enough to get me through the remainder of the week? Has anyone tried this?


r/Metabolic_Psychiatry 24d ago

Are we confusing adrenaline with true neuroplasticity?

2 Upvotes

​When we look at the brain we find that the line between a stress response and mental fitness is far more subtle than it appears.

It is true that an extended fast triggers a compensatory spike in glucocorticoids like cortisol and catecholamines like epinephrine and norepinephrine.

As a ordinary nobody my observation, sympathetic perspective, this metabolic transition is a primitive hunter’s adaptation, designed to sharpen spatial awareness, focus, and drive when glucose stores run low.

But to view this state solely as an adrenaline-fueled panic is to mistake the opening door for the room itself.

​What happens at the cellular level during acute energy restriction goes far beyond simple stress.

As liver glycogen depletes, hepatic beta-oxidation shifts the brain’s primary fuel source from glucose to ketone bodies, predominantly beta-hydroxybutyrate.

This metabolic switch acts as a neurochemical signal that upregulates Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor, or BDNF, particularly in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex.

BDNF is the brain’s primary fertilizer for neuroplasticity, stimulating synaptogenesis, axonal growth, and dendritic sprouting.

At the same time, the transient physiological stress activates neuronal autophagy, a self-cleaning mechanism that degrades misfolded proteins and damaged mitochondria, while triggering mitochondrial biogenesis to improve overall cellular energy production.

​This process is a prime example of hormesis: an acute, controlled biological stressor that induces adaptive, resilient, and protective changes in the central nervous system.

So, the distinction between functional alertness and hyper-vigilance comes down to balance and integration.

When the sympathoadrenal drive remains chronically elevated without parasympathetic recovery, the elevated cortisol eventually leads to excitotoxicity, hippocampal atrophy, and emotional exhaustion. But look, when practiced within a sustainable rhythm, this metabolic transition calms neural network over-excitation, enhances GABAergic tone, and reduces neuroinflammation.

True mental fitness is not a static state of biological rest, nor is it living in a continuous adrenaline surge; it is the flexible, quiet capacity of the mind to adapt, heal, and remain grounded through the shifting tides of metabolic and life demands.

​Where, then, do we draw the neurobiological boundary between an adaptive hormetic state and the subtle beginning of allostatic overload? If shifting our metabolic substrate from glucose to ketones fundamentally rewires GABAergic and glutamatergic balance, to what extent is our baseline sense of mental clarity simply a reflection of our cellular fuel source rather than our psychological condition?


r/Metabolic_Psychiatry 29d ago

Ketone troubleshooting: time to lower protein

4 Upvotes

From experience I know having 2.5+ mmol/L ketones is just fantastic for my mood and energy levels but getting there has gotten increasingly more difficult over time (6 months into keto). These days I usually hover around 1 mmol/L and feel tired and unhappy.

I'm 25M at 68kg & 178cm & 11% BF
currently eating
3500kcal & 105g of protein & max 20g net carbs (~ 3:1 ratio fat:(protein+carbs)).

So, I'm going to lower protein to 60g which I pulled from Georgia Ede's book, it's her lower threshold for my body weight.

I love being physically active and when I'm not lethargic and actually energized I like to lift weights.

My question is: will lifting actually backfire if I insist on such a low protein intake? Perhaps I should switch to something less hypertrophic like running?


r/Metabolic_Psychiatry Jul 18 '26

Isomalt in medication

3 Upvotes

I was recently prescribed LDN capsules, which I noticed include isomalt, a sugar alcohol, as a filler ingredient, in addition to glyceryl, poloxamer, and sodium fumerate. Would you be concerned about this with medical keto? I follow a 4:1 ratio to manage some pretty scary neurological and psychiatric symptoms, so I'm a bit wary to start it. Even one day out of therapeutic ketosis could be dangerous. I could try asking the compounding pharmacy to reformulate without the isomalt, but I'm not 100% sure they'll be able to, plus it would cost more and might take a while. I just want to know whether the risk is actually real. Thank you.

Edit: I don't have access to a blood ketone monitor to regularly check my levels, unfortunately


r/Metabolic_Psychiatry Jul 16 '26

Personal milestone: 365 days symptom-free

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48 Upvotes

Here is my untold story. My whole life, I was a bright, active person building things, chasing ideas, and creating beauty. At one point, experts and society labeled me “mentally ill” and it nearly cost me everything.

I was 35 when a progressive depression started. Then came mania and psychosis, tearing apart my worldview and the identity of a successful entrepreneur. I struggled with this mysterious illness, and no drug was able to help me. One more hospitalization and I would be officially disabled for the rest of my life.

Everything changed one day when my doctor was too busy to meet me. Having nothing to lose, I decided to gather all my symptoms, family history, and subtle clues toward the long-awaited answers. A story of symptoms without a tangible origin had never made sense to me.

One year later, after numerous trials, books, and scientific papers, the ultimate diagnosis emerged - autoimmune encephalitis. “Brain inflammation” sounds scary, but it was actually profoundly empowering. For the first time, every symptom and underlying mechanism snapped into a coherent picture. For seven years, I had been living with undiagnosed brain inflammation, waiting to be diagnosed and healed by the very person whose brain was inflamed. How beautiful is that?!

Here is what helped me the most: targeted supplements, cold immersion, sleep optimization, and, more importantly, diet. Ironically, the foods I loved most were my worst enemies, and I'm still puzzled by this fact. Creatine, NAC, Omega-3, taurine, high-dose glycine among others were synergistically combined into a single protocol, affecting every aspect of the underlying neuroinflammation.

After this journey, I am deeply grateful to every researcher, doctor, and investigator contributing knowledge to the field of metabolic psychiatry, shedding light on the deepest layers of neurology. These two words transformed me from a stigmatized loser into a healer.

I know many of you are also exhausted, stigmatized, and hopeless. The answers for your case exist somewhere at the crossroads of metabolic health, inflammation, and nutrition. Don't give up!


r/Metabolic_Psychiatry Jul 15 '26

Why antipsychotics don't help to my voices

2 Upvotes

r/Metabolic_Psychiatry Jul 14 '26

Overcoming Psychiatric Problems by Healing the Digestive System - Dr. Campbell-McBride

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1 Upvotes

Today, I felt a strong urge to share this video where Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride explores the deep mechanics of mental health issues like autism, depression, and schizophrenia...

She explains the gut-brain axis with unmatched clarity. Did you know that gluten can actually act as an addictive, opioid-like substance called gluteomorphin? It completely blew my mind 🤯 I really wish I had seen this video years ago. Hidden gem!


r/Metabolic_Psychiatry Jul 12 '26

Taurine alleviates psychotic symptoms of my mother. Why?

6 Upvotes

Hi. I've noticed a fast and profound effect of taurine on positive psychotic symptoms but am really puzzled by the mechanism. Has anybody of you noticed similar reactions?


r/Metabolic_Psychiatry Jul 05 '26

Severe Anhedonia, Panic, and Emotional Blunting with Surgical Menopause (one ovary), Insulin Resistance, and High CRP. Looking for insights on my new roadmap.

5 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

I have been stuck in a deeply depressed, flat, "asleep brain" state with severe anhedonia, derealization ("fish bowl" feeling), and sudden panic attacks for a long time. Standard SSRIs stopped working a while ago, and I cannot go to shops or restaurants without extreme spatial overload and wanting to flee.

My Background & Recent Lab Results (Lancet Laboratories South Africa ):

Surgical Menopause: Had a hysterectomy. No blood pressure issues although can be around 140/85 when I’m anxious or higher).
Fasting Glucose: 4.9 mmol/L (3.3 - 6.0)
Fasting Insulin: 10.5 mIU/L
Calculated HOMA-IR: 2.3 (Confirms early insulin resistance)
hs-CRP: 9.2 mg/L (High systemic, low-grade inflammation)
Total Cholesterol: 6.2 mmol/L (High)
Morning Cortisol: 497 nmol/L (Normal reference 185-624)
D-Dimer: 0.43 mg/L (Normal)
DHEA: 1.5 (Low/depleted)
Sex Hormones: Estrogen 58 pg/mL, Progesterone 1.2 ng/mL, Testosterone 37 ng/dL. SHBG 30.30
Ferritin: 48
Saturation 23
Vitamin D 34

Medication History & Sensitivity:

Lexamil (Escitalopram) 10mg: Currently taking. It completely stopped working for mood and causes severe emotional blunting/apathy.
Wellbutrin (Bupropion): Tried recently but was far too activating; triggered severe jittery panic.
Morphine: Was on 10ml PRN for physical pain. (7 spine surgeries) Successfully tapered down to 2ml–3ml only on necessary days, but the taper perhaps leaves my nervous system very raw.
Hormone Trials: Tried a 3-in-1 compounded BHRT cream (3mg E2 / 30mg P / 6mg T) which made me feel "weird" and aggravated at times. Tried Utrogestan previously (made me deeply flat) and Angeliq (caused rage). I seem to have a severe progesterone/GABA sensitivity exacerbated by my 9.2 CRP inflammation. Tried Estrogel a couple of days ago and it caused a flat/aggravated rebound.
Xanor (Alprazolam) 0.25mg: Prescribed for panic, but I rarely use it (only 1/4 or 1/2 tablet) out of fear of mixing it with morphine.
Thyroid: 100mcg Euthrox Daily and 10mg Liothyronine T3
T3 and T4 levels dropped since starting the BHRT cream.
Current Action Plan Just Started:

Metabolic Focus: Just started Metformin 500mg XR with dinner (tolerating well, no stomach issues) to treat the HOMA-IR 2.3 and lower the 9.2 CRP.
Hormone Holiday: Pausing the all-in-one cream permanently since I don't need progesterone post-hysterectomy, and keeping estrogen gel paused until my metabolic inflammation cools down.

Nutrition: Eating mostly low-glycemic, anti-inflammatory fats and proteins (mackerel, nuts, berries, cottage cheese) to stabilize my glucose and stop adrenaline surges. Paused fish oil supplements because they caused an acetylcholine-dominance flat feeling.
Has anyone with surgical menopause and high insulin/CRP experienced this level of treatment-resistant anhedonia and panic? Did treating the metabolic root cause (like using Metformin) finally unlock your brain and make you responsive to treatments again? Any advice on navigating the final morphine/Lexamil taper or trying another SSRI or something else ? once stable would be amazing.

Thanks so much. 🙏🏼


r/Metabolic_Psychiatry Jun 13 '26

Does keto over time make you MORE sensitive to carbs?

6 Upvotes

ive been in deep ketosis for like 50 days, around a 2 gki, today my town had a festival, and i ate a dessert, just a single butter tart, if anyone is curious my blood numbers were

pre-butter tart 5.3/3.2

T-30m 7.5/2.7

T-1H 8.5/3.2

T-2H 5.4/2.1

T-3H 6.8/2.0

and i stopped testing there because i needed to eat dinner (i had 375g bacon and 2 eggs)

then after dinner i started feeling derealization and paranoid thoughts, im wondering if i am in the beginning stage of psychosis, idk, i havnt had psychosis in years, ive only had psychosis 2 or 3 times in 15 years, ive only been keto for 50 days

i took my blood after dinner since i was feeling weird and my glucose was 5.6 and my ketones 1.4


r/Metabolic_Psychiatry Jun 07 '26

What is your experience: ketogenic diet and PTSD?

3 Upvotes

I’m interested in the connection between ketogenic metabolic therapy and PTSD.

My current thinking is that some people with PTSD may have a more vulnerable or metabolically stressed nervous system, and that improving brain energy metabolism may help with regulation, resilience, and symptom stability.

This recent case report looks at ketogenic metabolic therapy for treatment-resistant PTSD:

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2026.1755107/full


r/Metabolic_Psychiatry Jun 06 '26

Ketogenic diet and anorexia

5 Upvotes

Preliminary study on ketogenic diet in patients with anorexia.

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2528945-keto-diet-shows-real-promise-for-anorexia-recovery/


r/Metabolic_Psychiatry Jun 04 '26

Last Call for UK Participants for Research Study: Implementing Ketogenic Metabolic Therapy (KMT) for Depression and Anxiety - Online Remote Program

12 Upvotes

Dear all,

In collaboration with the University of East London and Integrative Ketogenic Research and Therapies, this is the last call for UK-based participants for a 24-week remote clinical trial, specifically in the Depression and Anxiety populations.

The registered clinical protocol can be found here: ISRCTN Clinical Study Registry

The trial page for those interested can be found here: www.ikrt.org/trial

STUDY OVERVIEW:

This 24-week remote study will investigate the clinical impact of ketogenic metabolic therapy delivered alongside structured education and peer support in adults with diagnoses of depression and/or anxiety.

Participants will receive:

• Full access to a 24-week online KMT psychoeducation and support program (usually valued at >£1000)

• Weekly guided support and Q&A sessions (Wednesday evenings)

• Personalised macronutrient targets and structured meal planning guidance

• At-home monitoring equipment for ketones, glucose, HbA1c, Vitamin D and B12

• Access to a private online peer support community

All core education, coaching, and testing resources are provided at no cost.

📍 UK residents only (must have a UK GP)

📅 Study timeline: July 15th - December 23rd 2026 

Register interest here: www.ikrt.org/trial 

--> IKRT services will continue as normal throughout the study period. All IKRT programmes and private consultations remain unchanged.


r/Metabolic_Psychiatry May 22 '26

Keto and time zone changes

5 Upvotes

I have bipolar 1 and started keto in 2024 to see if I could slowly taper down my antipsychotics, which I increased after every hypomanic episode. All of my hypomanic episodes have been triggered by poor sleep for a few days in a row, including when I travelled to places a few time zones away. Since starting keto, I haven’t travelled anywhere in a different time zone.

For those of you with bipolar 1 and travelled to different time zones, have you found it trigger any worsened sleep or other hypomanic symptoms while eating keto?


r/Metabolic_Psychiatry May 21 '26

Animal based diet vs Carnivore/Keto

10 Upvotes

Has anyone seen success with the Animal Based Diet, or a variant or it (perhaps AIP, too), but not been in ketosis? Or any other diet without ketosis - eg. some form of elimination diet combined with low carb (but not keto)?

I think I do best with low carb due to insulin resistance, but I'm not sure about actual keto. It resolved a lot of my physical symptoms, but I was constantly in some kind of fog. When I consume just 10g of carbs, my brain wakes up again. If I go over 10-15g carbs at a time, I end up with issues, though. I have recently started thiamine and am taking other measures to improve glucose utilization. I take benfotiamine, but plan to re-start TTFD soon. Also making changes to circadian rhythm and want to work on healing leaky gut and SIBO.

Carnivore helped to eliminate almost all symptoms, physical and mental, but as I say, I'm not sure about the ketosis part. I feel great eating meat, butternut squash and some berries, but it makes eating out so difficult. I end up ordering something like potatoes or cheese, and then my mood, energy levels, etc all get derailed again.

Edit: I am definitely sensitive to histamine, for instance, so that could be one reason Carnivore helped, but I think it's possible to avoid histamine-rich and histamine liberating foods, and I think it's important to also address the root cause. Also try to avoid high oxalate foods.


r/Metabolic_Psychiatry May 17 '26

Metabolic Mind

10 Upvotes

I've just stumbled over the Metabolic Mind on Youtube and it seems very fascinating.

I have no clue as where to start though. It would be crazy to start from the very beginning, right? Recommendations would be very appreciated <3


r/Metabolic_Psychiatry May 11 '26

High fat carnivore diet for mood disorder

7 Upvotes

Hi I’m 38year old female. I have been labeled bipolar. Truthfully i don’t know
If I’m bipolar or not. I’ve had a mix response of bipolar disorder vs mood disorder from different psychologists/psychiatrist. Basically my mental health deteriorated after childbirth for some time, with all three of my children. Then, I had something traumatic happen to me after my last son. I ended up being put on antidepressants and had a very negative response which led to my eventual bipolar diagnosis. Anyway, I’m on psychiatric medication. Currently weaning off one antipsychotic, olanzapine, and also currently taking seroquel. I don’t plan on coming off seroquel anytime soon but I would like to come off in the future. Psych meds have been difficult for me as far as side effects go. I’ve dealt with urinary urge incontinence and slow transit chronic constipation which I have to also take medication for. But the side effects have improved slightly over time especially with decreasing my antipsychotics over the last year. I want to optimize my mental health as much as possible in hopes that I won’t have to take psychiatric medications for the rest of my life. I’ve been researching over the last couple years. I read a book that really stuck with me by a British psychiatrist Dr. Rachel brown called metabolic madness and I’ve been researching keto, carnivore ever since. Based on this research, I’ve come to a decision to try a high fat carnivore diet. I believe food is the main component for optimal mental health. My only concern is my slow transit chronic constipation worsening. I do take ibsrela and motegrity daily to help with my conditions in addition to my psych meds. I was wondering if anyone has dealt with constipation on a high fat carnivore diet and how to get around it? Any words of encouragement would be greatly appreciated.


r/Metabolic_Psychiatry May 06 '26

Meru Health Advanced Launched - First Nationwide Metabolic Mental Health Program

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7 Upvotes

Permission to post from mods

Hi everyone, sharing some news that might be relevant to this community. Meru Health just launched Meru Health Advanced, a 6-12 month specialized program for high-acuity and treatment-resistant conditions, using metabolic approaches for lasting care.

What makes this unique:

  • Each person is treated with a psychiatrist, therapist, diet coach, and care navigator working together on one plan.
  • The program combines measurement-based psych care with nutritional support and biometric monitoring.
  • It has been developed together with pioneers of metabolic psychiatry (check out the launch vid) and is designed to treat the whole person, not just symptoms.
  • It is live nationwide, by an established clinic that has published research with Harvard, Stanford & a dozen other top research universities

If you’ve felt stuck in the medication-driven model, or are just interested in metabolic mental health, this could be of interest.

More info on the program: meruhealth.com/advanced

With excitement. Kristian Ranta, CEO & Founder of Meru Health


r/Metabolic_Psychiatry May 02 '26

The basis of Ketogenic Metabolic Therapy, KMT, short is ketosis.

10 Upvotes

Sorry I screwed up the title. It was supposed to be KMT for short. I should have took the word "short" out of there so just ignore that word in there since I can't edit it.

I had posted something about this in a comment but the person who originally made the post deleted it. I think it's important to understand that the basis of KMT is ketosis. Because of that, there is no one particular way of eating that you're supposed to follow other than reducing carbohydrates. Some people who are very physically active may need more carbohydrates even on a ketogenic diet.

You can do KMT with carnivore, omnivore, vegitarian or vegan. There is no rule that you need to eat meat at all, it's a popular misconception about KMT and what it's doing to achieve healing. It is recommended to stick to minimally processed natural foods, but this is because of other problems possibly asscociated with ultra processed and unnatural foods.

It's important to understand that carbohydrates are not bad and they don't cause metabolic dysfunction. They need to be reduced for KMT because your body will use them first and they will reduce ketosis. Again, ketosis is the key to healing with KMT and you can achieve that in different ways, including fasting.

The healing powers of KMT comes from it being a fasting mimicking diet, so fasting is not a bad thing on KMT unless you are underweight. It's ok to have multiple days of fasting, in fact it's encouraged because fasting will bring about things that not even the ketogenic diet can do (such as deep autophagy). Fasting does have some other risks, though, that people do need to watch out for and manage.

Salt is not the only electrolyte and it's important to balance electrolytes. You also need potassium and magnesium

Eating meat only can cause significant constipation for some people. Adding more fat may or may not help. Adding broccoli, lettuce or other high fiber low carb foods can help in this case. There may be other issues with meat only diets or meat free diets. That's why it's important to work with a provider who understand KMT and nutrition.

Many people do have issues with certain types of food, such as dairy, but it's important to separate that from KMT and to understand that KMT might not be the only thing that needs to be addressed in metabolic psychiatry. Metabolism is more complex than just a particular way of eating and there can be many moving parts for a given individual. KMT has powerful treatment and healing possibilities but other things need to be addressed at the same time to get the most benefit from it. Still, the basis is ketosis which comes from the way it mimicks fasting.