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8 Reasons to Try Low-Carb for Mental Health
Phirrgus
Posts: 1,894 Member
Thread title is from the blog, not mine. I'm simply posting this for discussion and (at this time) neither support nor deny the material presented. 
I just don't recall seeing a discussion on this particular topic and thought it interesting.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/diagnosis-diet/201906/8-reasons-try-low-carb-mental-health
1. Improve blood glucose control.
2. Lower blood insulin levels.
3. Reduce inflammation.
4. Boost antioxidant defenses.
5. Energize mitochondria.
6. Stabilize stress hormones and appetite.
7. Rebalance neurotransmitters.
8. Raise BDNF levels.
I just don't recall seeing a discussion on this particular topic and thought it interesting.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/diagnosis-diet/201906/8-reasons-try-low-carb-mental-health
The author presents 8 bullet points with supporting links. There's too much to C&P into this post, so I'll just list the bullet points.Interest in low-carbohydrate and ketogenic diets continues to rise as people discover their potential to help with stubborn physical health problems such as obesity and type two diabetes—but could this same strategy help with mental health problems as well?
Low-carbohydrate diets have tremendous potential in the prevention and management of psychiatric disorders. The field of nutritional psychiatry is admittedly in its infancy, and rigorous clinical trials exploring the effect of dietary changes on mental health are few and far between, but a tremendous amount of science already exists detailing how high-sugar diets jeopardize brain health and how low-carbohydrate diets support brain health.
1. Improve blood glucose control.
2. Lower blood insulin levels.
3. Reduce inflammation.
4. Boost antioxidant defenses.
5. Energize mitochondria.
6. Stabilize stress hormones and appetite.
7. Rebalance neurotransmitters.
8. Raise BDNF levels.
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Replies
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I don't have anything against trying low carb, but a lot of those claims in the 8 bullet points have specious scientific backing behind them.
Plus, if I had to cut out a bunch of foods I really enjoy to follow a specific "diet", I would probably get grumpy and hangry and that's not good for my mental health 😉29 -
Most of the points dont even relate to mental health.
1 and 2 are good outcomes of low carb diets for those for whom this matters - ie diabetics and those with impaired glucose tolerance.
But how is that a mental health issue???
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paperpudding wrote: »Most of the points dont even relate to mental health.
1 and 2 are good outcomes of low carb diets for those for whom this matters - ie diabetics and those with impaired glucose tolerance.
But how is that a mental health issue???
The best I could come up with was that losing weight makes you feel better about yourself?? I didn't see the connection either, and as this type of topic comes up in my feed pretty regularly it seems to be getting pushed pretty hard these days..
I don't know, just thought if there were anything here it would be a decent discussion...1 -
There's this (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30075165), although it's just the abstract. I read something about it possibly helping with mood disorders and that's partially why I tried it last year. I didn't perceive any effects for myself.3
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I'm really not seeing how this could help with mental health issues. Mind you, my depression is pretty complex and intractable, but I'm just not seeing it.2
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The day a food or food combination can repair neural receptors and regulate serotonin/dopamine levels will be a joyous day indeed.
That day is not today.22 -
Actually, there is a lot of science behind low carb and intermittent fasting helping with longevity and dementia along with issues like bipolar and depression. Highly recommended for people who have the Alzheimer’s APOE gene. Check out researcher Dr. Valter Longo and read about autophagy.26
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Sadly there is not a lot of science behind any way off eating but there seems to be more support for Keto for physical and mental health improvements these days. Laws do not permit making humans into lab animals to gain a lot of hard research data. The current military work with Keto WOE's perhaps is bringing more science to bear on WOE's in general. We just do not know much about the human body relatively speaking today.26
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Well, psychiatry is more art than science, so that would be my first point.
I do find I feel better mood-wise when lowering carbs. Not "LOW" carb, but lower. Sugar is definitely a quick-fix mood enhancer with negative side effects for me. I feel super good and want moremoremore when I have a sugary treat, but then the inevitable crash afterwards. Not worth it to me, so I've learned to be sparing with those kinds of treats. It's not easy though - sugary treats feel really really good in the short term.11 -
I read that article, thanks for linking that - it's interesting. I find a lot of relief from mental-health issues by staying away from sugar so the article validates my experience.
I like how she ends each section of the bullet points by saying, "Protect your nervous system from attack," in clever ways.4 -
Just to add the other side, I believe I'm not the only one on these boards who's had personal experience with my depression worsening on low carb. It's n=1 and no one likes to talk about it and I think I've only seen a couple of people say their experience was the same and we tend to get brushed aside in keto threads, but I do think carbohydrate levels can have an effect on mood and mental health and I do think it's important to watch out for both positives and negatives when trying out different macro splits25
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I have schizophrenia, and I can categorically state that (having tried both low and high carb plans), that low carb does not help my mental health at all. I feel less full without carbs, more twitchy, and thus not do as well. Carbs help keep me full.
I tried to tell this to a keto-following friend of mine and was shut down with "you just need to stick with ketosis".25 -
thelandkraken wrote: »I have schizophrenia, and I can categorically state that (having tried both low and high carb plans), that low carb does not help my mental health at all. I feel less full without carbs, more twitchy, and thus not do as well. Carbs help keep me full.
I tried to tell this to a keto-following friend of mine and was shut down with "you just need to stick with ketosis".
Just wanted to extend an extra "hug" It's infuriating when ignorant people insist that we can be "cured" simply by following a particular diet or exercising or standing on our heads while juggling knives. It implies that we are at fault for our illness and simply don't want to put in the effort to be well.
For my own issues, I'm in the same situation as Dianne, and find if my carbs drop too low it increases my symptoms.15 -
I'd agree with the criticism on the article, and that it seems to really stretch and twist the studies to try and make its point, and failing.
But that said, there are some reasons that I've seen that could provide some explanation for why people are so devoted to the idea that low carb could be helpful for some people's mental health. In part because sometimes, it absolutely is. I know of at least a few conditions that would improve due to a low carb diet, but often because of changes in the diet as a result of being low carb, only
Just some examples.
1. Based on more than one randomized study, celiac disease seems to be present in about 3% of the population (so a few million). Based on studies looking at how many celiacs are diagnosed (last numbers I looked at within the last 5 years), its estimated that about 90% of celiacs are NOT diagnosed.
That leaves us with a population of a couple million people who are sick when they eat gluten, but don't know why. Depression is a common symptom of celiac disease (uncertain whether due to inflammation or nutritional deficiencies, last i heard). So that's a couple million folks who, if they go low carb, are usually eating LESS gluten, and suddenly have much better physical, and often mental, health.
Then add on a few MORE million people who know these undiagnosed celiacs and have seen absolutely valid, true, improvement in their friend/family member, and know it's all due to a diet change.
2. In a similar vein, gluten intolerance also seems to affect a few million - the population with this is not so certain, research is not as thorough, and some initial (and poorly designed) studies couldn't confirm it existed, but later studies found definitive biomarkers of immune response in those claiming gluten intolerance, that were not celiac immune response.
Again - this is still a population who would likely see improvement in physical, and potentially mental, health if they went low carb (and therefore lower gluten).
3. Mental health professionals, and even studies, are frequently crap at any sort of rigor in determining if mental health patients have physical problems that may cause their mental health problems. Which means that if a person does anything with their diet that positively affects a physical problem, which as a result fixes the mental problem, there is no way for the patient - undiagnosed with their actual issue - to know the true reason. More 'low carb fixes my body' fans are born. And potentially more 'low carb is the devil' folks, because different diets could impact different conditions in opposite ways, of course.
5. Newest research has shown that inflammation and the immune system may have a big role in mental illness of various types. "Once considered an immune privileged site, it is now clear that immune actions in the brain play a critical role in many fundamental neural processes and are increasingly implicated in the aetiology of mental illness. " https://jnnp.bmj.com/content/84/9/e1.33 (this is not really showing the research much, but it's a good starting point for anyone who wishes to investigate the concept).
The implications here are that anything that increases inflammation in the body (which is the majority of auto-immune disorders, among other things) may impact our mental health. Potentially - research has a long way to go on this, however, so it's more a case of something that can be considered when discussing this as 'what if,' but proves little, to date.
5. Although there is still a lot of research to be done, preliminary research is promising that dietary changes can have a positive impact on some auto-immune diseases, which means that sometimes, a low carb diet (whether because of carb content or the foods left out of the diet when carbs are removed) might actually help, potentially, lower inflammation, which could potentially affect mental health.
Part of this research stemmed originally FROM research on celiac disease. Because docs know that auto-immune disorders are triggered, but celiac disease is the only auto-immune disorder where we KNOW the trigger (gluten) and can actually put it into remission. And the gluten doesn't HAVE to be eaten to trigger the immune system response in celiacs - one study found that if you injected gluten in the cheek of a celiac (with no gluten making it down the throat to the stomach) it would trigger an immune response, too.
So docs have wondered if OTHER auto-immune diseases might have triggers that we could determine and perhaps help put into remission, too. Not much success, as of yet, but docs have been looking more these last few years at food and how it may impact these diseases.
So I know these don't prove anything, and are absolutely not supporting the original article, but it's just some examples of people who could have gone low carb and had legitimate improvement in their body and/or mental health, due to legitimate reasons that are unique to their situation (but common enough that millions of people would be in these categories, all told), which might explain why it's so popular as a way to improve health.
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Just a note, I'm very much appreciating the discussion.
Full disclosure: I've dealt with mild to severe depression over the years. I have never, ever thought diet may be a factor. After reading the responses so far, and thinking back to when I kept carb intake below 100g a day, I have "felt" better, mentally and emotionally clearer, for lack of better descriptors. I cannot quantify any of it and I'm not making any sort of claims, just an observation.
I've been eating 150g-180g daily for several weeks now and while I don't feel bad, weight is good and all, I don't have that "better" feeling either.
n=1 incoming? Why not, right? Than again for the level headed discussion 11 -
Type 2 diabetic here - good glucose control greatly impacts the risk of dementia for diabetics. The brain uses a LOT of glucose to operate and insulin resistance can have a profound effect on cognition, especially long term. Not to mention that diabetics are at heightened risk of strokes which are pretty bad for your brain.paperpudding wrote: »Most of the points dont even relate to mental health.
1 and 2 are good outcomes of low carb diets for those for whom this matters - ie diabetics and those with impaired glucose tolerance.
But how is that a mental health issue???
For those without insulin resistance, as you say, I don’t see a link.
It is true that cortisol can fluctuate in response to blood sugar, even in normal people, and not going hog wild on the carbs would probably help to stabilize blood sugar and lower cortisol levels. I doubt keto would be necessary to see an effect. Just maybe don’t binge on entire boxes of Twinkies. Is there any actual research backing these claims?
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Add me to the group who experienced worsening of mental symptoms or even the emergence of new ones. Not only was I miserable and hungry (which is not good for mental health), but I experienced tangible depression symptoms and even suicidal thoughts, which is very unlike me. It was repeatable, too. I attempted keto 3 times and all 3 times I had to stop because I wasn't right in the head. Thankfully, the last time I quit earlier at the first signs.
The article above is not very well written. The points are all over the place and have little to do with mental health. If they're trying to say that better physical health leads to better mental health, then a low carb diet is not special in that regard. Any diet that provides good nutrition and reasonable calories would have the same outcome.10 -
Excellent info, thanks for posting.
I have never heard this about low-carb but I believe it. I was once diagnosed with MDD, bipolar and all sorts of other stuff but after getting fit and losing weight (watching my diet) all the mental problems evaporated.
I definitely have a carb sensitivity as well...10 -
rheddmobile wrote: »
Type 2 diabetic here - good glucose control greatly impacts the risk of dementia for diabetics. The brain uses a LOT of glucose to operate and insulin resistance can have a profound effect on cognition, especially long term. Not to mention that diabetics are at heightened risk of strokes which are pretty bad for your brain.paperpudding wrote: »Most of the points dont even relate to mental health.
1 and 2 are good outcomes of low carb diets for those for whom this matters - ie diabetics and those with impaired glucose tolerance.
But how is that a mental health issue???
For those without insulin resistance, as you say, I don’t see a link.
It is true that cortisol can fluctuate in response to blood sugar, even in normal people, and not going hog wild on the carbs would probably help to stabilize blood sugar and lower cortisol levels. I doubt keto would be necessary to see an effect. Just maybe don’t binge on entire boxes of Twinkies. Is there any actual research backing these claims?
Keto actually tends to increase cortisol.
I think the mental health argument tends to have to do with ketones (I am neutral on whether it might have a positive effect for some people).
I personally find that if I eat in a way that avoids using food for quick energy followed by a crash I tend to feel better mentally and physically, but I think the mental effect is more about feeling more in control. I have found that specific carb level doesn't matter (as of course one can eat a good many carbs and still not snack a bunch on quickly digested carbs or having high amounts of low fiber ultra refined carbs in one's diet). Indeed, many of those foods come with fat too, so overall macros might not change much when cutting down on them.
I feel mentally better when I'm eating better -- I think it's probably more a self-care thing, as I tend to find I feel better overall and mood-wise when I exercise, when I keep my environments non cluttered, don't procrastinate, am outside and in daylight more, have time to meditate and do relaxing things, get more sleep, etc. On the other hand, and what makes this tough, is that I tend to do those things much more when I'm not dealing with anxiety, severe stress, depression, etc. So what's the direction?
When I was losing weight initially I was playing with lower carbs, and found a comfort zone at about 120-150 g carbs and felt great. But I've also felt great eating a much higher carb plant-based diet and a variety of other ways. I have had to conclude that for me carb g or percentage makes little difference, and it's more about eating well and feeling in control (vs out of control) of my diet. One thing I've thought lately is that I tend to feel better when I eat more fruit, which would be contrary to keto. But I think people are going to vary.10 -
Low-carbohydrate diets have tremendous potential in the prevention and management of psychiatric disorders.
I just wanted to comment on this part, being I'm diagnosed with Bipolar, Depression and Anxiety, which I take Meds for...since 2005. That part is just..like I joke about Myself..."Wacky" The bullet points I can't comment on being I have no idea, and I'm too lazy to look up what they are. 4 -
"People currently taking psychiatric medication (or medication of any kind) or who have a history of serious mental health symptoms, such as suicidal ideation, mania, or psychosis, should not embark on a low-carbohydrate diet without additional information and professional support, as medication levels can be affected, and some symptoms may temporarily worsen during the initial weeks of adaptation..."
That's heavy...6 -
LittleLightShine wrote: »Actually, there is a lot of science behind low carb and intermittent fasting helping with longevity and dementia along with issues like bipolar and depression. Highly recommended for people who have the Alzheimer’s APOE gene. Check out researcher Dr. Valter Longo and read about autophagy.
No. Not eating enough whole grains and fiber increases your risk of cancer.10 -
I've been LCHF for a few months now and haven't really noticed a difference in my mental health. It was good before, when I was eating a high carb diet, and it's still good now eating zero-20 carbs. I have had several physical improvements from lowering carbs but they've been related to digestion, weight, energy levles, mouth health etc.4
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NorthCascades wrote: »LittleLightShine wrote: »Actually, there is a lot of science behind low carb and intermittent fasting helping with longevity and dementia along with issues like bipolar and depression. Highly recommended for people who have the Alzheimer’s APOE gene. Check out researcher Dr. Valter Longo and read about autophagy.
No. Not eating enough whole grains and fiber increases your risk of cancer.
I see 3 people don't follow the news or read medical journals.11 -
NorthCascades wrote: »NorthCascades wrote: »LittleLightShine wrote: »Actually, there is a lot of science behind low carb and intermittent fasting helping with longevity and dementia along with issues like bipolar and depression. Highly recommended for people who have the Alzheimer’s APOE gene. Check out researcher Dr. Valter Longo and read about autophagy.
No. Not eating enough whole grains and fiber increases your risk of cancer.
I see 3 people don't follow the news or read medical journals.
4 people4 -
As a Psych major (only undergrad) and a keen interest in the Microbiome, I pay attention to advancements in the industry and as a Science Oriented "headhunter" that works with startups, I also keep up with potential innovations/breakthroughs that might come to market.
I have seen three or four teams of researchers keenly interested in the correlation between one particular bacteria in the Microbiome that seems to be ridiculously correlated with depression. If you don't have it, you tend to be much more susceptible to depression. Feed this bacteria GABA and it increases in volume dramatically. Not as simple as feeding it oral GABA (from my very layman's understanding). You actually have to increase it through adding in a form of E Coli (E Coli Nissle 1917), which was discovered back in WW I and named after the researcher that discovered it in the gut of one soldier that never got sick from diarrhea/dysentery. This form of E Coli actually produces, I gathered, GABA, which is then directly taken in by the lacking bacteria which in turn grows dramatically in number.
So why not just feed those depressed E Coli Nissle 1917? Well, for one, it's illegal in the US. Secondly, in certain individuals with already compromised Microbiomes, it can become invasive/out of control -- similar to what spore based antibiotics can in sick individuals.
But just wanted to point out that I do think researchers aren't that far off from coming up with real solutions to depression and it seems that the makeup of your Microbiome is certainly a piece. It's just not that simple, even with diet, to change that makeup quickly in order to make it a therapeutic product for quick results. There are quite a few startups working on this in stealth mode currently. BTW, I'm not giving up any industry secrets. It's you can just put the puzzle pieces together around Linkedin with what teams are put together and what their PhD research was based upon.
http://staging-rise.s3.amazonaws.com/410/3/947/zf7aumcodrqmxhfneush.pdf?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAIZD5HUIXRXZ4FWDA&Expires=1742865941&Signature=6ODWZE4CmPjHi6Oyu7T8jC6ZMjQ=3 -
This was a very interesting article and the comments were very informative. Thank you1
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I'm a psychotherapist and this idea is new to me. Protein intake and sugar intake is linked with mental health yes. Carbs? First I heard this.3
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Interesting. I've been doing keto since September but dealing with depression and anxiety for much much longer. Interested to see how this develops and as I've just finally started some meds, will discuss with my Dr. on Friday. Thanks for everyone's input here.2
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I keto for migraine relief. My mild depression levels have also dropped and I feel great! So, getting rid of migraines reduced my depression? Or getting rid of carbs? Will never know as every time I injest carbs I feel low, and am hit with a migraine within 2-3 days.2
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