Popular weight-loss diet shows surprising impact on serious mental health condition

The keto diet may help individuals with anorexia nervosa, new research from UC San Diego School of Medicine suggests.

The small study, published in the journal Nature, enrolled 22 women between 18 and 45 years old who had a history of anorexia nervosa and a BMI (body mass index) above 17.5.

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a severe psychiatric disorder involving food restriction and low body weight, the researchers describe. This is often followed by body dissatisfaction, an intense fear of eating, and a preoccupation with body shape and size even after weight restoration.

KETO DIET HAS SURPRISING IMPACT ON MENTAL HEALTH, RESEARCHERS DISCOVER

The participants followed a ketogenic therapy plan for 14 weeks, aiming for a diet consisting of 70% fat, 20% protein and 10% carbohydrates, according to a press release.

The goal was to maintain weight while inducing nutritional ketosis — a metabolic state in which the body produces and uses ketones for energy because carbohydrate intake is low enough to shift metabolism toward fat burning.

The researchers monitored the participants via ketone testing, weekly weight checks, symptom questionnaires, and nutritional and psychiatric support.

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Among the remaining 18 participants, eating disorder symptoms reportedly improved in several areas, including restraint, depression scores, and concern with eating, shape and weight.

Overall scores on the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) also improved, with 72% of participants scoring in the recovered or normal range.

The participants’ body weight did not change significantly, and no BMI fell below 17.5, according to the results.

Those who continued to follow ketogenic therapy three months after the intervention had slightly better EDE-Q scores.

The study authors concluded that ketogenic dietary therapy is "well-tolerated" and demonstrated "potential efficacy" in reducing anorexia nervosa symptoms in adults who are mildly underweight or weight-restored.

Although the study was "sufficiently powered," the authors noted that the small sample size of predominantly White females limits the scope of the findings.

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"Future research should replicate these findings in more diverse populations and incorporate objective assessments of brain function, such as metabolic PET imaging, to assess brain glucose metabolism," they wrote.

Lead study author Guido Frank, MD, professor of psychiatry at the UC San Diego School of Medicine, who has studied and treated anorexia patients for more than 25 years, launched this study to broaden treatment options for this high-risk population.

Frank wrote in a statement that new approaches to anorexia nervosa are "urgently" needed.

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"Our work with ketogenic therapy looks beyond standard therapies and potentially at the underlying physiology of the disorder," he went on.

"Growing evidence links anorexia nervosa to neurometabolic dysfunction, and we are hopeful that direct metabolic intervention can regulate neural function and address the psychological symptoms patients experience."