TLDR: Ketone levels above 2mmol/l show significant improvements in patients with Euthymic bipolar disorder.
Of 27 recruited participants, 26 began and 20 completed the ketogenic diet. For participants completing the intervention, mean body weight fell by 4.2 kg (P < 0.001), mean body mass index fell by 1.5 kg/m2 (P < 0.001) and mean systolic blood pressure fell by 7.4 mmHg (P < 0.041). The euthymic participants had average baseline and follow-up assessments consistent with them being in the euthymic range with no statistically significant changes in Affective Lability Scale-18, Beck Depression Inventory and Young Mania Rating Scale. In participants providing reliable daily ecological momentary assessment data (n = 14), there was a positive correlation between daily ketone levels and self-rated mood (r = 0.21, P < 0.001) and energy (r = 0.19 P < 0.001), and an inverse correlation between ketone levels and both impulsivity (r = −0.30, P < 0.001) and anxiety (r = −0.19, P < 0.001). From the MRS measurements, brain glutamate plus glutamine concentration decreased by 11.6% in the anterior cingulate cortex (P = 0.025) and fell by 13.6% in the posterior cingulate cortex (P = <0.001).
These findings suggest that a ketogenic diet may be clinically useful in bipolar disorder, for both mental health and metabolic outcomes. Replication and randomised controlled trials are now warranted.
Full Paper: https://doi.org/10.1192/bjo.2024.841
It is interesting as a mere side effect of going keto the patients lost 4.2kg, drops 7 systolic blood pressure points..... Its a really well controlled demonstration of how powerful a ketogenic metabolism is, and how quickly people can see positive improvements.
Big ooph, but its fair enough, they dont want to rock more then one boat at a time for novel research.
The lead author, Dr. Campbell has done a interview about this study and future research: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3zEbwfbVP0