Please see the more recent and more complete post on this article:
Linking To And Excerpting Frontiers In Nutrition’s “Awareness and best practices in using ketogenic therapy to treat serious mental illness: a modified Delphi consensus” With A Link To An Additional Resource. Posted on March 1, 2026 by Tom Wade MD
I did not remove the post below simply because I did not want a broken link.
In addition to the article below, please see and review:
Linking To And Excerpting From “The ketogenic diet is not for everyone: contraindications, side effects, and drug interactions”
Posted on February 18, 2026 by Tom Wade MD
Today, I review and excerpt from “Awareness and best practices in using ketogenic therapy to treat serious mental illness: a modified Delphi consensus” [PubMed Abstract-Not Available] [Full-Text HTML] [Download PDF]. Front. Nutr., 23 February 2026.Sec. Nutrition and Metabolism. Volume 13 – 2026 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2026.1749406.
All that follows is from the above resource.
Abstract
Background:
Metabolic dysfunction is emerging as an important contributor to the pathophysiology of major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia, fueling interest in ketogenic metabolic therapy (KMT) as a potentially beneficial intervention for serious mental illness. KMT has been used successfully for decades in treating epilepsy, but evidence for treating mental illness has yet to mature.
Aims:
This study aimed to produce expert-informed guidance for the implementation of KMT in adults with serious mood and psychotic disorders.
Method:
A modified Delphi methodology was used to examine the opinions of KMT-experienced mental health experts. A steering group of eight such experts convened to develop an online survey comprising 33 statements regarding 1) the definition of KMT in the context of serious mood and psychotic illness; 2) identification of eligible candidates; 3) monitoring and measurement standards; and 4) best practices in employing KMT. This survey was distributed to clinician peers to examine opinions. The threshold for consensus agreement was set a priori at 75%.
Result:
Consensus was reached for all 33 statements (100%); therefore, the steering group approved the complete series of recommendations.
Conclusions:
This consensus provides expert-informed guidance to support the use of KMT in adults with major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.
