The ketogenic diet (KD) has a long history of use in treating epileptic conditions in both children and adults. More recently, it has gained renewed interest for its potential therapeutic effects on cardiometabolic diseases. Furthermore, the anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective qualities of KD have demonstrated promise, indicating its uses in the prevention and/or treatment of a range of mental illnesses. The goal of this thorough literature analysis by Chrysafi et al. (2024) is to assess clinical evidence and previous studies about the possible advantages of KD for treating stress, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. A thorough literature search was conducted to encompass the breadth of research in this area and identify gaps in the current scientific knowledge. A thorough search of Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science was conducted using pertinent keywords for relevant animal and clinical human research. An increasing amount of studies on the effects of KD on depression, anxiety, stress, schizophrenia, and bipolar illness have been conducted recently on both people and animals. Animal studies have consistently shown promising results, indicating a potential to alleviate symptoms of these psychiatric disorders. However, translating these findings to clinical practice poses challenges. Many clinical studies are of moderate quality, often lacking proper controls and assessing only the short-term effects of KD. Additionally, issues such as high dropout rates, poor compliance measurement, and methodological heterogeneity are prevalent. While the available evidence is promising, larger, longer-term, randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trials with prospective designs are needed to establish definitive conclusions regarding the potential preventive or adjunctive role of the KD in treating stress, anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. It is also necessary to do further fundamental research in animal models to clarify the biochemical processes that underlie the KD's impacts on various mental illnesses. [NPID: Ketogenic diet, depression, anxiety, stress, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, animal studies, clinical human studies, psychiatric disorders, carbohydrates restriction]
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