A recent study revealed that a ketogenic or keto diet may assist ease depression in individuals who don’t respond to antidepressants.
Scientists at the University of Oxford discovered that participants assigned to a keto diet for six weeks reported slightly reduced depression symptoms in contrast to those encouraged to eat a plant-heavy diet.
For the study, the clinical trial included 88 individuals with treatment-resistant depression. People consuming keto diet, which curbs carbs to under 30gm every day, enhanced by an average of 10.5 points on a 27-point depression scale, in contrast to an 8.3-point improvement among the plant-focused group.
Lead researcher Min Gao stated, “A ketogenic diet had antidepressant benefits compared with a well-matched control diet at 6 weeks.”
“This randomized clinical trial suggests that ketogenic diets may be effective as an adjunctive treatment for treatment-resistant depression,” Gao added.
Experts stressed that lifestyle modification plays a crucial role in depression treatment.
Dr. Raphael Braga, who reviewed the findings said, “This diet may offer benefits, but it’s not easy to maintain, support and overall healthy habits remain key components of managing depression effectively.”
The study offers preliminary evidence that keto could complement standard depression treatments, though more research is required to confirm long-term effects.
