U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has sparked controversy by claiming that the ketogenic diet (low-carb, high-fat) can treat schizophrenia. Experts pointed out that this exaggerates preliminary research findings and lacks scientific evidence.
According to a New York Times report on February 5, Kennedy spoke at an event in the Tennessee state legislature, asserting that diet is causing mental illness in America. He cited a Harvard physician who allegedly treated schizophrenia with a ketogenic diet and claimed that dietary changes have led to the remission of bipolar disorder diagnoses in some cases.
The cases Kennedy referenced were two patients reported by Harvard’s Dr. Christopher Palmer in 2019. These individuals reportedly experienced complete symptom resolution and discontinued antipsychotic medications after adopting a ketogenic diet. While Dr. Palmer recently described the ketogenic approach as promising, he acknowledged the need for more extensive long-term studies.
A ketogenic diet typically derives over 70% of calories from fat, less than 10% from carbohydrates, and under 20% from protein. Although known for its effectiveness in weight loss, health experts caution that it may pose risks to cardiovascular health.
Experts emphasize that even if the ketogenic diet alleviates symptoms for some patients, most still require medication. Dr. Paul Appelbaum, a psychiatry professor at Columbia University, stated that the claim of ketogenic diets treating schizophrenia is entirely unfounded.
Kennedy has a history of making scientifically unsupported claims. He has previously denied established evidence linking human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), promoted conspiracy theories about COVID-19 targeting specific races, and argued that vaccines could cause autism.