For one Ottawa woman, swapping carbs for fat wasn't just a weight-loss experiment — it became a lifeline for her mental health.
The ketogenic diet, long associated with epilepsy treatment and weight management, is now drawing serious attention from researchers and psychiatrists as a potential therapy for severe mental illness. And while the science isn't settled, stories like hers are fuelling a growing conversation about nutrition's role in brain health.
What Is the Ketogenic Diet?
The ketogenic — or keto — diet is a high-fat, very low-carbohydrate eating plan that pushes the body into a metabolic state called ketosis. Instead of burning glucose for energy, the body burns fat, producing ketones that serve as an alternative fuel source for the brain.
Originally developed in the 1920s to treat drug-resistant epilepsy, the diet has since become mainstream for weight loss. But a newer wave of research is exploring whether those same brain-altering metabolic changes could help people living with conditions like bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and major depression.
The Science: Promising, But Not Conclusive
Several small clinical trials and pilot studies have shown encouraging results. Researchers hypothesize that ketosis may reduce neuroinflammation, stabilize brain energy metabolism, and influence neurotransmitter pathways — all of which are disrupted in many psychiatric conditions.
A Stanford University pilot study published in 2024 found that participants with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder who followed a ketogenic diet for four months showed improvements in psychiatric symptoms, metabolic health, and overall functioning. Other researchers have noted reductions in medication side effects and improved mood stability.
That said, psychiatrists caution that the evidence base is still thin. Most studies are small, short-term, and lack control groups. The diet is also difficult to maintain long-term and can carry risks for certain individuals, including those with kidney or liver conditions.
One Ottawa Woman's Experience
For the Ottawa woman featured in the Ottawa Citizen's report, the clinical caveats matter less than the lived reality: she feels better. After struggling with severe mental illness and cycling through medications with limited relief, she turned to the ketogenic diet as a complement to her existing treatment plan.
The results, she says, have been meaningful — improved mood, more stable energy, and a clearer sense of mental calm than she had experienced in years. Her story reflects a broader pattern that psychiatrists working at the intersection of nutrition and mental health are beginning to document: some patients, particularly those who haven't responded well to medication alone, report significant improvements on keto.
What Ottawa's Mental Health Community Is Watching
While no major Ottawa hospital has launched a formal keto-for-psychiatry program, interest is growing among local dietitians and mental health practitioners who are fielding more questions from patients curious about dietary interventions. The Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre, one of Canada's leading psychiatric institutions, continues to explore integrative approaches to treatment.
Experts locally and nationally agree that the diet should never replace prescribed psychiatric medication without close medical supervision — but that it may have a role as an adjunct therapy for the right patients.
Should You Try It?
If you're living with a mental health condition and curious about keto, the most important step is talking to your doctor or psychiatrist first. The diet requires careful monitoring, especially for those on mood stabilizers or antipsychotics, some of which interact with metabolic changes.
For Ottawa residents exploring integrative mental health options, registered dietitians familiar with therapeutic ketogenic protocols can be a good starting point alongside your existing care team.
Source: Ottawa Citizen. Original reporting at ottawacitizen.com.
