Why Ketogenic Diets Were Built for the Brain
Dr. Chris Palmer explains how a 1921 epilepsy treatment at Mayo Clinic changes brain chemistry, neurotransmitters, and mental health.
Essentials: Diet & Nutrition for Mental Health | Dr. Chris Palmer
With Andrew Huberman, Dr. Chris Palmer · Sunday, August 30, 2026
Dr. Chris Palmer discusses the metabolic origins of psychiatric disorders and explains how nutritional interventions like carbohydrate restriction and ketogenic diets can treat mental illness. He and Andrew Huberman explore mitochondrial biology, the neurological mechanisms of fasting-mimicking diets, and clinical evidence demonstrating the reversal of treatment-resistant depression and schizophrenia.
How Ketogenic Diets Put Schizophrenia Into Remission
Dr. Chris Palmer details how nutritional ketosis eliminated hallucinations and reversed severe schizoaffective disorder when 17 medications failed.
Dr. Chris Palmer: Why Mitochondria Run Brain Chemistry
Dr. Chris Palmer explains how mitochondria act as cellular motherboards, controlling neurotransmitters, steroid hormones, and mental health.
How Fasting and Ketosis Rebuild Defective Mitochondria
Dr. Chris Palmer explains how mitophagy and mitochondrial biogenesis clear defective brain cells to reverse metabolic and psychiatric dysfunction.
Chris Palmer: Fix Metabolic Health to Treat Depression
Harvard psychiatrist Dr. Chris Palmer explains how carbohydrate restriction reversed his metabolic syndrome and treatment-resistant depression.
Target Blood Ketones for Mental Health: Palmer's Protocol
Dr. Chris Palmer outlines target blood ketone levels for mental health, from 0.8 mmol/L for depression to 1.5 mmol/L for severe psychiatric disorders.