Metabolic Mind

A new study claims ketogenic diets cause liver damage and early death. Here’s what you need to know.
A 2025 mouse study recently made headlines, warning that ketogenic diets may lead to fatty liver, high triglycerides, and a shortened lifespan.
But here’s the catch:
These findings were in genetically altered mice fed a 90% fat diet, filled with highly synthetic components, and they contradict what human trials have shown again and again.
In real people, ketogenic diets have consistently been linked to:
✅ Lower liver fat and improved liver enzymes
✅ Reduced triglycerides
✅ Improved insulin sensitivity and A1c
✅ Medication reduction or even remission in type 2 diabetes
So why the disconnect?
In this video, Dr. Bret Scher breaks it down:
What the mouse study really showed (and what it didn’t)
Key biological differences between mice and humans
Why human evidence still supports a well-formulated ketogenic diet’s safety and benefits
What to look for when evaluating nutrition headlines

Animal data can provide hints and raise important questions, but when human trials show clear benefits, that’s the signal we should trust.
👉 Learn more about the powerful effect of metabolic therapies on the brain and body by subscribing to Metabolic Mind: https://www.youtube.com/@metabolicmind.
#MetabolicMind #KetogenicTherapy #FoodAsMedicine

Expert Featured:
Dr. Bret Scher
Baszucki Group Medical Director
https://x.com/bschermd

Resources Mentioned:
A long-term ketogenic diet causes hyperlipidemia, liver dysfunction, and glucose intolerance from impaired insulin secretion in mice
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adx2752

Free CME Clinician Trainings:
Are you a clinician who would like to learn more about the science behind these therapies and how to implement them in practice? Earn CME with our growing library of courses from some of the top experts in the field including Dr. Chris Palmer, Dr. Georgia Ede, Dr. Matthew Bernstein and Dr. Bret Scher with more coming soon.
Our courses have been made FREE by grants from Baszucki Group, so we can spread these powerful therapies as widely as possible. Earn CME/CNE credits:
https://www.metabolicmind.org/for-clinicians/trainings-courses/?utm_medium=organic-social&utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=cme-yt

Follow our channel for more information and education from Bret Scher, MD, FACC, including interviews with leading experts in Metabolic Psychiatry.
Learn more about metabolic psychiatry and find helpful resources at https://metabolicmind.org/

About us:
Metabolic Mind is a non-profit initiative of Baszucki Group working to transform the study and treatment of mental disorders by exploring the connection between metabolism and brain health. We leverage the science of metabolic psychiatry and personal stories to offer education, community, and hope to people struggling with mental health challenges and those who care for them.
Our channel is for informational purposes only. We are not providing individual or group medical or healthcare advice nor establishing a provider-patient relationship. Many of the interventions we discuss can have dramatic or potentially dangerous effects if done without proper supervision. Consult your healthcare provider before changing your lifestyle or medications.

Can ketosis change symptoms of bulimia? Is low-carb eating safe in your 80s? And what really happens to digestion on a carnivore diet?
In this episode of Metabolic Mailbag, Dr. Bret Scher answers questions about ketogenic therapy for eating disorders, low-carb diets in older adults, carnivore diets and gut health, constipation on a ketogenic diet, and even a few easy keto movie-night snacks. He also looks at why being in ketosis may affect symptoms differently than simply eating low carb, what to consider when fasting later in life, and how to think about bowel habits and microbiome changes when fiber intake is very low.
He covers:
Whether intermittent fasting and low-carb eating are appropriate at age 81
Why adequate protein remains important with fasting
What current research suggests about ketogenic therapy and eating disorders
Fiber, bowel habits, and constipation on carnivore and ketogenic diets
What emerging research suggests about microbiome diversity on carnivore
Magnesium options for constipation
Simple keto snack ideas for a movie night

As always, Dr. Scher emphasizes individual context, clinical guidance, and the importance of looking beyond a single number or dietary rule.
🔎 Have questions about how to apply metabolic therapies effectively? Submit them at metabolicmind.org/questions to be featured in a future Metabolic Mailbag episode.
#MetabolicMind #KetogenicTherapy #MetabolicMailbag

Expert Featured:
Bret Scher, MD
https://www.instagram.com/drscher858/?hl=en
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bret-scher-08baaa102/
https://x.com/bschermd

Resources Mentioned:
Papers
https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06000774
https://toward.health/dr-tro-co-authors-case-series-demonstrating-feasibility-of-ketogenic-diet-for-patients-with-obesity-binge-eating-food-addiction-symptoms/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
https://www.wsj.com/health/can-ozempic-treat-binge-eating-for-some-the-answer-is-yes-dbdc009f?utm_source=chatgpt.com
https://journals.bioscientifica.com/mah/article/4/1/MAH250015/77637/Long-term-adherence-to-the-carnivore-diet-and-its
https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms4654
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6546328/

Videos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cThdgRm9ApE

Additional resources
https://brainenergy.com/

Free CME Clinician Trainings:
Are you a clinician who would like to learn more about the science behind these therapies and how to implement them in practice? Earn CME with our growing library of courses from some of the top experts in the field including Dr. Chris Palmer, Dr. Georgia Ede, Dr. Matthew Bernstein, Dr. Mariela Glandt, Dr. Deanna Kelly, Dr. Julie Milder, Dr. Zoltan Sarnyai, and Dr. Bret Scher with more coming soon.
Our courses have been made FREE by grants from Baszucki Group, so we can spread these powerful therapies as widely as possible. Earn CME/CNE credits:
https://www.metabolicmind.org/for-clinicians/trainings-courses/?utm_medium=organic-social&utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=cme-yt

Follow our channel for more information and education from Bret Scher, MD, FACC, including interviews with leading experts in Metabolic Psychiatry.
Learn more about metabolic psychiatry and find helpful resources at https://metabolicmind.org/

About us:
Metabolic Mind is a non-profit initiative of Baszucki Group working to transform the study and treatment of mental disorders by exploring the connection between metabolism and brain health. We leverage the science of metabolic psychiatry and personal stories to offer education, community, and hope to people struggling with mental health challenges and those who care for them.
Our channel is for informational purposes only. We are not providing individual or group medical or healthcare advice nor establishing a provider-patient relationship. Many of the interventions we discuss can have dramatic or potentially dangerous effects if done without proper supervision. Consult your healthcare provider before changing your lifestyle or medications.

Alzheimer’s disease is usually discussed in terms of plaques, tangles, and genetics. Dr. Stephen Cunnane has spent years studying another piece of the puzzle: what happens when the aging brain can no longer use glucose efficiently, and whether ketones can help fill that energy gap.
In this interview, Dr. Bret Scher and Dr. Cunnane discuss the metabolic side of cognitive decline, including insulin resistance, brain glucose metabolism, and why metabolic health may play an important role in both prevention and treatment.
They cover:
Why brain glucose utilization declines with age and Alzheimer’s disease
How ketones may provide an alternative fuel for the brain
What clinical trials of ketogenic diets, MCTs, and exogenous ketones have found so far
Why some studies show improvements in quality of life or daily function even when cognitive measures change less
What APOE4 may mean for treatment and prevention
Why type 2 diabetes is such an important modifiable risk factor for dementia
The roles of exercise, carbohydrate reduction, MCTs, and other lifestyle strategies
Why Dr. Cunnane believes prevention should begin long before cognitive symptoms appear

Dr. Cunnane also shares news about SPARCUS, the Sprott Prevent Alzheimer Research Collaboration at the University of Sherbrooke. The new program will support research and education around multi-domain metabolic approaches to cognitive health, including reduced carbohydrate intake, MCTs, exercise, and omega-3 supplementation.
The research is still evolving, but Dr. Cunnane argues that we already know enough about metabolic health to start taking modifiable dementia risk factors more seriously.
👉 Want to stay up to date with the latest research on metabolic health and metabolic psychiatry? Sign up for our newsletter to stay informed: metabolicmind.org/about-us/newsletter/
🔎 Have questions about how to apply metabolic therapies effectively? Submit them at metabolicmind.org/questions to be featured in a future Metabolic Mailbag episode.
#AlzheimersDisease #MetabolicMind #KetogenicTherapy

Expert Featured:
Dr. Stephen Cunnane
https://recherche-cerveau-sherbrooke.ca/en/laboratory-team/

Resources Mentioned:
https://event.fourwaves.com/kc-5

Free CME Clinician Trainings:
Are you a clinician who would like to learn more about the science behind these therapies and how to implement them in practice? Earn CME with our growing library of courses from some of the top experts in the field including Dr. Chris Palmer, Dr. Georgia Ede, Dr. Matthew Bernstein, Dr. Mariela Glandt, Dr. Deanna Kelly, Dr. Julie Milder, Dr. Zoltan Sarnyai, and Dr. Bret Scher with more coming soon.
Our courses have been made FREE by grants from Baszucki Group, so we can spread these powerful therapies as widely as possible. Earn CME/CNE credits:
https://www.metabolicmind.org/for-clinicians/trainings-courses/?utm_medium=organic-social&utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=cme-yt

Follow our channel for more information and education from Bret Scher, MD, FACC, including interviews with leading experts in Metabolic Psychiatry.
Learn more about metabolic psychiatry and find helpful resources at https://metabolicmind.org/

About us:
Metabolic Mind is a non-profit initiative of Baszucki Group working to transform the study and treatment of mental disorders by exploring the connection between metabolism and brain health. We leverage the science of metabolic psychiatry and personal stories to offer education, community, and hope to people struggling with mental health challenges and those who care for them.
Our channel is for informational purposes only. We are not providing individual or group medical or healthcare advice nor establishing a provider-patient relationship. Many of the interventions we discuss can have dramatic or potentially dangerous effects if done without proper supervision. Consult your healthcare provider before changing your lifestyle or medications.

College can be one of the most exciting times of your life, but it can also put enormous pressure on a brain that's still developing.
Psychiatrist Dr. Georgia Ede spent 12 years working as an on-campus psychiatrist at Harvard University and Smith College. In this video, she explains why college can be such a vulnerable time for mental health and how sleep, nutrition, alcohol, smoking, vaping, and other everyday habits may affect brain metabolism and resilience.
Dr. Ede explores the role of oxidative stress, why blood sugar and insulin matter for the brain, and how metabolic health can influence mood, concentration, memory, and the ability to cope with stress.
She shares practical strategies students can use on campus, including:
Choosing whole foods and reducing refined carbohydrates
Making better dining hall and snack choices
Prioritizing sleep and regular exercise
Limiting alcohol, smoking, and vaping
Using a continuous glucose monitor to better understand individual responses to carbohydrates
When a very low-carbohydrate or ketogenic diet may be worth exploring for mental health concerns
Why reaching out for professional support is essential when college starts to feel overwhelming

Any dietary changes, especially ketogenic therapy, should be explored with a qualified clinician. This is particularly important for students taking psychiatric medications or anyone with a history of eating disorders or disordered eating.
Taken together, these ideas show how metabolic health may support learning and relationships while students manage the everyday pressures of campus life.
👉 Looking for more back-to-school mental health resources for college students? Explore our Back to School blog for stories, science, and practical support for navigating campus life with mental health in mind: metabolicmind.org/resources/library/blog/stories/back-to-school-metabolic-mental-health-guide/
#MetabolicMind #KetogenicTherapy #BackToSchool

Expert:
Dr. Georgia Ede, MD- Author, Change Your Diet, Change Your Mind
https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgiaedemd/
https://x.com/GeorgiaEdeMD
https://www.instagram.com/georgiaedemd/

Free CME Clinician Trainings:
Are you a clinician who would like to learn more about the science behind these therapies and how to implement them in practice? Earn CME with our growing library of courses from some of the top experts in the field including Dr. Chris Palmer, Dr. Georgia Ede, Dr. Matthew Bernstein, Dr. Mariela Glandt, Dr. Deanna Kelly, Dr. Julie Milder, Dr. Zoltan Sarnyai, and Dr. Bret Scher with more coming soon.
Our courses have been made FREE by grants from Baszucki Group, so we can spread these powerful therapies as widely as possible. Earn CME/CNE credits:
https://www.metabolicmind.org/for-clinicians/trainings-courses/?utm_medium=organic-social&utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=cme-yt

Follow our channel for more information and education from Bret Scher, MD, FACC, including interviews with leading experts in Metabolic Psychiatry.
Learn more about metabolic psychiatry and find helpful resources at https://metabolicmind.org/

About us:
Metabolic Mind is a non-profit initiative of Baszucki Group working to transform the study and treatment of mental disorders by exploring the connection between metabolism and brain health. We leverage the science of metabolic psychiatry and personal stories to offer education, community, and hope to people struggling with mental health challenges and those who care for them.
Our channel is for informational purposes only. We are not providing individual or group medical or healthcare advice nor establishing a provider-patient relationship. Many of the interventions we discuss can have dramatic or potentially dangerous effects if done without proper supervision. Consult your healthcare provider before changing your lifestyle or medications.

Does reducing carbohydrates improve metabolic health beyond what can be explained by weight loss alone?
Dr. Bret Scher breaks down a new randomized controlled trial published in Cell Metabolism that compared three diets in people with prediabetes and fatty liver disease: a ketogenic diet, a higher-carbohydrate Mediterranean diet, and a very low-fat, plant-forward diet.
One challenge with ketogenic diet research is that participants often lose more weight than those in comparison groups, making it difficult to separate the effects of carbohydrate reduction from those of weight loss itself.
In this trial, researchers provided all of the meals, and participants achieved greater than 95% dietary compliance. Importantly, all three groups ultimately lost the same 10% of their body weight. That gave researchers an unusual opportunity to compare metabolic outcomes across the three diets without differences in weight loss muddying the picture.
And even with weight loss held constant, the outcomes differed.
The ketogenic group reduced liver fat by 67%, compared with 45% in the Mediterranean and plant-forward groups, and saw larger improvements in liver insulin sensitivity. Prediabetes remission also occurred in 50% of the ketogenic group, compared with 29% of the Mediterranean group and 7% of the low-fat, plant-forward group.
Dr. Scher covers:
Why similar weight loss across the three groups makes this trial especially informative
How all three diets affected skeletal muscle insulin sensitivity
Why liver insulin sensitivity improved more with the ketogenic diet
The differences in liver fat reduction between the three groups
Prediabetes remission rates across each dietary approach
How carbohydrate reduction may suppress liver fat production
Changes in the glucagon-to-insulin ratio on ketogenic therapy
What the study found about saturated fat, LDL cholesterol, and ApoB
Improvements in triglycerides, VLDL, and lipoprotein insulin resistance
The study’s limitations, including its small size and 4- to 5-month duration

For people with fatty liver disease or prediabetes, this study adds evidence that carbohydrate reduction may produce metabolic benefits beyond those achieved through weight loss alone.
🔎 Have questions about how to apply metabolic therapies effectively? Submit them at metabolicmind.org/questions to be featured in a future Metabolic Mailbag episode.
#MetabolicMind #KetogenicTherapy #FoodAsMedicine

Expert Featured:
Bret Scher, MD - Baszucki Group Medical Director & Host of the Metabolic Mind Podcast
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bret-scher-08baaa102/
https://www.instagram.com/drscher858/?hl=en
https://x.com/bschermd

Resources Mentioned:
Effect of diet macronutrient content on the cardiometabolic response to weight loss: A randomized clinical trial
linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1550413126002937

Free CME Clinician Trainings:
Are you a clinician who would like to learn more about the science behind these therapies and how to implement them in practice? Earn CME with our growing library of courses from some of the top experts in the field including Dr. Chris Palmer, Dr. Georgia Ede, Dr. Matthew Bernstein, Dr. Mariela Glandt, Dr. Deanna Kelly, Dr. Julie Milder, Dr. Zoltan Sarnyai, and Dr. Bret Scher with more coming soon.
Our courses have been made FREE by grants from Baszucki Group, so we can spread these powerful therapies as widely as possible. Earn CME/CNE credits:
https://www.metabolicmind.org/for-clinicians/trainings-courses/?utm_medium=organic-social&utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=cme-yt

Follow our channel for more information and education from Bret Scher, MD, FACC, including interviews with leading experts in Metabolic Psychiatry.
Learn more about metabolic psychiatry and find helpful resources at https://metabolicmind.org/

About us:
Metabolic Mind is a non-profit initiative of Baszucki Group working to transform the study and treatment of mental disorders by exploring the connection between metabolism and brain health. We leverage the science of metabolic psychiatry and personal stories to offer education, community, and hope to people struggling with mental health challenges and those who care for them.
Our channel is for informational purposes only. We are not providing individual or group medical or healthcare advice or establishing a provider-patient relationship. Many of the interventions we discuss can have potentially dangerous effects if done without proper supervision. Consult your healthcare provider before changing your lifestyle or medications. In addition, it is important to note that people may respond differently to ketosis, and there isn't one recognized universal response.