Metabolic Mind

Metabolic health may be the foundation of a healthy brain, and a growing community of researchers, clinicians, and educators is working to bring that message into mainstream medicine.
In this interview, Dr. Bret Scher talks with Dr. Dom D'Agostino at the Citizen Science Initiative (CoSci) conference to discuss everything from the recent screening of The Cholesterol Code documentary to the rise of N-of-1 research, the future of metabolic psychiatry, and the urgent need for nutrition education in medical schools.
In this conversation, you'll learn:
Dr. D'Agostino’s reaction to The Cholesterol Code documentary and what stood out most
How N-of-1 citizen science is reshaping the way we think about metabolic health
Why metabolic health may be a stronger predictor of cardiovascular outcomes than LDL alone
How nutrition education made its way into the USF College of Medicine curriculum
What the latest research is revealing about ketogenic metabolic therapy and cancer, brain health, and immune function
Why metabolic psychiatry is one of the most exciting emerging fields in medicine
How exogenous ketones and ketogenic diets fit into clinical practice and ongoing research

This discussion offers a thoughtful look at where metabolic medicine is headed and why prioritizing whole-body health is becoming central to supporting the brain.
🎥 Watch The Cholesterol Code documentary and join the conversation shaping the future of metabolic health: amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0GS8ZFCYN/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r
#MetabolicMind #KetogenicTherapy #FoodAsMedicine
🔎 Have questions about how to apply metabolic therapies effectively? Submit them at metabolicmind.org/questions to be featured in a future Metabolic Mailbag episode.

Expert Featured:
Dr. Dominic D’Agostino
https://drdominicdagostino.com/
https://www.instagram.com/dominic.dagostino.kt/?hl=en
https://www.facebook.com/dominic.dagostino.1/
http://linkedin.com/in/dominic-d-agostino-156014b
https://x.com/DominicDAgosti2?lang=en

Resources Mentioned:
https://www.metabolicinitiative.com/
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL27U85_g28NlX2RAWCiz6us2SW_9OW4VA

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.

New results from first-of-its-kind randomized controlled trial on a ketogenic diet for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder with psychosis offer important insights into metabolic psychiatry and mental health treatment.
In this interview, Dr. Bret Scher sits down with Dr. Julie Milder to walk through the study results, recently published in Schizophrenia Bulletin. As the first RCT in psychosis-spectrum conditions to publish in the peer-reviewed literature, it’s an important step toward understanding how metabolic interventions may play a role in serious mental illness.
Key insights from the study:
In the 1-month randomized portion of the trial, the ketogenic group showed significant improvements in metabolic health markers compared to diet-as-usual
Psychiatric symptoms trended toward improvement, but were not statistically significant at 1 month
Participants who opted into the ketogenic extension part of the study (4 total months of keto), saw improvements in depression, cognition, and positive and negative symptoms.

In this video, Dr. Milder also breaks down important additional context about the limitations of the study, including the length of the randomized portion of the trial and the variance in dietary support between the two diet groups.
This study adds to growing evidence linking metabolic health and psychiatric conditions and explores whether ketogenic therapy may play a role in addressing underlying mechanisms.
👉 Want to learn more about the trial? Visit our study page: https://www.metabolicmind.org/trials/featured-post/peer-reviewed-results-of-first-ever-randomized-controlled-trial-of-ketogenic-diet-in-schizophrenia-spectrum-and-bipolar-i-disorder/
🔎 Have questions about how to apply metabolic therapies effectively? Submit them at metabolicmind.org/questions to be featured in a future Metabolic Mailbag episode.

Expert Featured:
Dr. Julie Milder
Baszucki Group Director of Neuroscience
http://linkedin.com/in/juliemilder

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

Resources Mentioned:
Metabolic improvements with a ketogenic diet correlate with symptom improvement in psychosis: A randomized controlled trial
https://doi.org/10.1093/schbul/sbag082

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.

New evidence from the first-ever RCT shows ketogenic therapy can rapidly improve metabolic health in schizophrenia-spectrum and bipolar I disorders, and shows early signals of psychiatric improvement.
In this video, Dr. Bret Scher breaks down this newly published study led by Dr. Judith Ford at UCSF: the first randomized controlled trial with peer-reviewed results investigating ketogenic therapy in people with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders and bipolar-1 disorder with psychotic features.
You’ll learn:
How the study was designed (a 1-month randomized phase plus an optional 3-4 month single-arm extension)
What happened in the first 30 days (clear improvements in metabolic markers; psychiatric outcomes showed trends that did not reach statistical significance in the randomized portion)
What improved over longer follow-up in the extension phase (encouraging changes in metabolic health, cognition, and psychiatric measures)
Why this matters for patients and families today, and what future, longer controlled trials need to confirm

Published in Schizophrenia Bulletin and funded by the NIMH and Baszucki Group, this study adds to the growing literature on the potential benefit of ketogenic therapy for psychiatric disorders.
These results indicate the need for larger, extended randomized controlled trials to test the safety and efficacy of ketogenic therapy in patients living with serious mental illness.
👉 Learn more about the study by visiting our website: https://www.metabolicmind.org/trials/featured-post/peer-reviewed-results-of-first-ever-randomized-controlled-trial-of-ketogenic-diet-in-schizophrenia-spectrum-and-bipolar-i-disorder/
🔎 Have questions about how to apply metabolic therapies effectively? Submit them at metabolicmind.org/questions to be featured in a future Metabolic Mailbag episode.

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

Resources Mentioned:
Metabolic improvements with a ketogenic diet correlate with symptom improvement in psychosis: A randomized controlled trial
https://doi.org/10.1093/schbul/sbag082

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.

Why are seed oils suddenly everywhere in nutrition debates? What is anhedonia? Is the dawn phenomenon something to worry about? And how can you tell the difference between nutritional ketosis and ketoacidosis?
In this Metabolic Mailbag episode, Dr. Bret Scher and producer Erica Gerard answer some of the most common questions from our community about ketogenic therapy, mental health, metabolism, and nutrition science.
Topics discussed include:
Why seed oils have become such a controversial topic and what the evidence actually shows
Whether seed oils deserve their negative reputation
What anhedonia is and why it can be one of the most challenging symptoms in mental health conditions like depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia
Emerging research on ketogenic therapy and improvements in anhedonia
Why debates between plant-based and ketogenic diets often miss the bigger picture
The limitations of observational nutrition research
Why there may not be one “best” diet for everyone
What the dawn phenomenon is and why it may mean different things for people eating high-carb versus ketogenic diets
The difference between nutritional ketosis and diabetic ketoacidosis
Whether there is a specific “therapeutic” ketone level for brain health and mental health interventions

Throughout the conversation, Dr. Scher emphasizes an important theme: context matters. The same biomarker, food, or dietary approach can have very different implications depending on an individual’s health status, goals, and metabolic health.
Whether you're exploring ketogenic therapy for mental health, trying to better understand ketone levels, or simply looking for evidence-based answers to common nutrition questions, this episode offers practical insights and helpful nuance.
🔎 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:
Dr. Bret Scher
https://www.metabolicmind.org/team/bret-scher-md/
https://www.instagram.com/drscher858/?hl=en
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bret-scher-08baaa102/

Erica Gerard

Resources Mentioned:
Papers
Re-evaluated Minnesota Coronary Experiment: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27071971/
Anhedonia improviments mentioned: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41475571/
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/2844388#google_vignette

Additional resources
Dawn Phenomenon by Dr. Bret Scher: https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/the-dawn-effect

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.

A newly published study called NATURE-CT is generating significant attention in the cardiovascular and ketogenic communities, but some of the conclusions being drawn online don't hold up to scientific scrutiny. Dr. Bret Scher walks through what the study actually shows, what it doesn't, and why comparisons being made to ketogenic therapy are scientifically misleading.
In this discussion, you'll learn:
What the NATURE-CT study examined and what its findings mean for coronary plaque progression
Why the average LDL of 111 mg/dL still showed substantial plaque progression
What this data may suggest about looking beyond LDL as the sole driver of coronary disease
Why comparisons being made between NATURE-CT and KETO-CTA are scientifically flawed
Why the original KETO-CTA manuscript was retracted and what that means for current claims
How baseline coronary artery calcium scores influence valid scientific comparisons
Why findings in lean mass hyper-responders cannot be extrapolated to all forms of ketogenic therapy
How metabolic health, not just LDL, may be a critical factor in understanding cardiovascular risk

This conversation underscores the importance of evaluating studies on their actual design and findings, rather than the conclusions being layered on top of them. For clinicians, researchers, and anyone navigating the cardiovascular and ketogenic conversation, the precision of the science matters.
🔎 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 #CardiovascularHealth

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

Resources Mentioned:
NATURal history of coronary PlaquE on cardiac computed tomography in individuals without MACE or lipid-lowering therapy: NATURE-CTstudy
https://www.journalofcardiovascularct.com/article/S1934-5925(26)00097-3/fulltext

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.