Die umfassendste Studie zu den Auswirkungen der ketogenen Ernährung auf die psychische Gesundheit fasste 50 Studien aus 60 Jahren zusammen, um herauszufinden, was wir über ihren Einfluss auf die Stimmung wissen. Keto-Diäten waren mit kleinen bis mäßigen Verbesserungen der depressiven Symptome verbunden. Für Angst wurden keine signifikanten Zusammenhänge gefunden.

I’ve linked to the news release in the post above. In this comment, for those interested, here’s the link to the peer reviewed journal article:

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/article-abstract/2840626

From the linked article:

Largest look at keto and depression delivers verdict on diet usefulness

**In the most comprehensive investigation of the ketogenic diet’s mental health effects yet, researchers pooled 50 studies spanning six decades to see what we actually know about its influence on mood**. The results are a mix of promising and „too early to say.“

Across 10 RCTs, participants on keto diets experienced greater improvements in depression scores than those in comparison groups (high-carbohydrate, for example). Statistically, this was described as having a “small-to-medium effect,” which essentially means most people in the trials didn’t experience dramatic changes, but the improvement was consistently greater than chance.

When it came to anxiety, the data was even less convincing. In nine RCTs that measured anxiety almost no difference between keto and other diets was found. However, less rigorous studies – where participants weren’t randomized – often showed improvement over time. The researchers, however, caution that this may be due to a number of variables –including the placebo effect, lifestyle changes or adherence – and not actually true diet-driven relief.

„In this systematic review and meta-analysis of 50 studies, **[keto diets] were associated with small to moderate improvements in depressive symptoms in randomized clinical trials and with larger improvements in quasi-experimental studies,“ the researchers noted. „No significant associations were found for anxiety in randomized clinical trials**.“