Interview with Dr. Georgia Ede, a Harvard-trained psychiatrist specialising in metabolic psychiatry.
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Dr Georgia Ede is a Harvard trained psychiatrist specialising in nutritional and metabolic psychiatry. She is the author of the book, ‘Change Your Diet, Change Your Mind: A powerful plan to improve mood, overcome anxiety and protect memory for a lifetime of optimal mental health’.
Summary
- Metabolic Psychiatry and Root Causes
- Many mental illnesses are driven by metabolic malfunction rather than mysterious chemical imbalances.
- Three key root causes are brain inflammation, oxidative stress, and insulin resistance.
- Over 90% of Americans have insulin resistance, which disrupts brain energy production.
- The Ketogenic Diet as Intervention
- The ketogenic diet switches the brain's fuel from high-carb and high-insulin to low-carb and low-insulin.
- This shift allows brain cells to heal and function more efficiently.
- A study in Toulouse, France followed 31 inpatients with treatment-resistant bipolar, depression, or schizophrenia.
- 43% of those patients achieved clinical remission.
- 64% left the hospital on less psychiatric medication.
- Personalization is essential based on metabolic health, gut function, and individual preferences.
- Ketosis and Mental Health
- Ketosis is the state where the body burns fat and produces ketones, an efficient fuel for the brain.
- Transitioning into ketosis can cause temporary headaches and discomfort known as "keto flu."
- Easing into the diet and supplementing electrolytes can reduce this discomfort.
- Processed foods are engineered to be addictive and unsatisfying.
- Whole foods stabilize appetite hormones and break the cycle of constant craving and hunger.
- ADHD and Nutrition
- Older European "few foods" studies showed 62-82% response rates in children with ADHD.
- Some children showed a 70% cure rate within weeks.
- Major health organizations do not currently recommend dietary changes for ADHD due to a lack of large-scale randomized control trials.
- Two major studies at Oxford and the University of Michigan in 2025 will investigate the ketogenic diet for adults with ADHD.
- Practical Application
- The benefit of dietary change comes mainly from subtracting harmful ingredients such as refined carbohydrates and vegetable oils.
- Continuous glucose monitors and ketone meters help patients objectively track metabolic response.
- Successful treatment works best as a team approach including a nutrition therapist, a prescribing doctor, and a coach or therapist.