Ketogenic diet in bipolar disorder
Michaël Saraga, Nicole Misson, Elaine Cattani
Abstract
Over the past 20 years, there has been a modest but increasing interest in the therapeutic potential of ketogenic diet (KD) for bipolar disorder. The rationale is that some anti-epileptics are mood-stabilizers, and KD is a recognized treatment for refractory seizures. One study described a positive impact of KD in 2 patients with type 2 bipolar disorder(1). Another publication reported no effect of KD in a more severe case(2). KD was also described as beneficial in 2 patients diagnosed with schizo-affective disorder. A recent study examined spontaneous online reports on forums dedicated to bipolar disorders, finding support for the beneficial effects of KD(3). We contribute to this limited literature with the personal case of the second author, who suffers from type 1 bipolar disorder. She spontaneously initiated KD and experienced significant improvement of her symptoms.