Pilot Study Highlights Symptom Improvement
A pilot study published in Communications Medicine by UC San Diego School of Medicine demonstrates that a ketogenic diet may reduce symptoms of anorexia nervosa. This finding provides a potential new treatment avenue for the disorder, which has a high mortality rate.
The study conducted a 14-week ketogenic intervention involving a high-fat, low-carbohydrate, moderate-protein diet. This approach was feasible and safe for patients with weight-normalised and mildly underweight anorexia nervosa. Notably, 72% of participants reached the recovered range of eating disorder symptoms by the end of the study. All participants showed improved depression scores.
Dr. Guido Frank, the study’s lead and a Professor of Psychiatry at UC San Diego, stated, “We urgently need new approaches to anorexia nervosa. Our work with ketogenic therapy looks beyond standard therapies and potentially at the underlying physiology of the disorder.”
Study Methodology and Results
The study included 22 participants, 18 of whom completed the program. No significant weight change was observed, indicating the diet’s safety in this context. Eating disorder scales and the Beck Depression Inventory were used to measure improvements.
Jan Ellison Baszucki, co-founder of the Baszucki Group, which funded the study, emphasised the need to explore dietary interventions targeting neurometabolic functions for treating psychiatric conditions. “Growing evidence links anorexia nervosa to neurometabolic dysfunction,” explained Dr. Frank. “We are hopeful that direct metabolic intervention can regulate neural function and address the psychological symptoms patients experience.”
An extension of this study is currently recruiting participants with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa to further investigate the therapy’s effectiveness.
Anorexia nervosa is a severe psychiatric disorder with a high mortality rate. In the United States, a death occurs every 52 minutes related to this disorder. Persistent psychological symptoms often lead to relapse, even after weight restoration.
