Overview

• Sixteen of 24 enrolled Ohio State students with major depressive disorder completed a 10–12 week ketogenic diet while continuing medication, counseling, or both.
• Participants maintained nutritional ketosis about 73% of the time on fewer than 50 grams of carbohydrates per day, reflecting strong adherence.
• Self-reported depression scores improved by 69% at weeks 10–12 and clinician ratings fell by 71%, compared with ~50% reductions typically seen over similar periods with standard treatments.
• Global well-being nearly tripled, cognitive performance improved on measures of memory, processing speed, and executive function, and average weight loss reached about 11 pounds with no significant lipid changes.
• Researchers collected inflammatory and brain-related protein markers for mechanism studies, while outside dietitians cautioned about keto’s restrictiveness and pointed to Mediterranean-style eating as an alternative.