ENCORE: How Diet Impacts Psychiatric Conditions, Part 1

Nutritional psychiatry with Dr. Georgia Ede. Dr. Ede is a Harvard-trained, board-certified psychiatrist who emphasizes diet in her treatment of mental conditions. She is a frequent contributor to Psychology Today, and we discuss her recent article there highlighting the role of nutrition in curbing the risk of severe Covid. She describes how healthy diet impacts psychiatric conditions through three main mechanisms: inflammation, oxidative stress, and blood sugar dysregulation. Ups and downs of glucose affect mood, and insulin resistance deprives brain cells of fuel. She advocates a low-carb diet, even keto, to address certain psychiatric conditions. At the very least, intermittent fasting helps the brain achieve a needed “reset”. She’s not a fan of exclusively vegan diets, and critiques the EAT-Lancet report which calls for minimizing animal protein. She discusses recent research linking food additives and diet to attention deficit disorder. Dr. Ede offers a keto course for clinicians at her informative website diagnosisdiet.com. Click HERE for part 2.