Cutting carbs for a better mood? A keto diet helped students slash depression symptoms by nearly 70%, and improved cognitive skills too!
- Following a ketogenic diet was linked to a 69–71% reduction in depression symptoms in college students over 10 weeks
- Participants also saw improvements in well-being and cognitive function, and achieved safe weight loss
- While promising, the approach should supplement and not replace standard depression care
Do you think your diet can help ease depression? A new study released by The Ohio State University and published in Translational Psychiatry suggests that a keto diet might do just that, especially for college students already coping with major depressive disorder (1). Let’s break down the research findings, what makes the ketogenic (keto) diet unique, and what this could mean for mental health care moving forward.
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What Is the Keto Diet?
The ketogenic diet is a way of eating that’s very low in carbohydrates (under 50 grams per day), moderate in protein, and high in healthy fats. The idea is to switch the body’s primary energy source from glucose (sugar) to ketones, which are made from fat. This change, called “nutritional ketosis,” affects how the brain and body function. This new study hints, it could even alter mood and cognitive performance.
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Keto Diet for College Students With Depression
The study enrolled 24 college students, all of whom were being treated for major depressive disorder (MDD) either with medication, counseling, or both. Sixteen students completed the 10-12 week pilot trial, which involved:
- Detailed education about the keto diet,
- Frequent check-ins and tailored meal suggestions,
- Baseline and ongoing assessments of depression symptoms and overall well-being,
- Regular blood checks to confirm the students stayed in nutritional ketosis.
Crucially, no additional changes were made to existing treatments, so the keto diet was an add-on, not a replacement for medication or counselling.
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Symptoms of Depression Reduce with Keto Diet
The results were remarkable:
- Self-reported depression symptoms dropped by 69% after about 10 weeks of keto eating. Clinician-assessed depression scores fell by 71%.
- These improvements are substantially greater than the ~50% reduction typically seen with medication or counseling alone in a similar time frame.
- Students’ overall well-being improved by almost threefold, measured using a World Health Organization scale.
- Participants also sharpened up on cognitive tests involving memory, processing speed, and attention.
- Nearly every participant lost some weight, averaging an 11-pound drop and decreased body fat, without having to count calories.
- Importantly, there was no significant change in cholesterol or blood fat levels, and no participant’s depressive symptoms worsened.
Why Does Keto Diet Reduce the Symptoms of Depression?
The researchers don’t yet know the exact mechanism, but several theories exist. The ketogenic state may lower inflammation, stabilize blood sugar, and provide brain cells with a steadier energy source by using ketones instead of glucose. These metabolic changes could calm overactive brain circuits linked to depression.
The study’s authors also measured various biological markers, hoping to understand how keto changes proteins related to brain health and inflammation. More research is planned to uncover these details in future larger clinical trials.
It’s important to note that the study had no “control group” (students eating a non-keto diet for comparison) and a relatively small sample size (16 who finished). These are early results, and individual responses to keto can vary. Not everyone is a good candidate for this diet. People with very low body weight, eating disorders, or certain health issues should be cautious and only try such diets under medical supervision.
With depression rates rising and many college students struggling to access professional help, nutrition may turn out to be a valuable extra tool for boosting mental well-being. This research offers hope, showing that a well-supported keto diet could be a meaningful “adjunct” alongside traditional treatments for depression.
References:
- A pilot study examining a ketogenic diet as an adjunct therapy in college students with major depressive disorder
(Decker, D.D., Patel, R., Cheavens, J. et al. A pilot study examining a ketogenic diet as an adjunct therapy in college students with major depressive disorder. Transl Psychiatry 15, 322 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-025-03544-8)
Source-Medindia