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CASE REPORT article
Front. Nutr.
Sec. Clinical Nutrition
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fnut.2025.1549782
This article is part of the Research Topic Ketogenic Metabolic Therapies in Prevention & Treatment of Non-communicable Diseases View all 9 articles
Ketogenic Metabolic Therapy in the Remission of Chronic Major Depressive Disorder: A Retrospective Case Study
Provisionally accepted- 1 Mental Health Keto, Vancouver, United States
- 2 University of East London, London, United Kingdom
- 3 Transformation Evoked, Virginia, Minnesota, United States
- 4 University of Oxford, Oxford, England, United Kingdom
Background: There is limited evidence describing the use of ketogenic metabolic therapy (KMT), also known as a ketogenic diet (KD), to achieve full remission of treatment-resistant major depressive disorder (MDD) in real-world clinical settings. This case study examines a 47-year-old woman with lifelong treatment-resistant MDD who achieved complete remission of depressive symptoms and improved functioning through a ketogenic diet.The patient engaged in KMT with a 1.5:1 macronutrient ratio under the supervision of a treatment team consisting of a medical professional, psychotherapist, and ketogenic-informed nutrition professional through an online program that provided both individual and group support. Interventions included dietary modifications, micronutrient supplementation, and participation in a group coaching program. Outcomes were assessed using validated tools for symptom severity, including PHQ-9 for depression and GAD-7 for anxiety, at baseline, two months, and four months post-intervention. Qualitative data on patient experiences and functional improvements were also collected.The patient achieved remission of MDD within eight weeks of initiating KMT, with PHQ-9 scores decreasing from 25 (severe depression) at baseline to 0 at two-and four-month assessments. GAD-7 scores decreased from 3 (minimal anxiety) to 0 over the same period. Qualitative findings revealed significant improvements in emotional regulation, energy levels, and cognitive function.This case study demonstrates the potential of KMT as a non-pharmacological intervention for achieving full remission in treatment-resistant MDD. These findings suggest further research to evaluate feasibility, efficacy, and broader applicability in diverse clinical settings.
Keywords: Ketogenic Diet, ketogenic metabolic therapy, Major Depressive Disorder, Psychiatric recovery, case report, metabolic psychiatry, Ketosis
Received: 22 Dec 2024; Accepted: 13 Feb 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Laurent, Bellamy, Hristova and Houston. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Nicole Laurent, Mental Health Keto, Vancouver, United States
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