The ketogenic diet is high in fat, moderate in protein, and low in carbohydrates. Ketogenic diets cause the body to produce ketones, which are used as an alternative fuel when blood sugar levels are low. Ketones are produced in the liver from fat, which makes the ketogenic diet a popular weight loss method.
Evidence is also emerging that the ketogenic diet can help treat serious mental health disorders. A new clinical trial from James Cook University in Australia will conduct clinical trials to determine if a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet could be used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
“The way ketogenic therapy works is to provide alternative energy sources in the form of so-called ketone bodies (fat breakdown products) and help bypass cellular energy pathways that function abnormally in these mental disorders.” .said Associate Professor Carlo Longhitano, Head of Psychiatry at JCU and a co-investigator on the study.
He added that only well-designed and controlled clinical trials, such as those now underway, can allow conclusions that support evidence-based medicine. “Without them, they are just anecdotes and rumours”,Dr. Longhitano said.
Andy Welch, CEO of Keeto Life, which sells products to more than 250,000 consumers in 15 countries, highlighted the broader and positive effects of a healthy diet on mental well-being, but remains enthusiastic about the potential of ketogenic diets to answer to many diverse problems, including mental health.
“Today’s Western diets are generally lacking in many of the nutrients needed to fuel the body and care for our precious organs, especially our brains.”he told FoodNavigator. “Introduce a ketogenic diet, or a low-carb lifestyle as I like to call it, and you basically get rid of a lot of the highly processed carbohydrates and sugars that dominate Western life. An appreciation of healthy foods like leafy green vegetables and the essential nutrients they offer, such as superior brain health, is at the heart of ketogenic thinking—how to help your body function to the best of its powers.
“In the case of green leafy vegetables, your brain gets what it needs nutrient-wise, it works better, and as a result, so will you. By maximizing your potential to appreciate even the smallest experience, you promote your mental well-being.”
Another way to think about low-carb is to avoid “bloating,” he said, adding that a low-carb lifestyle prevents or minimizes access to these debilitating foods. “If you feel better in your body, then your mind has an indirect driver to feel better too. And those are just generic body benefits – there are studies on Keto as a rheumatoid arthritis dietary intervention providing anti-inflammatory benefits resulting in patients experiencing significant pain reduction. The less pain you feel, the more likely you are to feel mentally strong.”
However, EY Global Consumer Senior Analyst Jon Copestake warned the food industry not to put too much weight behind the ketogenic movement.
“I have a challenge with popular diets as they are seen as trend setting. I still remember the excitement around the Atkins diet, the California beach diet, and complementary diets like Slimfast.”he told FoodNavigator. “Diets like Keto and Paleo are likely to go the way of all the diets that came before them and disappear when the next big thing comes along, but they will leave a residual element of utility in the way consumers eat.”
But he added that there is a growing awareness among consumers to seek out foods to improve mood. “What diets more broadly point to is an appetite to use diets not to define weight loss, which has typically always been the focus, but also to improve physical and mental well-being.”he told us. “Skin health, brain health, sleep and relaxation are becoming as prominent in dieting as weight loss, reflecting a rather fundamental shift in how consumers view their relationship with diets”.
He added that it is a challenge for brands to respond to trends that can be “transient and potentially contradictory.”
“The number of fasting programs continues to grow, leaving brands out of the mix entirely. Some diets push people toward veganism, others focus on protein and iron, driving much more red meat-based consumption.”he explained.
“From a brand perspective there is a triple answer. One focuses on reformulation. Increasing the content of turmeric, kale, beets, legumes and omega-3s in the ready meals they sell to ride a trend without completely falling into a fad that could change tomorrow. A second is the launch of supplements that specifically favor a trend: this is where the beverage industry leads and the food industry follows: nootropics, adaptogens, CBD, microbiome, probiotics, raw fermented products, all They started out as mood-enhancing drinks and seep into food via supplements…increasingly being sold as gummies.
“More recently, the power of mushrooms seems to be more prominent with mushroom gummies seen as the new mood enhancer due to their high nootropic and adaptogenic qualities rather than their psychedelic properties.”
It recommended that brands take a “general health approach.” “Continuing down the same path of reducing unhealthy ingredients and increasing vegetable content, increasing legumes and green ingredients, they are not responding to specific health fads, but rather are grasping at the underlying longer-term trend and pointing to the fact that most dietitians generally see a Balanced and healthy diets provide better physical and mental well-being”.
He also suggested that food brands continue to agree with evolving trends in the beverage industry.
“Usually it’s much easier for beverage brands to be nimble here and this is what they’ve done.”elaborated. “Mood- and mental-wellness-enhancing beverages have gone from being virtually non-existent a decade ago to being nearly ubiquitous today. From a food perspective, it’s about riding the right trend and responding quickly. Food companies are increasingly using AI to track and analyze food trends through social media thanks to younger consumers’ predilection for posting a photo of every meal they eat. From knowing what’s hot, there’s a choice between incorporating emerging ingredients or food trends into your existing product formulation or creating new lines to match them. The really interesting thing I’ve noticed is that while beverage companies will adapt their portfolio to whatever dietary trends they can, food companies are much slower – they take a wait-and-see approach and have a lot of food safety and other regulations to consider. If you look at the variety of ‘diet’-based ready meals in any supermarket today, you’ll still find them dominated by calorie-controlled foods rather than foods that promote energy levels or brain power.”
To learn more about food and mood, listen to the FoodNavigator podcast, available October 19.
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