RFK, Jr. just claimed that the keto diet can cure schizophrenia. this is what science says
Early studies suggest that a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet may reduce schizophrenia symptoms in some people, but experts say claims of it being a cure are misleading.
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Experts say U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s claim that a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet can cure some mental conditions is misleading and not supported by evidence.
Citing new nutrition guidelines that emphasize eating a diet rich in red meat, whole milk and animal fats at an event in Tennessee on Wednesday, Kennedy said a Harvard doctor had “cured schizophrenia using the keto diet” and that there were studies that show people “lose their bipolar diagnosis by changing their diet.”
A person eating a ketogenic diet typically gets at least 70 percent of their calories from fat, about 20 percent from protein and as few carbohydrates as possible.
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In his speech, Kennedy mentioned a “Dr. Pollan” at Harvard, but there appears to be no one there or elsewhere who has studied the keto diet and its effects on schizophrenia; He probably meant to quote Christopher Palmer, assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. The Department of Health and Human Services did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Palmer says, “Although I appreciate the Secretary’s (apparent) enthusiasm for my research, I have never claimed to have a cure for schizophrenia, and I have never used the word cure in any of my talks or research.”
“The way I think about the ketogenic diet is not about good diet versus bad diet or healthy diet versus unhealthy diet. I think about it as a metabolic intervention,” he adds.
Palmer co-authored a 2025 study In which the evidence for the ketogenic diet as a potential treatment for schizophrenia was reviewed. It found that small pilot studies showed that the diet may improve some symptoms of the disorder in some people. But Palmer emphasizes that other people with this condition may not see any improvement from the keto diet.
Antipsychotic medications are the leading treatment for schizophrenia, although these medications come with serious side effects, and not all people with the condition respond well to them.
Ohio State University professor Jeff Wolek, who has extensively studied the ketogenic diet, says he is not aware of any published clinical trials that show the diet can treat schizophrenia. But he says he wouldn’t be surprised if there were individual cases in which people saw some improvement in their schizophrenia symptoms due to diet.
“There’s nuance here,” says Volek. “As a scientist, I personally would not use such harsh language (‘cure’) without more definitive evidence from rigorous scientific studies.”
Evidence suggests that in other brain conditions, following a strict, physician-monitored ketogenic diet may improve some symptoms. For example, people with severe and rare seizure disorders, such as Dravet syndrome And lennox-gastaut syndromeFollowing a ketogenic diet is beneficial. Importantly, psychiatry has a history of adapting epilepsy treatments to other mental illnesses, notes Palmer. He says it’s possible that the keto diet affects brain inflammation, and this mechanism may work in other psychiatric conditions as well.
He emphasized that when psychiatrists talk about the keto diet, they are talking about a rigorous treatment protocol, not an eating habit where one attempts to avoid certain foods and prioritize others.
“Health and wellness advice or even people following a diet for long-term heart health — it’s not the same as treating a serious brain disorder like epilepsy or schizophrenia,” says Palmer. “In no way would I want them to think that (a person with schizophrenia) can get over it and just try a diet and cure themselves.”
Still there may be some benefit. Other early research suggests that the keto diet may have some effects on people with major depression. one in Recent Clinical TrialsParticipants who followed the keto diet saw a slightly greater improvement in their symptoms than participants who ate a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. This study and Other recent research There is no clear evidence that diet can cure depression. But interest in research is growing, Palmer says.
“The great news is that two randomized, controlled trials of the ketogenic diet for schizophrenia have just been completed,” says Palmer, who was a consultant on one trial, adding that the results will be published in the coming year.
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