Metabolic Psychiatrist & Functional Medicine Doctor
Functional Medicine, Edinburgh
Metabolic Psychiatrist & Functional Medicine Doctor
Functional Medicine, Edinburgh
FAQs
Will a ketogenic diet help everyone with mental disorder?
Roughly speaking, around 1/3 of people can have an excellent response to keto, 1/3 partial improvement in symptoms and another 1/3 who do not experience significant benefits to their mental health.
Having said this, even if you do not see an immediate improvement in your mental health despite following an optimal ketogenic diet, there will be more that can be done. Many psychiatric medications contribute to insulin resistance and affect mitochondrial function. A ketogenic diet can reverse these issues and in theory limit the impact of adverse effects from prescribed medications. It is important to work with your prescriber and someone knowledgeable in relation to ketosis and the impact this may have on medications.
What if keto doesn't help enough?
Many people find success when they transition from a ketogenic diet to a carnivore diet. Others still may require further investigations to troubleshoot stalls in improvement. This could relate to underlying dysbiosis, immune system activation, circadian mismatch, toxic burdens to name just a few. The bottom line is that there is hope even if a ketogenic diet on its own is not enough for you.
What sort of consultations do you offer?
I offer remote consultations as a member of Freedom Health Connect. Doctors should be educators, providing up to date information so that the individual can make an informed decision about their health. The consultations are educational in nature. We can explore further investigations if you so wish, or work on optimising lifestyle measures first (which will be more cost effective). The consultations will be about troubleshooting and supporting you in your health journey. I will not be prescribing medications but I have worked within mainstream psychiatry since 2004 and I am happy to discuss all aspects of medications if you have questions. For overseas clients there is an option to receive bespoke written functional medicine analysis of your health history with options outlined for moving forwards. Telehealth appointment times can be more challenging across different time zones but if you have any questions please do not hesitate to get in touch.