Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently made the controversial assertion that the keto diet can cure schizophrenia.
Experts in health quickly criticized this statement as a significant overreach regarding the effects of diet on mental health.
Kennedy shared these comments during a visit to Tennessee as part of a national tour aimed at urging Americans to “eat real food,” according to a report from The New York Times.
His tour serves as a platform to promote his revised federal dietary guidelines, which advocate for increased protein and fat intake—including sources like steak, cheese, and butter—while recommending that carbohydrates be minimized.
While speaking at the Tennessee State Capitol, Kennedy stated that “we now know that the foods you consume are influencing mental health issues in this country,” and asserted that a Harvard doctor had “cured schizophrenia through keto diets.”
“Recent studies show that people are shedding their bipolar diagnoses simply by adjusting their diet,” Kennedy added.
The Secretary has been openly critical of vaccines and traditional medication. In 2024, he claimed that ADHD medication had harmed an entire generation. He also dismissed the entire 17-member CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices last year, replacing its members with individuals who share similar skeptical views.
In Tennessee, Kennedy appeared to reference a study from 2019 by Dr. Christopher Palmer, which reported on “two patients with longstanding schizophrenia who saw complete remission of symptoms” after adopting a keto diet. The report indicated that both patients were able to discontinue antipsychotic medications and have remained symptom-free for years.
Palmer and his team stated in September that the keto diet represents a “promising therapeutic option for schizophrenia.”
The Independent has reached out to Palmer for his response.
The keto diet, often referred to simply as “keto,” typically comprises around 70% of caloric intake from fat, with less than 10% from carbohydrates and about 20% from protein. While it has gained popularity among those seeking to lose weight without adopting veganism or severely cutting calorie intake, critics caution that a high-fat diet may pose long-term risks to cardiovascular health.
While many anecdotes exist about successful weight loss on keto, adherents often find it challenging to maintain due to the elimination of various foods—such as certain fruits and vegetables and favorite dishes like pizza—that are restricted by the diet.
Some short-term studies, including one published by Stanford last year, suggest that the keto diet “might” benefit those with schizophrenia. However, experts emphasize that the possibility of some benefit is not the same as the Health Secretary making a sweeping claim that a complex mental illness can be resolved simply by avoiding bread.
Dr. Paul S. Appelbaum, a psychiatry professor at Columbia University and former president of the American Psychiatric Association, remarked to The NYT that characterizing the keto diet as a potential treatment for schizophrenia is “simply misleading.”
Dr. Mark Olfson, another professor of psychiatry at Columbia, emphasized to The NYT that “there is no credible evidence that ketogenic diets can cure schizophrenia.”
He pointed out that most studies analyzing the keto diet for mental health treatments—including the Stanford study mentioned by Kennedy—lacked a control group on a standard non-keto diet.
Kennedy appears committed to promoting high-fat and protein-centric diets. On January 7, he proclaimed that the “war on protein” had come to an end.
“Today, we stop the misinformation,” Kennedy declared. “Protein and healthy fats are vital and had been improperly discouraged in previous dietary recommendations.”
The Independent has sought a response from Kennedy through the Department of Health and Human Services.
