By Following his January declaration of an end to the “war on protein” and “saturated fats,” Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is now pivoting toward the ketogenic diet as a primary intervention for severe mental illness. On Wednesday, Kennedy claimed that the metabolic dietary regimen could “cure” schizophrenia—a statement medical experts were quick to label a massive oversimplification of psychiatric science.
The remarks were made during the Tennessee leg of Kennedy’s nationwide “Eat Real Food” tour. The tour aims to promote an overhaul of federal dietary guidelines, which now emphasize high-protein and high-fat intake—including steak, cheese, butter, and whole milk—while strictly limiting carbohydrates.
The “Cure” Claim vs. Clinical Evidence
“We now know that the things that you eat are driving mental illness in this country,” Kennedy stated at the Tennessee State Capitol. He asserted that a Harvard physician had “cured schizophrenia using keto diets” and claimed to have seen studies where dietary changes allowed patients to “lose their bipolar diagnosis.”
Kennedy’s claims appear to stem from a 2019 case study by Dr. Christopher Palmer. In that report, Palmer detailed “complete remission of symptoms” in just two patients with long-standing schizophrenia who adopted a ketogenic diet. Both patients were reportedly able to discontinue antipsychotic medications and remain in remission for years. In September, Palmer and his colleagues further described the diet as a “promising therapeutic approach.”
However, the psychiatric community remains skeptical. While a Stanford study last year suggested the diet “may be helpful” in short-term psychiatric contexts, researchers emphasize that a “promising approach” is not synonymous with a “cure.”
The Mechanics of Keto
The ketogenic diet—characterized by a macronutrient split of at least 70% fat, less than 20% protein, and under 10% carbohydrates—forces the body into a state of ketosis. While popular for weight loss, critics have long warned that the high fat intake could lead to adverse cardiovascular outcomes. Furthermore, the diet is notoriously difficult to maintain, as it excludes not only processed foods like pizza but also a wide range of essential fruits and vegetables.
Expert Pushback
Top psychiatric researchers have moved to correct the Secretary’s narrative. Dr. Paul S. Appelbaum, a professor of psychiatry at Columbia University and former president of the American Psychiatric Association, told The New York Times that suggesting the diet can cure or even significantly lessen schizophrenia symptoms is “simply misleading.”
Dr. Mark Olfson, also a professor of psychiatry at Columbia, noted a critical flaw in the existing literature: “At this time, there is no reliable proof that ketogenic diets can treat schizophrenia.” Olfson pointed out that most studies cited by Kennedy, including the Stanford study, lacked a control group adhering to a standard, non-keto diet—a fundamental requirement for clinical proof.
A Pattern of Institutional Overhaul
Kennedy’s dietary pivot follows a year of significant shifts within the nation’s health infrastructure. Known for his skepticism regarding vaccines and pharmaceuticals—including a 2024 claim that ADHD medications had “poisoned” a generation—Kennedy has already taken steps to reshape federal policy. Last year, he replaced the entire 17-member Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) at the CDC with a hand-selected board of skeptics.
“Today the lies stop,” Kennedy stated in a January release regarding the new dietary focus. “Protein and healthy fats are essential and were wrongly discouraged in prior dietary guidelines.”
