Small Ohio State trial finds ketogenic diet linked to large drop in depression symptoms among college students

Researchers at Ohio State University reported that a 10‑ to 12‑week ketogenic diet was associated with substantial reductions in depressive symptoms among 16 college students in a small pilot trial.

The study, described in a university news release, found an average reduction in depression symptoms of about 70% after participants followed a well‑formulated ketogenic eating plan for at least 10 weeks. Scores on depression measures fell 37% by the second week, and participants’ self‑reported “global well‑being” increased about threefold. No participant’s symptoms worsened during the trial.

The group included 10 women and six men with an average age of 24. All were already receiving medication, counseling or both for major depressive disorder before beginning the diet. Participants were given extensive education on a ketogenic pattern that limited carbohydrates to fewer than 50 grams per day, with higher fat and moderate protein. They were instructed to eat when hungry and stop when full and were not asked to track calories.

Investigators reported additional improvements in several cognitive domains, including memory, processing speed, executive function and attention. All but one participant lost weight during the trial, with an average loss of about 11 pounds and a mean reduction in body fat of 2.4 percentage points.

Lead author Jeff Volek, a professor of human sciences at Ohio State, said in an interview that the magnitude of the improvements was unexpected. He and other researchers noted that the ketogenic state converts fat into ketones, which can serve as an alternative fuel for brain cells and act as signaling molecules. Volek said ketones may influence neurotransmitters and have anti‑inflammatory effects that could affect mood.

"There's a lot of evidence that ketones improve brain function and can change people's mood through a variety of different neurochemicals," Volek said. He added that weight loss itself could also contribute to improved mental health, citing evidence of higher depression risk among people with overweight or obesity.

Ryan Patel, a psychiatrist at Ohio State's Office of Student Life Counseling and Consultation Service and a co‑author of the study, said nutrition may offer an accessible approach to helping large numbers of students. He noted that stress, anxiety and depression are major impediments to academic performance and that many students reporting symptoms do not receive professional treatment.

The trial did not include a non‑keto control group, a limitation the authors acknowledged. They said a randomized controlled trial would be needed to establish causation and to compare the diet’s effect with standard treatments. The pilot work was supported by a grant from the Baszucki Group Brain Research Fund.

The researchers compared their findings with previous studies showing that medications and counseling can reduce depressive symptoms by about 50% over similar periods. They concluded that achieving nutritional ketosis may serve as an adjunctive therapy for depression and recommended larger clinical trials to confirm the results.

Volek advised that individuals with mental health disorders seeking dietary changes should consult professionals familiar with the ketogenic diet. The study’s authors cautioned that these preliminary results do not constitute clinical guidance and that more rigorous research is required before recommending the diet broadly as a treatment for depression.