(19 minutes)

Published by: The Metabolic Link - 14 Aug 2024

Dr. Palmer is a psychiatrist and researcher working at the interface of metabolism and mental health who has been advocating the use of the medical ketogenic diet in the treatment of psychiatric disorders. This interview was recorded at Metabolic Health Summit in partnership with The Charlie Foundation in May of 2022.

(10 minutes)

Published by: The Diary Of A CEO Clips - 27 Jan 2024

(Steve Moderator) I've had so many parents message me about autism and ADHD so many you know I've had so many concerned parents messaged me specifically on Instagram saying please Steve you know I've had a child diagnosed with um autism they're trying to understand it they're trying to get good information on it you've used the word autism and ADHD as we've been speaking about metabolism what is the link in your view?

(Dr Palmer) Everything; the link is everything. The mitochondrial theory of autism actually was first proposed in 1985 and since then we have had an explosion of research linking mitochondria and mitochondrial dysfunction to autism. Specifically as I've mentioned to you the rates of autism have gone through the roof in the United States they've quadrupled in the last 20 years and people think, "Well what does that have to do with diet, those kids haven't eaten a diet yet."

"Well; their parents have. Let me share a couple of Statistics.
People are scratching their heads, "Where's all this autism coming from; I thought autism was genetic."

"If autism is genetic it shouldn't quadruple in 20 years. Quadrupling in 20 years means something in the environment is causing it."

"To provide just one piece of evidence to support what I'm saying.

If a woman has obesity she has double the risk of having an autistic child if a woman has both obesity and diabetes she has quadruple the risk of having an autistic child.

Look around in the population are the rates of obesity going up are the rates of diabetes going up the answer is unequivocally yes and that is a reflection how our society is. I don't want anybody to hear that and wag their finger at fat people and say oh you're causing autism because you're overeating. It's not that simple; that's not the way it goes.

People with obesity have a metabolic or mitochondrial problem that is why they have obesity now that might be caused by the foods they're eating but they don't know any better usually they think it's just about calories and what I'm here to say is no there's more to food than just calories it might be those chemicals in the food that you're eating or something else or it might be chemicals in our environment it might be pesticides or microplastics the forever chemicals that are becoming more and more ubiquitous all of these things disrupt metabolism and mitochondrial function.

So when I talk about obesity and diabetes increasing risk for autism it's not about fat shaming it's about understanding it's about understanding that the parents have a metabolic problem already that means that they have a problem in their cells with their mitochondria and they then pass those on to their children and in some cases it may not show itself immediately.

If you see signs of autism in your child, if you see signs of metabolic or mental health conditions in your children, if we intervene early enough we can probably do something about it."

Andrew Huberman and Chris Palmer (OVER Three Hours)

Published by: Andrew Huberman - 22 Nov 2022

Dr. Palmer explains how the ketogenic diet is an evidenced-based treatment for epilepsy, mimics the fasted state and can offset the cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s. He describes the key roles of mitochondria in mental health, how certain conditions likely arise from mitochondrial dysfunction, and how low-carbohydrate diets increase mitochondrial turnover to improve mental health. He also explains how low-carbohydrate diets positively impact the gut microbiome and weight loss, important risk factors for mitochondrial health such as marijuana and alcohol, and the best way to increase circulating ketones depending on individual needs. We also cover how a ketogenic diet impacts mood, sleep, and fertility. Dr. Palmer’s work stands as a revolutionary approach to mental health and disease that, given the prevalence of mental health challenges, should be of interest to people of all backgrounds and ages.

Dr Bret Scher and Dr Chris Palmer (49 minutes)

Published by: Metabolic Mind - 4 Oct 2023

According to Harvard psychiatrist Dr. Chris Palmer and the Brain Energy theory, mitochondria play a crucial role in mental health and in psychiatric conditions like bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, and others. But the good news is that recognizing the importance of mitochondria and metabolic health can help us see psychiatric illness in a whole new way and may offer novel, more effective treatments. Dr. Palmer argues this could be the solution to our mental health crisis and not only improve the lives of individuals but also impact our homeless and incarceration problems.

Dr Palmer and Hannah Warren (40 minutes)

Published by: Metabolic Mind - 8 Feb 2025

In this interview, Dr. Palmer emphasizes that while ketogenic therapy is a powerful tool, it is often not enough on its own to eliminate all symptoms or achieve full remission of mental illness. Other critical factors, such as sleep quality and substance use, also play a significant role in metabolic and mental health. Dr. Palmer also stresses the importance of personalized care, as every individual has unique needs that require tailored interventions for the best outcomes.

That’s why we developed the THINK+SMART model—a community-inspired framework designed to help individuals integrate ketogenic therapy with other complementary metabolic strategies for a more comprehensive approach to mental health. In this conversation, Dr. Palmer and Hannah explore how this model empowers individuals to optimize their healing journey and enhance the effectiveness of ketogenic therapy.