Survey-based research: Subjective mental improvements on keto diet

#1

Hello all,

About a year ago I posted a survey on here as part of a research project. While I wasn’t able to publish in a peer-reviewed journal, I did make a poster which I presented at a couple of conferences. I have posted it up on my twitter account and I also wanted to share it here.
I wouldn’t categorize it really as “science” as it is not randomized or controlled. Rather, I would categorize it as a collection of “observations” that are required prior to forming a hypothesis, per the scientific method. , It is meant to capture all of the n=1 stories of improved mental health due to a ketogenic diet. Between this forum and the r/keto subreddit, there were 626 completed surveys.

Hope it is an enjoyable read.

Keto_Poster_MHS.pdf (759.0 KB)

(I’m attempting to upload a pdf/picture but in case that doesn’t work I’ve included a link to my tweet)

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #2

The PDF downloaded quickly, and was quite easy to read, being large and of high resolution.

Thank you for coming back and showing us the results. The poster is very interesting, and I hope the study proves a useful source of insights for you.

Forgive me if this comes out wrong, but I was glad to read your assessment of the limitations of your data. So many studies in the field of nutrition are touted as valid results when they are even less reliable than your data. That said, however, your conclusions accord with my impressions from personal experience and from a year and a half as an active member of these forums.

I also like that you are cognizant of the range of individual response to the KD. I am confident that if and when you are able to do more rigorous data-gathering and analysis you will find, despite the individual variances, that the improvements resulting from the KD are significant, not only in statistical terms but also in the degree of improvement they represent to those who experience them. I can testify from my own experience that, even though I have not necessarily achieved the same level of results as others have achieved, the improvement over my personal baseline is conspicuous…

(Cathy) #3

Very interesting! As a person who has suffered from chronic clinical depression, it is a particular interest to me. I hope you continue in your work in this area as my personal experiences tell me keto has helped me so much in that area. I am in my 10th year of keto and have been free of depression over that time and expect to be as long as I continue keto.