Pilot study published today communication medicine represents a potential new approach to treating anorexia nervosa, for which effective treatments are severely limited. A study from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine reported that a ketogenic nutritional intervention (a high-fat, low-carbohydrate, moderate-protein diet) was feasible and safe for mildly underweight anorexia nervosa patients whose body weight normalized. The ketogenic intervention was well tolerated by participants, compliance was high, and no significant weight loss was observed throughout the program. Additionally, significant improvements were observed in eating disorder symptoms, with nearly three out of four study completers in the recovery range at the end of the study, no longer meeting diagnostic criteria for anorexia nervosa, and all completers experiencing improvement in depression scores.
Anorexia nervosa is a devastating mental illness with the highest mortality rate of any mental illness. The disease or its complications cause a death every 52 minutes in the United States. Even after successfully regaining weight, patients often suffer from persistent psychological symptoms, such as body dissatisfaction, extreme fear of eating, and body image preoccupation, which put them at alarmingly high risk of relapse.
Principal investigator Guido Frank, M.D., professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, who has been researching and treating patients with anorexia for more than 25 years, initiated the study to expand treatment options for this high-risk population. “We urgently need new approaches to anorexia nervosa. Our research on ketogenic therapy looks beyond standard treatments and potentially into the underlying physiology of this disorder,” said Dr. Frank. “There is increasing evidence linking anorexia nervosa to neurometabolic dysfunction, and we are hopeful that direct metabolic interventions can modulate neurological function and address the psychiatric symptoms experienced by patients.”
This outpatient, national, single-arm clinical study involved a 14-week supervised ketogenic intervention, with 18 of 22 (82%) enrolled participants completing the study. No significant changes in body weight (measured by BMI) were observed throughout the program. By the end of the study, 72% of study completers reached a range of eating disorder symptom recovery as measured by eating disorder scales (Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire, EDE-Q, and Eating Disorder Inventory-3, EDI-3), and all showed improvement in depression scores (measured by Beck Depression Inventory, BDI), with 72% within normal limits.
For co-author Dr. Barbara Skolnick, an internist in Waban, Massachusetts, the study is the culmination of a 10-year personal journey. “The scientific investigation that led to this study began with a search for answers for my niece, Caroline Beckwith,” said Dr. Skolnick. “Ketogenic therapy, a standard in epilepsy treatment, when combined with other interventions, was a key enabler in allowing Caroline to achieve remission after a 15-year battle with anorexia nervosa. I am encouraged by these preliminary findings that show this treatment may offer a path forward for patients like Caroline.”
Although the authors acknowledge the clinical sensitivity of dietary interventions in this patient population, this study is based on preliminary preliminary evidence to provide proof of concept. The results of this study show that when carried out with professional medical supervision and trained support, ketogenic therapy has potential for people who have not responded to traditional treatments.
This study highlights the potential of dietary therapies targeting normalization of underlying neurometabolic functions for even the most intractable psychiatric disorders, such as anorexia nervosa. We hope this study will foster awareness and support for the research and delivery of ketogenic treatments for eating disorders and bring new hope to patients and their families. ”
Jan Ellison Baszucki, Co-Founder and President, Baszucki Group
An extension of the study, which includes patients diagnosed with both anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, is currently underway and is recruiting participants nationwide. If you would like to learn more or participate in the study, you can find more information on the study site.
sauce:
Reference magazines:
Frank, G.K.W. Others. (2026). Symptomatic impact and safety of ketogenic therapy in adults with anorexia nervosa: A feasibility study. Communication medicine. DOI: 10.1038/s43856-026-01644-0. https://www.nature.com/articles/s43856-026-01644-0
