Dr. Chris Palmer: Your Diet Could Be Causing Anxiety, Depression & Brain Fog (6 Simple Changes to Make Today)

Chris Palmer and Jay Shetty discuss the urgent and often overlooked connection between metabolism, nutrition, and mental health. As diagnoses of both metabolic and mental disorders rise across diverse populations, understanding the biological, nutritional, and subjective markers linking body and mind becomes crucial for holistic well-being.

Mental Illness and Metabolic Dysfunction Interconnect Across Diagnoses

Chris Palmer points out a major blind spot in mainstream psychiatry and neuroscience: the neglect of nutrition in understanding and treating severe mental illnesses. Most psychiatrists and neuroscientists maintain that what a person eats plays little to no role in the development of conditions like depression, bipolar disorder, ADHD, or schizophrenia. These diseases are usually attributed to genetic or biological abnormalities, psychological trauma, or social stressors, while daily dietary intake is almost entirely ignored.

Emerging science, however, shows that metabolic dysfunction—irregularities in how the body's cells generate and use energy—is a shared risk factor for both mental and physical chronic illnesses. Palmer highlights that the same factors implicated in obesity (such as diet) can also drive mental health problems. Although people generally accept that sugar, processed foods, and additives can affect mild anxiety, depression, or ADHD, the impact of nutrition on more severe illnesses like bipolar disorder and schizophrenia is rarely acknowledged despite mounting evidence.

This overlap reveals itself in the data: those with metabolic disorders like obesity, diabetes, or cardiovascular disease are more likely to experience mental illnesses, and vice versa. For instance, Palmer notes that bipolar disorder rates have doubled in adults in the U.S., with exponential increases among children and adolescents—partly due to rising chronic disease and shifting diagnostic patterns. He cites studies revealing a 4,000% increase in childhood bipolar disorder diagnoses since the 1960s and 70s, while stressing that escalating rates span a broad range of mental and neurodevelopmental diagnoses, including autism, anxiety, depression, substance use, and eating disorders.

Both Palmer and Shetty argue that a global epidemic of chronic disease is unfolding, rooted in interconnected metabolic and mental health disorders. Addressing one without recognizing its ties to the other is insufficient; scientific fields and clinical practice must synthesize this knowledge to move toward effective prevention and care.

Metabolism's Role in Brain Function and Mental Wellness Misunderstood

Metabolism, Palmer explains, is the foundational set of life processes converting food into the energy and biomolecules needed for cellular maintenance, growth, and function. It is “all-encompassing”—not just about calories in and calories out, as is often believed. Many reduce metabolism to the rate of calorie burning (impacting weight) or, among athletes, to oxygen uptake (VO2 max) and athletic performance. While these aspects are relevant, they gloss over metabolism’s essential biochemical role: creating the very building blocks for brain structure, neurotransmitter production, and signaling—all central to mental health.

Nutrition is therefore not merely supportive but pivotal: what a person eats becomes the substrate for their brain and all of its functions. Palmer underlines that the food we consume ultimately shapes neurotransmitter availability and the function of every cell, including those in the central nervous system. Shetty echoes this, citing his trust in the gut-brain connection and ...

Fda Allows Manufacturers To Self-Declare Food Additives as Safe Without Independent Testing Under an Unregulated Honor System

Chris Palmer highlights the troubling reality that, contrary to widespread belief, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States does not rigorously ensure that additives in processed foods are safe. Instead, manufacturers operate under an honor system where they can declare chemicals as safe without independent testing or oversight.

Thousands of Unassessed Chemicals in U.S. Food Supply

Palmer cites a recent New England Journal of Medicine article underscoring the presence of about 10,000 chemicals in the U.S. food supply, many of which have not undergone rigorous safety assessment—not even for serious risks like liver failure, let alone their effects on human metabolism or brain function. He stresses that there has been little to no research on the long-term health impacts of these molecules.

Fda's Gras Designation Allows New Food Chemicals Without Mandatory Safety Proof

Under the current system, companies can self-certify new food chemicals as "generally recognized as safe" (GRAS), with no independent requirement to prove their safety unless a problem emerges. This unregulated approach allows manufacturers to add new emulsifiers, colorings, and additives to foods without the public or the FDA reviewing their actual effects on health.

Examples Like Tara Flour, Which Hospitalized Over 400 Before Investigation, Show the Dangers of Untested Chemical Additives in the Food Supply With Minimal Scrutiny

A recent example Palmer cites is tara flour, an artificial ingredient added to a plant-based beef substitute. It entered the food supply under innocent-sounding marketing. However, it caused severe reactions, with more than 400 people hospitalized, many suffering from liver failure. The FDA only initiated an investigation after recognizing the health crisis linked to this new ingredient, highlighting the dangers of their reactive rather than preventive approach.

U.S. Food Safety Standards Are More Relaxed Than Other Developed Nations

Jay Shetty contrasts U.S. food safety regulation with the higher standards in places like the United Kingdom, where more stringent rules and ingredient oversight apply. Shetty observes that labeling and transparency are much more lax in America, making it easy for manufacturers to include or omit ingredients without public awareness.

Uk and Others Maintain Higher Food Additive Standards Than Fda, Reflecting Differing Citizen Protection

Compared to the UK, where food additives go through stricter scrutiny, American regulations expose consumers to ingredients and chemicals banned or restricted abroad.

Regulatory Gap Exposes Americans To Substances Banned Elsewhere, Creating Food Safety Disparity Affecting Vulnerable Populations

This regulatory gap leads to Americans consuming substances considered unsafe in other developed countries and amplifies health risks for already vulnerable groups.

Ultra-Processed Foods Harm the Brain, Heart, Liver, Kidneys, and Immunity

Chris Palmer warns that the impact of ultra-processed foods extends far beyond obesity or heart disease. Such foods compromise core organs—including the heart, liver, kidneys, and immune system—and most critically, the brain.

Ultra-Processed Foods' Impact on Brain Function: A Public Health Blind Spot

Palmer notes that while physical organ damage from poor diet (e.g., fatty liver or cardiovascular issues) is now commonly recognized, harmful effects on brain function remain a blind spot in public health discussions.

Early Signs of Brain Dysfunction From Poor Diet Often Normalized

The dysfunction of the brain from ultra-processed foods appears as subtle and commonplace ...

Ketogenic Diet Treats Epilepsy; Aids Mental Health

The ketogenic diet, often considered a fad weight-loss plan, was originally developed a century ago by a physician specifically to stop seizures. Chris Palmer explains that it is an evidence-based epilepsy treatment, especially effective for childhood epilepsy when medications fail. There are many controlled trials and Cochrane reviews confirming its success in epilepsy.

Notably, many anti-convulsants developed for epilepsy—such as [restricted term], [restricted term], [restricted term], and [restricted term]—are now commonly prescribed for bipolar disorder and other mental health conditions. Palmer emphasizes that, given these medications’ cross-use, it should not be surprising that a diet potent enough to stop seizures could also benefit related mental illnesses.

The first published study of the ketogenic diet for mental health was in 1965. Researchers observed improvement in women with schizophrenia after just two weeks on the diet. Despite its early promise, psychiatry has largely neglected this intervention until recently.

Hundreds With Bipolar Disorder Improved or Achieved Remission Using Ketogenic and Fasting-Mimicking Diets

Palmer reports that hundreds—and possibly thousands—of people with bipolar disorder have achieved significant improvement or remission using ketogenic and fasting-mimicking diets. Documented evidence includes over 50 publications representing 1,900 people in 20 trials worldwide, eight of which are randomized controlled trials. Most participants experienced measurable mental health benefits, though not all experienced full remission. Some even tapered off psychiatric medications under supervision.

Ketogenic diets are accessible to diverse values and food preferences, adapting to vegan, vegetarian, omnivore, or carnivore options. Palmer clarifies that ketogenic eating does not mean subsisting on bacon; nutrition and variety remain vital.

A common psychiatric assumption is that people with severe mental illnesses are incapable of adhering to dietary changes. Palmer disputes this, citing cases where, with proper support, education, and coaching, people with conditions like schizophrenia and crippling depression have successfully maintained these diets. While not easy, with sufficient motivation and assistance, such changes are achievable and lifesaving.

Dietary Treatments Via Fasting or Fasting-Mimicking, With Historical Evidence

Fasting, whether for healing or religious purposes, is a longstanding practice across cultures. While fasting is not suitable as a permanent solution, it can prompt powerful healing changes within the body and brain. Modern science corroborates the benefits observed for centuries and offers biochemical explanations for these effects.

Fasting-mimicking diets, which stimulate many of the same biological responses, are being explored as interventions for serious mental illness alongside ketogenic protocols.

Nutritional Recommendations Ineffective Due to Genetic, Microbiota, Sensitivities, ...

Chris Palmer explains that the foundations for optimal metabolic and mental health can be found in lifestyle medicine, which centers on six key pillars. These pillars—diet, exercise, sleep, avoiding harmful substances, stress reduction, and purposeful relationships—offer accessible, practical interventions that anyone can achieve independently or with support.

Six Pillars of Lifestyle Medicine For Metabolic and Mental Health

Palmer identifies the six pillars: a healthy diet, regular movement or exercise, getting adequate sleep, minimizing or stopping use of harmful substances, utilizing stress reduction practices like meditation or mindfulness, and cultivating purpose and meaningful relationships. He emphasizes that while these interventions may sound familiar or simplistic, they are the essentials that the overwhelming majority can control and benefit from, regardless of age or baseline health. These practices offer tangible, independent strategies for improving both metabolic and mental health, even if individuals are experiencing demanding schedules or high stress.

Accessible, Progressive Movement Through Physical Activity and Nature Connection

Regardless of current fitness level, Palmer encourages everyone—even those who are sedentary or overweight—to begin with achievable movement: walking around the living room, a few squats, or even a couple of jumping jacks. The key is to start somewhere and progressively build from there. He recommends outdoor activity as an especially powerful intervention, since it removes individuals from screens, provides sunlight exposure, enables mindfulness in nature, and gives the brain a break from technological overstimulation. Outdoor movement, even just noticing the sky or greenery, becomes a multi-layered support for both mind and body.

Physical movement can range from basic daily activity to vigorous athletic endeavors, such as CrossFit or marathon running, with every level conferring important health benefits.

Sleep Deprivation: A Cycle of Poor Sleep and Reduced Brain Capacity Leading To Less Sleep

Sleep is critical, especially when handling high work demands or stress. Palmer warns that poor sleep leads to diminished cognitive function and productivity the following day, which creates a negative feedback loop: feeling behind leads to staying up later, which causes even less effective work and increased stress. He frames sleep as a vital investment in performance, not a luxury, and stresses that prioritizing sleep is essential for breaking this harmful cycle.

Harmful Substance Reduction Benefits Brain and Metabolic Health

Palmer highlights the risks associated with substances frequently marketed as benign—such as alcohol, tobacco, nicotine, marijuan ...

Genetic Predisposition Influences but Doesn't Determine Mental Health

Mental health risks can be genetically inherited, but these inherited genes do not predetermine outcomes. Chris Palmer emphasizes that if parents pass along genes increasing mental illness risk, it is not their fault; such inheritance spans generations. He urges parents not to blame themselves, as their own parents and grandparents also contributed to their genetic makeup, and current science does not offer a way to change this inheritance.

However, Palmer points out that the dramatic increase in mental health diagnoses in recent years demonstrates that genes alone cannot explain the prevalence of these conditions. Our genetic code has not changed on the scale required to explain this rise, suggesting that other influences must play a stronger role.

Epigenetic Transmission of Trauma, Stress, and Environmental Effects

Epigenetics, unlike fixed genetics, respond to experience and environment and can be transferred to the next generation. Palmer explains that trauma—especially chronic or severe childhood trauma—can lead to chemical modifications of DNA or alterations in micro-RNA within the body. These epigenetic changes, brought about by prolonged stress or adversity, can be passed through egg and sperm cells to offspring, transferring a degree of parental experience and potentially heightening their children’s vulnerability to mental health and metabolic disorders.

For example, if parents experienced physical abuse in childhood, some aspect of that trauma can be epigenetically transmitted to their children, increasing their risk for mental health challenges. This mechanism operates alongside, but independent from, traditional genetic inheritance.

Environmental and Lifestyle Factors Predominate In Mental Health Vulnerability

Palmer considers environment and lifestyle the primary determinants of mental health vulnerability. He highlights that providing a loving, safe home; encouraging independence and risk-taking in moderation; fostering social connections and friendships; promoting outdoor activities; and prioritizing nutrition all help reduce inherited mental health risk.

Yet Palmer identifies a major blind spot for most parents: their children’s diets, specifically the consumption of ultra-processed foods. In the U.S., many children regularly consume foods laden with added chemicals, not just basic calories or nutrients. Palmer stresses that these additives may impair brain function and worsen mental health, and that improving nutrition should be on parents’ radar alongside emotional and social support.

For families dealing with extreme adversity, such as poverty, abuse, or substance abuse, Palmer is clear that the environment’s stressors matter far more urgently than dietary factors. In these ...