Keto Diet Shows Promise for Treating Anorexia

For people battling anorexia nervosa, one of the deadliest mental health conditions, a surprising dietary approach is offering new hope.

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego asked 22 women with anorexia to follow a carefully supervised ketogenic diet for 14 weeks. The results surprised even the scientists leading the study.

Of the 18 women who completed the full program, 13 improved so dramatically they no longer met the clinical criteria for anorexia or depression. That 72% success rate far exceeds what doctors typically see with current treatments.

The approach sounds counterintuitive at first. How could restricting carbohydrates help people who already struggle with extreme food restriction? But researcher Guido Frank explains the science makes sense.

Anorexia appears linked to problems with how brain cells release energy from glucose. The ketogenic diet provides an alternative fuel source called ketone bodies, which may restore normal brain function and reduce the compulsive drive to self-starve.

"People tell me clinically, it's like an addiction," Frank says. "Perhaps if you create that state that they crave while giving them enough food, it can be beneficial."

The women followed the high-fat, moderate-protein, very-low-carb diet under close watch by a dietician, psychiatrist, and peer support counselor. They attended weekly check-ins to monitor weight, mood, and anorexia symptoms including body image concerns and fear of weight gain.

All participants stayed in a healthy to slightly underweight BMI range throughout the study. None relapsed.

The ketogenic diet isn't new. Doctors created it in the 1920s to treat epilepsy by mimicking the seizure-reducing effects of fasting without causing dangerous weight loss.

Recent research suggests the diet may help several mental health conditions beyond epilepsy, all linked to similar energy-release problems in brain cells.

Why This Inspires

This study opens a door that seemed closed for so many families. Current anorexia treatments, which typically involve therapy and nutritional support, help some people but leave many still struggling.

Experts emphasize this approach requires professional medical supervision. Sahib Khalsa, who researches eating disorders at UCLA, stresses the importance of working with an eating disorder psychiatrist, dietitian, and treatment team rather than trying this independently.

Larger randomized controlled trials still need to happen before the keto diet becomes a standard treatment option. But for a condition with such limited effective treatments, these early results shine a light on a path forward that seemed impossible just years ago.