Metabolic Psychiatry: Rethinking Mental Health Through Nutrition | Iain Campbell, Ph.D. - E414
Low Carb MD Podcast
Drs. Brian Lenzkes & Tro Kalayjian
4.8 • 1.2K Ratings
🗓️ 13 October 2025
⏱️ 68 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Iain Campbell, Ph.D. is a leading voice in the emerging field of metabolic psychiatry, exploring how nutrition can transform mental health. His research focuses on how ketogenic interventions may help treat conditions like depression and bipolar disorder. Dr. Campbell is at the forefront of a movement that's redefining how we think about the brain, metabolism, and mental well-being.
"We saw in just 8 weeks on a ketogenic diet, 11 to 13% reductions in brain glutamate in patients with bipolar disorder. And as their ketone levels went up, their mental health symptoms went down."
In this episode, Drs. Brian, Tro, and Iain talk about…
- (00:00) Intro
- (07:18) Seasonal variation in mental health conditions
- (10:32) Mental health and energy
- (12:21) Hypomania and self-awareness
- (15:27) Issues with traditional treatment for bipolar disorder
- (19:04) Anti-psychotic medication and metabolic health
- (27:34) The keto diet, gut health, and psychiatric health
- (37:05) Neurotransmitters
- (38:11) Iain's personal experience with bipolar and therapies that work for him
- (44:27) Searching for the root cause of mental illness
- (47:15) The ketogenic diet for bipolar
- (53:36) Vitamins and supplements for cognitive and psychiatric disorders
- (56:13) Outro
For more information, please see the links below. Thank you for listening!
Links:
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Resources Mentioned in this Episode:
Iain Campbell, Ph.D.:
- X: https://x.com/IainCampbellPhD?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ketobipolar
- Metabolic Mind: https://www.metabolicmind.org/thinksmart/explore-strategies/iain-campbell/
- Podcast:
Dr. Brian Lenzkes:
- Website: https://arizonametabolichealth.com/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrianLenzkes?ref_src=twsrc^google|twcamp^serp|twgr^author
Dr. Tro Kalayjian:
- Website: https://www.doctortro.com/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/DoctorTro
- IG: https://www.instagram.com/doctortro/
Toward Health App
Join a growing community of individuals who are improving their metabolic health; together.
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Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/doctor-tro/id1588693888
Google: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=uk.co.disciplemedia.doctortro&hl=en_US&gl=US
Learn more: https://doctortro.com/community/
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Welcome to the Low Carb MD Podcast. |
| 0:03.2 | No one is beyond help. |
| 0:04.9 | No one is beyond hope. |
| 0:07.2 | Nothing said on the Low Carb MD podcast is medical advice. |
| 0:11.3 | Please consult your own doctor before making any lifestyle changes. |
| 0:20.7 | Hello and welcome back to the low-carb MD podcast. |
| 0:24.2 | Trow! We're excited today. |
| 0:26.1 | Trow and our little kids now. |
| 0:27.6 | We're excited again about life because we have a great, great scientists here to educate us and educate you also. |
| 0:34.6 | Yeah, listen, I'm excited. |
| 0:36.6 | Some of these work I've been following for a number of years uh certainly |
| 0:40.4 | an inspiration i've seen him on various podcasts i think even he was on dr hyman's podcast like just last |
| 0:47.6 | week or this week before i got to catch that episode uh i am just so happy to have dr campbell here |
| 0:54.6 | uh i'm actually going to have the honor of meeting him in less than a month's time, so I'm excited |
| 1:01.0 | about that. |
| 1:02.0 | He has a PhD in Global Health from the University of Edinburgh. |
| 1:05.4 | He, I believe, did the first trial with interventional trial with ketogenic diets for bipolar, |
| 1:12.6 | if I'm not mistaken. |
| 1:14.6 | And you can correct me if I'm wrong with that. |
| 1:17.6 | Dr. Gamble, awesome to have you here. |
| 1:19.6 | I'm excited to have you here. |
| 1:20.6 | I think it is the first interventional trial, right, keto for bipolar? |
... |
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