Can What You Eat Influence How You Think and Feel? Our New Study Suggests Yes
Schizotypal personality traits—like unusual beliefs, strange perceptions, and social difficulties—exist to varying degrees in everyone. While these traits don’t necessarily mean someone has a mental health disorder, they can offer early clues about vulnerability to conditions like psychosis or schizophrenia.
In our latest study, we explored whether following a ketogenic diet (a low-carb, high-fat way of eating) might be linked to fewer of these traits in everyday, healthy people. We surveyed individuals on different types of diets and measured their personality traits using a validated psychological questionnaire.
The results were striking: people following a ketogenic diet reported fewer odd beliefs, less social anxiety, fewer unusual perceptions, and more emotional stability than those on other diets. These differences remained significant even after accounting for age and body weight. Interestingly, the longer someone had been on the ketogenic diet, the lower their levels of both positive (e.g., magical thinking) and negative (e.g., social withdrawal) schizotypal traits.
While a ketogenic diet didn't seem to impact disorganized thinking, the overall pattern suggests it could play a protective role for individuals who may be at risk for developing psychosis-related symptoms in the future.
In short: our findings add to the growing evidence that what you eat may shape not just your body—but also your mind.
If you're someone interested in the relationship between diet and mental health—or you're exploring ways to support psychological resilience—this research opens the door to new, holistic approaches.
If you took part in this study, thank you for being a participant and supporting our understanding of how nutrition influences mental health!
Want to know more?
👉 Click below to read the full paper.