Episode

#633: Chris Palmer, MD, of Harvard Medical School — Optimizing Brain Energy for Mental Health, The Incredible Potential of Metabolic Psychiatry, Extraordinary Case Studies, and Harnessing Mitochondria for Anxiety, Depression, OCD, PTSD, and More
Description
Brought to you by Levels real-time feedback on how diet impacts your health, Athletic Greens all-in-one nutritional supplement, and LinkedIn Marketing Solutions marketing platform with 800M+ users.Dr. Christopher M. Palmer (@chrispalmermd) is a Harvard psychiatrist and researcher working at the interface of metabolism and mental health.Dr. Palmer is the director of the Department of Postgraduate and Continuing Education at McLean Hospital and an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. For over 25 years, he has held administrative, educational, research, and clinical roles in psychiatry at Harvard. He has been pioneering the use of the medical ketogenic diet in the treatment of psychiatric disorders—conducting research in this area, treating patients, writing, and speaking around the world on this topic.He has developed the first comprehensive theory of what causes mental illness, integrating existing theories and research into one unifying theory—the brain energy theory of mental illness. You can learn more in his new book Brain Energy: A Revolutionary Breakthrough in Understanding Mental Health—and Improving Treatment for Anxiety, Depression, OCD, PTSD, and More.Please enjoy!*This episode is brought to you by Athletic Greens. I get asked all the time, “If you could use only one supplement, what would it be?” My answer is usually AG1 by Athletic Greens, my all-in-one nutritional insurance. I recommended it in The 4-Hour Body in 2010 and did not get paid to do so. I do my best with nutrient-dense meals, of course, but AG further covers my bases with vitamins, minerals, and whole-food-sourced micronutrients that support gut health and the immune system. Right now, Athletic Greens is offering you their Vitamin D Liquid Formula free with your first subscription purchase—a vital nutrient for a strong immune system and strong bones. Visit AthleticGreens.com/Tim to claim this special offer today and receive the free Vitamin D Liquid Formula (and five free travel packs) with your first subscription purchase! That’s up to a one-year supply of Vitamin D as added value when you try their delicious and comprehensive all-in-one daily greens product.*This episode is also brought to you by LinkedIn Marketing Solutions, the go-to tool for B2B marketers and advertisers who want to drive brand awareness, generate leads, or build long-term relationships that result in real business impact.With a community of more than 800 million professionals, LinkedIn is gigantic, but it can be hyper-specific. You have access to a diverse group of people all searching for things they need to grow professionally. LinkedIn has the marketing tools to help you target your customers with precision, right down to job title, company name, industry, etc. To redeem your free $100 LinkedIn ad credit and launch your first campaign, go to LinkedIn.com/TFS!*This episode is also brought to you by Levels! I wrote about the health benefits of using continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) more than ten years ago in The 4-Hour Body. At the time, CGMs were primitive and hard to use. Levels has now made this technology, and the unique insights that come from it, easy and available to everyone. Levels is making glucose monitoring simple, helping you see how food affects your health through real-time feedback. I started tracking my glucose years ago to learn more about what I should and shouldn’t be eating (including quantities, time of day, etc.), based on objective data from my own, unique physiology. Keeping my blood sugar stable is critical to my daily and long-term health and performance goals. Furthermore, poor glucose control is associated with a number of chronic conditions like diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, and obesity. It’s important.If you’re interested in learning more about Levels and trying a CGM yourself, go to Levels.link/Tim.*[07:14] How a woman overcame her 53-year streak of chronic paranoid schizophrenia.[11:16] The backstory of Brain Energy‘s dedication.[16:31] Chris’ thoughts on DSM-5 diagnostic categories.[21:51] Chris’ first exposure to the ketogenic diet.[28:35] Metabolic psychiatry.[30:33] How ketosis affects the human body (e.g., sleep, mood, weight).[39:35] Examining the mood elevation of ketosis on a bio-cellular level.[44:24] When ketosis can be dangerous.[46:44] How mitochondrial dysfunction can trigger a host of ailments.[58:07] Dietary methods for sustaining ketosis over the long term.[1:04:54] Common ketosis mistakes.[1:07:53] Psychiatric medications, metabolism, and controversy.[1:15:29] Indications that a medication impairs more than improves a patient’s condition.[1:18:06] Resources to share with doctors open to conversation about these issues.[1:20:41] Why quitting psychiatric medication cold turkey is a bad idea.[1:23:20] Thoughts on the efficacy of exogenous ketones.[1:30:32] Ketogenic diet as treatment for schizophrenia.[1:38:34] Why you need to take radical ownership of your own health advocacy.[1:40:33] Physical exercise for optimizing mitochondrial health.[1:44:59] A cautionary note for people using medication for off-label results.[1:48:49] Parting thoughts.*For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast.For deals from sponsors of The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast-sponsorsSign up for Tim’s email newsletter (5-Bullet Friday) at tim.blog/friday.For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books.Follow Tim:Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss Instagram: instagram.com/timferrissYouTube: youtube.com/timferrissFacebook: facebook.com/timferriss LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timferrissPast guests on The Tim Ferriss Show include Jerry Seinfeld, Hugh Jackman, Dr. Jane Goodall, LeBron James, Kevin Hart, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jamie Foxx, Matthew McConaughey, Esther Perel, Elizabeth Gilbert, Terry Crews, Sia, Yuval Noah Harari, Malcolm Gladwell, Madeleine Albright, Cheryl Strayed, Jim Collins, Mary Karr, Maria Popova, Sam Harris, Michael Phelps, Bob Iger, Edward Norton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Neil Strauss, Ken Burns, Maria Sharapova, Marc Andreessen, Neil Gaiman, Neil de Grasse Tyson, Jocko Willink, Daniel Ek, Kelly Slater, Dr. Peter Attia, Seth Godin, Howard Marks, Dr. Brené Brown, Eric Schmidt, Michael Lewis, Joe Gebbia, Michael Pollan, Dr. Jordan Peterson, Vince Vaughn, Brian Koppelman, Ramit Sethi, Dax Shepard, Tony Robbins, Jim Dethmer, Dan Harris, Ray Dalio, Naval Ravikant, Vitalik Buterin, Elizabeth Lesser, Amanda Palmer, Katie Haun, Sir Richard Branson, Chuck Palahniuk, Arianna Huffington, Reid Hoffman, Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings, Rick Rubin, Dr. Vivek Murthy, Darren Aronofsky, Margaret Atwood, Mark Zuckerberg, Peter Thiel, Dr. Gabor Maté, Anne Lamott, Sarah Silverman, Dr. Andrew Huberman, and many more.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Chapters
Levels app interprets your glucose data and provides a simple score after you eat a meal to help you understand how different foods affect your health in real-time.
00:00 - 02:48 (02:48)
Summary
Levels app interprets your glucose data and provides a simple score after you eat a meal to help you understand how different foods affect your health in real-time.
Episode#633: Chris Palmer, MD, of Harvard Medical School — Optimizing Brain Energy for Mental Health, The Incredible Potential of Metabolic Psychiatry, Extraordinary Case Studies, and Harnessing Mitochondria for Anxiety, Depression, OCD, PTSD, and More
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Dr. Kristen Willeumier discusses her brain energy theory of mental illness and the use of medical ketogenic diet for psychiatric disorders.
02:48 - 08:13 (05:25)
Summary
Dr. Kristen Willeumier discusses her brain energy theory of mental illness and the use of medical ketogenic diet for psychiatric disorders. She also talks about her new book, Brain Energy, which provides a revolutionary breakthrough in understanding mental health and improving treatment for anxiety, depression, OCD, PTSD, and more.
Episode#633: Chris Palmer, MD, of Harvard Medical School — Optimizing Brain Energy for Mental Health, The Incredible Potential of Metabolic Psychiatry, Extraordinary Case Studies, and Harnessing Mitochondria for Anxiety, Depression, OCD, PTSD, and More
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
In this episode, the guest's personal history is explored, from growing up with a mother who suffered from mental illness to being homeless and starting high school in a shelter.
08:15 - 15:46 (07:31)
Summary
In this episode, the guest's personal history is explored, from growing up with a mother who suffered from mental illness to being homeless and starting high school in a shelter. The struggles and experiences have helped to shape the guest's passion for helping others in their own battles with mental health.
Episode#633: Chris Palmer, MD, of Harvard Medical School — Optimizing Brain Energy for Mental Health, The Incredible Potential of Metabolic Psychiatry, Extraordinary Case Studies, and Harnessing Mitochondria for Anxiety, Depression, OCD, PTSD, and More
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Mental health diagnoses have overlapping symptoms and roots that make it difficult to differentiate between them with certainty.
15:46 - 25:32 (09:46)
Summary
Mental health diagnoses have overlapping symptoms and roots that make it difficult to differentiate between them with certainty. There is no single root cause for any singular psychiatric diagnosis and the boundaries of mental health diagnoses have a tendency to fall apart when analyzing them closely.
Episode#633: Chris Palmer, MD, of Harvard Medical School — Optimizing Brain Energy for Mental Health, The Incredible Potential of Metabolic Psychiatry, Extraordinary Case Studies, and Harnessing Mitochondria for Anxiety, Depression, OCD, PTSD, and More
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The host shares his personal experience with the beneficial effects of the ketogenic diet on depression and anxiety, and explains the decades of neuroscience research that document the positive changes it elicits in the brain.
25:32 - 32:42 (07:09)
Summary
The host shares his personal experience with the beneficial effects of the ketogenic diet on depression and anxiety, and explains the decades of neuroscience research that document the positive changes it elicits in the brain.
Episode#633: Chris Palmer, MD, of Harvard Medical School — Optimizing Brain Energy for Mental Health, The Incredible Potential of Metabolic Psychiatry, Extraordinary Case Studies, and Harnessing Mitochondria for Anxiety, Depression, OCD, PTSD, and More
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The effects of the ketogenic diet on sleep and mental states are not fully understood yet.
32:42 - 39:32 (06:50)
Summary
The effects of the ketogenic diet on sleep and mental states are not fully understood yet. While some studies have found improvements in sleep, it's a new field of research and not all effects are clear.
Episode#633: Chris Palmer, MD, of Harvard Medical School — Optimizing Brain Energy for Mental Health, The Incredible Potential of Metabolic Psychiatry, Extraordinary Case Studies, and Harnessing Mitochondria for Anxiety, Depression, OCD, PTSD, and More
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Ketones can be dangerous for some people, especially for those with metabolically compromised cells, as it can make the cells hyper excitable and result in muscle spasms or heart arrhythmias.
39:36 - 48:00 (08:24)
Summary
Ketones can be dangerous for some people, especially for those with metabolically compromised cells, as it can make the cells hyper excitable and result in muscle spasms or heart arrhythmias. Studies have shown the importance of mitochondria and its functions in relation to ketones.
Episode#633: Chris Palmer, MD, of Harvard Medical School — Optimizing Brain Energy for Mental Health, The Incredible Potential of Metabolic Psychiatry, Extraordinary Case Studies, and Harnessing Mitochondria for Anxiety, Depression, OCD, PTSD, and More
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker discusses their experience with Lyme disease and the possibility that it played a role in their long-term depressive episodes.
48:00 - 53:59 (05:58)
Summary
The speaker discusses their experience with Lyme disease and the possibility that it played a role in their long-term depressive episodes.
Episode#633: Chris Palmer, MD, of Harvard Medical School — Optimizing Brain Energy for Mental Health, The Incredible Potential of Metabolic Psychiatry, Extraordinary Case Studies, and Harnessing Mitochondria for Anxiety, Depression, OCD, PTSD, and More
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Inflammation, particularly from infections, has been linked to brain disorders and neurological disorders.
53:59 - 1:02:41 (08:42)
Summary
Inflammation, particularly from infections, has been linked to brain disorders and neurological disorders. While some people can benefit from a reduction in brain inflammation, those with a genetic vulnerability or past history with depression may experience negative impacts with the same reduction.
Episode#633: Chris Palmer, MD, of Harvard Medical School — Optimizing Brain Energy for Mental Health, The Incredible Potential of Metabolic Psychiatry, Extraordinary Case Studies, and Harnessing Mitochondria for Anxiety, Depression, OCD, PTSD, and More
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The podcast discusses various ways for people to increase the percentage of their dietary calories from fat and how to modify their intake based on their food preferences, from having supplemental fat bombs for those who prefer sweets to adding avocado and olive oil to salads for those who like greens.
1:02:41 - 1:10:02 (07:20)
Summary
The podcast discusses various ways for people to increase the percentage of their dietary calories from fat and how to modify their intake based on their food preferences, from having supplemental fat bombs for those who prefer sweets to adding avocado and olive oil to salads for those who like greens.
Episode#633: Chris Palmer, MD, of Harvard Medical School — Optimizing Brain Energy for Mental Health, The Incredible Potential of Metabolic Psychiatry, Extraordinary Case Studies, and Harnessing Mitochondria for Anxiety, Depression, OCD, PTSD, and More
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
While medications for psychiatric conditions may be effective for some, they can lead to side effects like weight gain, lethargy, and compromised cognition.
1:10:02 - 1:22:48 (12:45)
Summary
While medications for psychiatric conditions may be effective for some, they can lead to side effects like weight gain, lethargy, and compromised cognition. Many patients may benefit from including dietary interventions, exercise, and other lifestyle changes to counterbalance these effects and support cellular rejuvenation and metabolic health.
Episode#633: Chris Palmer, MD, of Harvard Medical School — Optimizing Brain Energy for Mental Health, The Incredible Potential of Metabolic Psychiatry, Extraordinary Case Studies, and Harnessing Mitochondria for Anxiety, Depression, OCD, PTSD, and More
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Dr. Justin Marchegiani discusses his personal experience with using exogenous ketones as a boost during fasting, finding them helpful for physical performance at altitude or in a hypoxic state but not as effective at replicating the benefits of a ketogenic diet psychologically or energetically.
1:22:48 - 1:31:10 (08:22)
Summary
Dr. Justin Marchegiani discusses his personal experience with using exogenous ketones as a boost during fasting, finding them helpful for physical performance at altitude or in a hypoxic state but not as effective at replicating the benefits of a ketogenic diet psychologically or energetically.
Episode#633: Chris Palmer, MD, of Harvard Medical School — Optimizing Brain Energy for Mental Health, The Incredible Potential of Metabolic Psychiatry, Extraordinary Case Studies, and Harnessing Mitochondria for Anxiety, Depression, OCD, PTSD, and More
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Mental illnesses often present themselves in different ways, but the underlying cause may be the same.
1:31:10 - 1:38:24 (07:14)
Summary
Mental illnesses often present themselves in different ways, but the underlying cause may be the same. The mitochondrial theory proposes that mitochondrial dysfunction is a possible key factor in conditions such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression.
Episode#633: Chris Palmer, MD, of Harvard Medical School — Optimizing Brain Energy for Mental Health, The Incredible Potential of Metabolic Psychiatry, Extraordinary Case Studies, and Harnessing Mitochondria for Anxiety, Depression, OCD, PTSD, and More
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
This podcast episode highlights the impact of medications on exercise.
1:38:24 - 1:49:13 (10:49)
Summary
This podcast episode highlights the impact of medications on exercise. For individuals on metformin for type two diabetes, it is the best drug for them to be taking, while medications that impair mitochondrial function can reduce the benefits of exercise.
Episode#633: Chris Palmer, MD, of Harvard Medical School — Optimizing Brain Energy for Mental Health, The Incredible Potential of Metabolic Psychiatry, Extraordinary Case Studies, and Harnessing Mitochondria for Anxiety, Depression, OCD, PTSD, and More
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Bipolar disorder is the topic of The Tim Ferriss Show with clinical psychologist Dr. Jim Phelps.
1:49:13 - 1:56:57 (07:43)
Summary
Bipolar disorder is the topic of The Tim Ferriss Show with clinical psychologist Dr. Jim Phelps. In the podcast, they discuss how to mitigate its debilitating effects and take control of this condition, offering practical advice to those who struggle with it.
Episode#633: Chris Palmer, MD, of Harvard Medical School — Optimizing Brain Energy for Mental Health, The Incredible Potential of Metabolic Psychiatry, Extraordinary Case Studies, and Harnessing Mitochondria for Anxiety, Depression, OCD, PTSD, and More
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The Levels app uses CGM data to provide users with a simple score after eating a meal, allowing them to learn about their personal responses to different types of food.
1:56:57 - 1:59:30 (02:32)
Summary
The Levels app uses CGM data to provide users with a simple score after eating a meal, allowing them to learn about their personal responses to different types of food. Guests on the podcast, including chef Marco Canora, have found the data insightful in making informed diet choices.