The Study
Ketogenic diet has a positive association with mental and emotional well-being in the general population.
This study asked people what they ate and how they felt, and found that those eating keto often said they felt calmer and less stressed. But it didn't change anyone's diet to see if that caused the feeling — so we don't know if keto made them feel better, or if people who already felt better just chose keto.
Analysis score
Maximum 44 for a cross-sectional study.
Where the score came from
Some people eat a special low-carb diet called keto. This study asked people who eat keto and people who eat normal food how they're feeling emotionally.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 544 / 100
Quality score
Snapshots of a population at a single point in time, or descriptions of small groups. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine cause and effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — feeling calmer and less lonely or stressed can make daily life feel easier and more enjoyable, even if the effect isn't medical.
- 2423 people took part: those on keto said they felt calmer, less anxious, less lonely, and less stressed than those on other diets.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Nutrition
Year
2024
Authors
Sarah Garner, E. Davies, Emma Barkus, A. Kraeuter
Related Content
Claims (2)
People who feel better emotionally while on a ketogenic diet for weight loss experience this improvement regardless of whether they have clinical depression.
Adults on a ketogenic diet report feeling calmer, more content, and more alert, and report less depression, anxiety, cognitive stress, emotional stress, and loneliness than adults on other diets, based on their own self-reports.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.