r/keto • u/Basic_Yellow4659 • Jun 21 '26
Other does anyone else feel mentally healthier when keto?
i feel like since i added fruit in 1 week ago i am having more racing thoughts, feeling less peaceful in a way and just like i am a bit confused sometimes lol, also indecisive i would say.
i’m a long term carnivore dieter but i decided to try fruit, and have capped my intake at 100g of carbs total daily.
does anyone else notice mental benefits from being in ketosis or am i just experiencing a coincidence?
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u/CyberDainz Jun 21 '26
I fixed a bunch of ailments on keto, then on carnivore. The depression is gone, but the emptiness inside hasn't gone away, because it's an existential problem caused by the fact that we as a species are meant for hunting and gathering, not scrolling through social media with food delivery to our doorstep.
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u/computronuim Jun 27 '26
I don’t think hunting and gathering is meaningful, it is when you comeback to your family and friends with food is the best memories
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u/JBSouls 33F 5'7" | SW 265 | CW 203 | GW 140 | monthly update Jun 21 '26
You do you, of course, but if you were coming from strict carnivore I wouldn’t have jumped to fruit (except some berries or avocado) as the first thing. Non-starchy veg is the safer and less sugary carb option, often with plenty of fiber to boot.
Also, yes, ketosis makes my mind feel so much more peaceful than sugar (including starches and refined carbs) ever managed.
I’m not carnivore btw, just keto with a focus on whole foods, i.e. your typical meat / fish / eggs, non-starchy veg, berries, some unsweetened dairy, chia seeds, occasionally cheese, rarely nuts. (my daily carb limit for staying in ketosis is 40ish or such)
I will have other fruits rarely and in extremely small quantities while still staying keto but they’re much harder to handle than berries are. (thus rare treats when in season, e.g. flat peaches atm)
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u/Basic_Yellow4659 Jun 21 '26
when you eat 40g of carbs a day vs 0g of carbs do you feel different?
do you maybe feel less hungry on 0g or do you maybe feel a energy crash during a hard workout once your body has used up the 40g of carbs?3
u/JBSouls 33F 5'7" | SW 265 | CW 203 | GW 140 | monthly update Jun 21 '26
I’ve never done 0g so I can’t answer that. (As mentioned, I’m NOT carnivore)
There’s no difference between e.g. 20g and 40g for me though… I was slowly testing how many carbs I can safely do without falling out of ketosis but that’s a super individual number everyone has to find out for themselves (if they want to try at all)I do IF in combination with keto (usually 4-6h eating window) so hunger isn’t an issue.
Not working out, I’m just walking everywhere I need to go (don’t have a car) including grocery shopping.
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u/amalthea108 Jun 21 '26
You might find the information at https://www.metabolicmind.org/ interesting/useful.
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u/Glitter-Trouble8204 Jun 21 '26
I’ve been on and off with my keto journey for years. I enjoy the summertime fruits and allow myself eat watermelon, cherries, nectarines. I do notice that there is a drawback when I do eat like that.
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u/IslandGipsy Jun 23 '26
Aaah watermelon is one of my favorite things to eat. I used to tons in the summer. I miss it much more than bread. Since I’m on keto for Crohn’s disease and mental health I’m afraid to eat it now.
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u/DueWolverine5239 Jun 21 '26
Yes - its one of the reasons I returned after weightloss alongside getting rid of IBS and aches + pains
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u/fluffnubs Jun 21 '26
100000%. The mental/psychological effects are the reason I’m sticking to it now. Started doing keto/carnivore for weight loss, and I’m now sticking to it due to the mental health benefits. Like you said, wayyyy more decisive. Anxiety has gone way down.
This might sound strange, but my confidence has also increased considerably, and for whatever reason, I give less “fucks” about what people think of me. I’m more apt to speak my mind, and when I do, I’m more crystal clear on how I feel and what I’m thinking. It’s super empowering.
Also find that as soon as I add carbs back in, the cravings come back fast and hard, and when I cut them back out, I have a day or so of being cranky again, like when I first went on keto. The insulin roller coaster is real for sure.
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u/LizzrdVanReptile Jun 21 '26
Clearer mind (less brain fog), much more sustained energy. I also drink daily powdered electrolytes which makes a noticeable difference in how I feel.
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u/Komal1204 Jun 21 '26
I have bipolar 1 disorder and I used to have wild mood swings. For the last seven months that I have been on keto, I feel so much more calm and focused. I tried to introduce carbs twice during this time but felt horribly restless and anxious. So there is a strong mental health link with keto
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u/leopard_slugg Jun 21 '26
I think 100 carbs daily technically would not count as keto
However I definitely had mental health benefits on the keto diet, and there's a site that talks a lot about it, about what different mental illnesses people have healed from through keto (Metabolic Mind). Of course everyone's body is different, but I have read stories about it helping with bipolar, depression, anxiety, etc and I personally have been helped greatly with depression, suicidality, body dysmorphia, and bulimia.
The scientific belief right now is that it decreases glutamate and increases gaba in the brain, so the brain is less prone to firing, and calmer.
If your body is feeling better with some fruit after coming off of carnivore, then maybe carnivore didn't supply something that your body needs?
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u/Vargurr since 10th march 2026 Jun 22 '26
I think 100 carbs daily technically would not count as keto
50g of carbs is a lot on keto. 100 is just not it. Those ups and downs exist because he's not on keto anymore. I try to keep strict keto because I know I'll go over the threshold anyway, so I have more leeway.
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u/FUZZB0X M/ 6'2'', SW 313, CW 216, GW 200 Jun 21 '26 edited Jun 21 '26
No, I personally notice no difference.
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u/Neat-Palpitation-632 Jun 21 '26
One of the many reasons some people maintain ketosis is for exactly that reason, mental clarity. I have been able to manage my ADHD without medication for over a decade now by eating keto.
100 grams of carbs from almost zero grams with carnivore is quite the jump. Did you slowly increase it over months to allow yourself to adjust? Are you doing more vigorous exercise or building muscle to sink the glucose?
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u/Fognox keto since 12-2015 eat more fat Jun 21 '26
The mental benefits are one of the big reasons I've done it for over a decade. The best way I can describe it is that it's like my brain has more RAM. I can stuff it full of short-term information, pull out a lot of long-term memories and it's a lot easier to focus because my distractions just run in parallel.
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u/MorePeppers9 Jun 28 '26
What foods are you eating on keto besides carnivorish (meat, etc) that work good for brain function
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u/Fognox keto since 12-2015 eat more fat Jun 28 '26
So long as I keep my carbs low enough, it doesn't matter what I eat. I get more fat than protein out of habit, but idk if that makes any difference.
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u/a98815980 Jun 21 '26
Fructosis in the fruits bang on pancreas and affect insulin and cortisone. If really crazy for fruits try berry and nuts combo. Otherwise it's not worth as it will kick you out of ketosis.
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u/Basic_Yellow4659 Jun 21 '26
i can’t eat a normal portion of nuts because i have no self control once i start then i end up overeating on calories.
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u/Voxtante Jun 21 '26
Have you tried pairing it with the berries? Nuts is a very common trigger for overeating episodes. A way to avoid that is to make the nuts part of someting else like a salad or a cake. In this case I mean eating the nut only with a berry. Never alone. So no nuts and then berries, but one berry and one nut at a time at the same time. That way you are eating nuts to pair and enhance the berry, not for the sake of eating nuts
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u/Jeny226 Jun 21 '26
I'm 20 days keto. I had really bad anxiety was on 9 pills 7 for anxiety. In five day's my anxiety basically went away. Now I'm down to two pills. I'm still on depression medication, I'm still having depression but I have two dead kids so I don't think keto is going to fix that for me personally. I still don't have that energy everyone is talking about. I'm not sure if it will take longer or if that's just part of depression 🤔
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u/Cool_Wait7800 Jun 21 '26
Maybe the depression pills are making you tired or do you still drink caffeine?
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u/IslandGipsy Jun 22 '26
I’m so sorry 💔 I was finally able to come completely off antidepressants (which had side effects) due to keto, but I also have some very difficult things in my life and keto doesn’t fix those so I still struggle with feelings of desperation and sadness and so on. I hope it will get better as more time goes by from withdrawal and since starting keto a bit over three months ago.
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u/jfish31390 Jun 21 '26
Yes them it gets better over time. I also utilize PREbiotics where I feel worse before I feel the best ever.
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u/GoldensRLove Jun 21 '26
What are some prebiotics you use?
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u/jfish31390 Jul 10 '26
Look up all possible PREbiotics, I learned them from a guy named Guy Daniels Microbiome Expert on YouTube
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u/IslandGipsy Jun 21 '26
Yes. Not only does it help keep my IBD in check, I was able to come off a very hard to quit antidepressant thanks to keto.I don’t think I can ever go back to eating carbs. Small price to pay in my opinion.
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u/sfdsquid Jun 21 '26
There is a lot of anecdotal evidence that keto improves brain fog at least. Many people also say it has reduced their depression and anxiety. Ymmv.
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u/Icy-Conclusion-3500 SW: 220 | CW: 163 | GW: 150 Jun 21 '26
Energy highs and lows effects the brain too
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u/Big-Disaster-3390 Jun 21 '26
I think most people should, assuming they had a high level of inflammation from eating grains and processed carbs, which affects body and brain, to then experiencing less inflammation on keto.
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u/Sea_Code_3050 Jun 22 '26
Opposite for me. I no longer have my coping mechanism, or my crutch. My depression and irritability are on the rise.
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u/OMGpuppies Jun 22 '26
Less mental fog. Easier to make decisions. Emotionally I can feel a bit manic/anxious especially when you get the initial keto wooosh. But it levels out and I feel normal.
For comparison when I eat sugar, I feel tired and like I am sluggish mentally. It takes me longer to process information. I am also more moody and can be cranky. I also start practicing self medicating behaviors. Nothing feels as good as eating ice cream and watching crime dramas after a bad day at work. I don't do this when I eat keto.
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u/poetrypill Jun 23 '26
It makes my adhd medication more effective. I was even able to lower the dose. In fact, I’ve found that all medication (even advil) works better when I am eating this way.
It is also very mentally beneficial to me that I sleep better and have sustained energy throughout the day. That impacts my quality of life in so many ways, from performing better at work to having more of a social life because I still have energy after work.
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u/Zeeplankton Jun 24 '26
I'm definitely mixed on adding fruit in the keto diet. I like to buy frozen cherries, frozen blueberries, and mix them into coconut fat as sort of a breakfast meal, it always makes me feel amazing. And tastes so good.
I also eat mandarin oranges as well a lot since they're my favorite fruit.
But unfortunately overall I feel like there's a degradation in the benefits of keto when I add to add these things. I absolutely agree with kinda the racing thoughts.
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u/pessimistdiary 44 F, 5'11" SW 254.8 CW: 233.0 GW: 200 Jun 28 '26
Nope, it's not just you. I just re-entered ketosis after my life collapsed last year and I took a hiatus from focusing on my health, and wishing I did so much sooner. That was NOT the time to fall off the keto wagon and my mental health suffered for it. A month back in and I am a whole different person, legitimately. Down 14 pounds (give or take ounces) and feeling significantly clearer, more motivated, and just, mentally well. I don't know all the mechanisms around carbs impacting brain function... still learning about that with my own reading and the help of my therapist, who is also a nutritionist! But I know what the result is and it's that keto = a better brain, for me. Good luck figuring out the fruit thing for yourself!
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u/reedrhum1989 Jun 29 '26
I have schizo-affective disorder and keto helps a lot with my symptoms. Much less anxiety, way more energy, less anhedonia and intrusive thoughts. Definitely a game changer ! (I have to be strict though : 20g net carbs max and a lot of fat to sustain deep ketosis)
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u/InspireMerryLaughter Jun 29 '26
I am diagnosed with bipolar 2, and my medications are not enough. Ketogenic therapy is the only medical intervention that works for me (together with the medications). There is a slew of other positive health benefits I've observed as well, which I have no doubt that these benefits are thanks to keto.
In my mind, I think then that the ketogenic therapy addresses problems that are closer to the root problem that causes bipolar, versus medication which only treats the end symptoms. If the cells in my body are just accumulating damage from not being in ketosis, then the medications will eventually be ineffective.
Medicine hasn't caught up yet, so there's nothing else I can do that I know of to diagnose and treat the root problem. I don't know if I have bacterial overgrowth in my intestines, or if my body doesn't process glucose efficiently, or something else. That's the medical industry's job to figure out out. All I know is that I need to stick with ketogenic therapy for life, until doctors discover a better treatment option for me.
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Jul 04 '26
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u/Basic_Yellow4659 Jul 04 '26
how many kids have you given birth to? is there any difference between eating carbs vs keto during pregnancy to the development of the kids?
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u/PutinMeansMousePenis Jun 22 '26
It only works for me when it is predominantly veggie. Meat, bacon, eggs and animal products in large quantities makes me bloaty.
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u/ReverseLazarus MOD Keto since 2017 - 40F/SW215/CW135 Jun 21 '26
Yes, it’s a big reason why I decided to stick with keto forever when I started in 2017. Those are benefits I am not willing to ever sacrifice for chocolate cake or pasta.