RFK Jr. Claims Keto Diet Cures Schizophrenia, Experts Criticize

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. claimed during a speech in Nashville, Tennessee, on Wednesday that a ketogenic diet could cure schizophrenia and other psychiatric conditions, drawing swift criticism from medical experts who described the assertion as misleading and unsupported by evidence.

Kennedy made the remarks at the Tennessee State Capitol alongside Governor Bill Lee while promoting the Trump administration's revised Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The updated guidelines, which influence federally funded nutrition programs such as school lunches and food assistance, recommend higher intake of proteins and fats, including red meat, cheese, butter, and whole milk, while reducing carbohydrates and added sugars. "We now know that the things that you eat are driving mental illness in this country," Kennedy told the crowd, adding that a Harvard doctor had cured schizophrenia using ketogenic diets. He also referenced recent studies showing that some individuals with bipolar disorder no longer met diagnostic criteria after dietary changes.

The ketogenic diet, or keto, typically derives about 70 percent of calories from fats, 20 percent from...