Ketogenic Therapy for PTSD? New Research Underway

Feb 16, 2026

Robin Engelhardt, a German PhD in psychology who overcame complex PTSD, is launching a pilot study testing ketogenic metabolic therapy. He discusses his personal recovery with nutritional ketosis. The conversation covers target ketone levels, practical challenges, proposed study design, and biological mechanisms that might link ketosis to PTSD recovery.

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ANECDOTE

Personal Recovery With Ketosis

Robin Engelhardt recovered from complex PTSD after adopting a ketogenic diet and saw nightmares disappear over months.
He tracks morning ketones and links low ketones with nightmare occurrence and worse sleep and mood.

ADVICE

Start Keto With Electrolytes And Fat Ratio

Supplement electrolytes when starting a ketogenic diet, especially magnesium, potassium, and sodium.
Reduce protein and increase fat ratios (3:1 or 4:1) if ketones remain low for brain-focused goals.

INSIGHT

Possible Mechanisms For Ketosis In PTSD

Ketosis may resolve a brain energy crisis and improve prefrontal top-down control over the amygdala.
Beta-hydroxybutyrate might reduce neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and shift GABA-glutamate balance.

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In this powerful interview, Dr. Bret Scher speaks with Dr. Robin Engelhardt, a German researcher and PhD in psychology, who is launching a pilot study investigating ketogenic metabolic therapy as a treatment for PTSD and complex PTSD.

Using his own personal experience of healing from PTSD through nutritional ketosis, Dr. Engelhardt is now launching a pilot study to explore whether this approach can help others. His pilot study will test feasibility, safety, and symptom response, paving the way for future randomized controlled trials.

📘 What you’ll learn in this video:

Why Dr. Engelhardt turned to a ketogenic diet for his PTSD
What existing (though limited) research says about keto and trauma
The mechanisms that might explain why ketosis could benefit PTSD (e.g., improved brain energy, reduced inflammation)
How this new feasibility study is structured, and what researchers hope to uncover
The real-life challenges of implementing therapeutic ketosis for brain health

This conversation is a rare look at the intersection of personal healing and scientific discovery, and a glimpse into the future of trauma treatment through metabolic approaches. Whether you're a clinician, researcher, or someone impacted by PTSD, this is an interview you won’t want to miss.

👉 For more information on metabolic psychiatry and PTSD, check out our blog: Hope for PTSD: The Potential of Ketogenic Metabolic Therapies

🔎 Have questions about how to apply metabolic therapies effectively? Submit them at metabolicmind.org/questions to be featured in a future Metabolic Mailbag episode.

#MetabolicMind #MetabolicPsychiatry #PTSD #KetogenicTherapy

Expert Featured:

Robin Engelhardt

To learn more about the study, contact Dr. Engelhardt’s team at keto@unibw.de

Free CME Clinician Trainings:

Are you a clinician who would like to learn more about the science behind these therapies and how to implement them in practice? Earn CME with our growing library of courses from some of the top experts in the field including Dr. Chris Palmer, Dr. Georgia Ede, Dr. Matthew Bernstein, Dr. Mariela Glandt, Dr. Deanna Kelly, Dr. Julie Milder, Dr. Zoltan Sarnyai, and Dr. Bret Scher with more coming soon.

Our courses have been made FREE by grants from Baszucki Group, so we can spread these powerful therapies as widely as possible. Earn CME/CNE credits: https://www.metabolicmind.org/for-clinicians/trainings-courses/?utm_medium=organic-social&utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=cme-yt

Follow our channel for more information and education from Bret Scher, MD, FACC, including interviews with leading experts in Metabolic Psychiatry.

Learn more about metabolic psychiatry and find helpful resources at https://metabolicmind.org/

About us:

Metabolic Mind is a non-profit initiative of Baszucki Group working to transform the study and treatment of mental disorders by exploring the connection between metabolism and brain health. We leverage the science of metabolic psychiatry and personal stories to offer education, community, and hope to people struggling with mental health challenges and those who care for them.

Our channel is for informational purposes only. We are not providing individual or group medical or healthcare advice nor establishing a provider-patient relationship. Many of the interventions we discuss can have dramatic or potentially dangerous effects if done without proper supervision. Consult your healthcare provider before changing your lifestyle or medications.