Researchers tested whether a ketogenic diet (a diet very low in carbs and high in fats) could help college students with depression feel better. Twenty-four students with depression followed this special diet for 10-12 weeks while also getting their regular counseling or medication. The results were impressive: students reported feeling about 70% less depressed, lost weight, and even performed better on thinking tests. While these findings are exciting, the study was small and more research is needed to confirm these results work for everyone.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: Can eating a ketogenic diet (very few carbs, lots of healthy fats) help reduce depression symptoms in college students who are already getting regular treatment?
  • Who participated: Sixteen college students (average age 24, with 10 women and 6 men) who had been diagnosed with major depression and were already receiving counseling or medication completed the study. They came from a college setting and had mild to moderate depression.
  • Key finding: Students who followed the ketogenic diet for 10-12 weeks showed about 70% improvement in depression symptoms on two different depression rating scales, with most improvements happening within 2-6 weeks. This improvement was statistically significant (p < 0.001), meaning it’s very unlikely to have happened by chance.
  • What it means for you: If you’re a college student struggling with depression, a ketogenic diet might be worth discussing with your doctor as an additional tool alongside your current treatment. However, this was a small study, so don’t expect it to replace your current counseling or medication. More research is needed before we know if this works for everyone.

The Research Details

This was a pilot study, which means it was a small test run to see if an idea is worth studying more carefully. Researchers recruited 24 college students who had been diagnosed with major depression and were already receiving standard treatment (counseling and/or medication). For 10-12 weeks, these students followed a ketogenic diet—a diet that’s very low in carbohydrates and high in healthy fats. The researchers provided some of the food, gave the students regular nutrition counseling, and had them check their ketone levels (a sign their body was in ketosis) every morning using a simple finger-prick test.

The study measured depression symptoms using two well-established questionnaires that doctors use regularly. Researchers also measured body weight and fat, checked blood markers related to inflammation and brain health, and tested how well students could think and remember things. All of this was measured before the diet started and again after 10-12 weeks.

This research approach is important because it tests whether a dietary change can help with depression in real college students who are already getting treatment. Rather than just studying the diet in a lab, researchers looked at actual people’s lives and experiences. The study also measured multiple outcomes—not just mood, but also physical health and thinking ability—which gives a more complete picture of how the diet affects the whole person.

This study has some strengths: it used established, validated depression rating scales that doctors trust, measured ketone levels to confirm students were actually in ketosis, and tracked multiple health markers. However, there are important limitations: it’s a small study with only 16 completers, there was no control group (students who didn’t do the diet) to compare against, and students knew they were trying a special diet, which could have influenced their mood improvement through expectation alone. The study was also short-term (10-12 weeks), so we don’t know if benefits last longer.

What the Results Show

The main finding was a dramatic improvement in depression symptoms. Using the PHQ-9 scale (a standard depression questionnaire), students’ scores dropped by 69%, and using the HRSD scale (another depression measure), scores dropped by 71%. Both of these improvements were highly statistically significant (p < 0.001), meaning there’s less than a 0.1% chance this happened by random luck. Most importantly, students started feeling better quickly—within 2-6 weeks of starting the diet.

Beyond mood, students’ overall sense of well-being nearly tripled (increased almost 3-fold), suggesting they felt better in general, not just less depressed. Students also lost weight: on average, they lost 6.2% of their body weight, and more importantly, they lost 13% of their body fat specifically, suggesting the diet helped them lose fat while preserving muscle.

The researchers also found changes in important body chemicals. Leptin, a hormone that affects appetite and metabolism, dropped by 52%. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein that helps brain cells grow and connect, increased by 32%. These changes suggest the diet might be affecting the brain in ways that could help with depression.

Students also performed better on several cognitive (thinking) tests, suggesting the diet may have improved their ability to concentrate, remember things, and process information. This is particularly interesting because depression often makes it hard to think clearly, so improvement in thinking ability alongside mood improvement suggests the diet may be helping the brain in multiple ways.

Previous research has suggested that ketogenic diets might help with mood and brain health, but most studies have been in animals or very small groups. This study adds to that evidence by testing the diet in real college students with diagnosed depression. The improvement rates (around 70%) are larger than what’s typically seen with some antidepressant medications in similar timeframes, though this comparison should be made cautiously since this study didn’t have a comparison group. The findings align with emerging research suggesting that what we eat affects our mental health, not just our physical health.

Several important limitations should be considered: First, this was a very small study with only 16 students who completed it, so results might not apply to larger, more diverse groups. Second, there was no control group—no students eating a regular diet to compare against—so we can’t be sure the diet itself caused the improvement versus students just feeling better because they were getting extra attention and support. Third, students knew they were trying a special diet, which could have created a placebo effect (feeling better just because they expected to). Fourth, the study only lasted 10-12 weeks, so we don’t know if improvements continue, stay the same, or fade over time. Finally, the study included mostly college students, so results might not apply to older adults or teenagers.

The Bottom Line

Based on this pilot study, a ketogenic diet may be worth discussing with your doctor or mental health provider as an additional tool to help with depression—but it should never replace your current treatment. If you’re interested in trying it, work with a healthcare provider and a registered dietitian who can monitor your health and make sure the diet is safe for you. This is a moderate-confidence recommendation because the study is small and didn’t have a comparison group, but the results are promising enough to warrant further research and individual consideration.

College students and young adults with mild to moderate depression who are already receiving treatment (counseling and/or medication) might benefit from discussing this with their healthcare provider. This approach seems most relevant for people who want to try additional strategies alongside their current treatment. People with severe depression, eating disorders, or certain medical conditions (like type 1 diabetes) should be especially cautious and should definitely talk to their doctor first. This isn’t meant to replace professional mental health treatment.

Based on this study, if the diet is going to help, you might notice improvements within 2-6 weeks. However, the study only lasted 10-12 weeks total, so we don’t know what happens after that. You should plan to give it at least 6-8 weeks while working closely with your healthcare provider to see if it’s helping you.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • Track your depression symptoms weekly using a simple 0-10 mood scale or by logging answers to depression screening questions. Also track your energy levels, sleep quality, and ability to concentrate, since the study showed improvements in these areas. This gives you concrete data to discuss with your doctor.
  • If trying a ketogenic diet, use the app to log your meals and track whether you’re staying in ketosis (if you’re testing ketone levels). Set reminders for regular nutrition counseling check-ins and daily mood check-ins. The study showed that frequent counseling and daily tracking were part of what made the diet work.
  • Create a long-term tracking dashboard that shows your depression symptoms, mood, energy, sleep, and cognitive function over weeks and months. Share this data with your healthcare provider at regular appointments. This helps you and your doctor see patterns and decide whether to continue, adjust, or stop the diet based on real evidence from your own life.

This research is a small pilot study and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical or mental health treatment. Depression is a serious condition that requires care from qualified healthcare providers. Before making any significant dietary changes, especially if you’re taking medication for depression or have other health conditions, consult with your doctor or mental health provider. A ketogenic diet may not be appropriate for everyone and can have side effects. This summary is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always work with your healthcare team before starting any new treatment approach.