What was studied: Insulin resistance is when the body stops responding well to insulin, the hormone that moves sugar into cells. It is common and is a known risk factor for dementia. Researchers at the Mayo Clinic scanned the brains of 72 adults, with and without signs of insulin resistance,
What was studied: Researchers in China pooled 17 randomized trials with 904 people with autism. The trials tested supplements aimed at gut bacteria: probiotics (live "good" bacteria, either one strain or several), prebiotics (fibers that feed those bacteria), and synbiotics (a mix of both). Using a method that
What was studied: This is a review, not a new experiment. Three psychiatry researchers, from Poland and from McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical School in the US, looked at recent research on the ketogenic diet in mood disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder. The ketogenic diet is very low
Key takeaways * The ketogenic diet is a proven medical diet for some types of epilepsy. Its use in mental health is still being researched. * Small studies in depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia show encouraging results. * There is no high-quality evidence yet. Larger controlled trials are needed. * Keto can affect
Key takeaways * Diet is not a replacement for bipolar treatment. Mood stabilizers and therapy remain the foundation. * People with bipolar disorder have higher rates of metabolic problems, so overall metabolic health matters. * The ketogenic diet is being studied in bipolar disorder. Early results are encouraging but come from small, uncontrolled
Key takeaways * Metabolic psychiatry studies how the body's energy systems, like blood sugar and insulin, connect to mental health. * People with serious mental illness have higher rates of metabolic problems than the general population. * Diet changes, including the ketogenic diet, are being studied as add-ons to usual
What was studied: Probiotics are "good" bacteria taken as a supplement. Because gut health may affect the brain, researchers have tested them in depression. This review pooled 9 randomized trials with 460 adults who had a diagnosis of depression. Each trial compared probiotics taken by mouth with a
What was studied: People with bipolar disorder often develop weight gain, blood sugar problems and heart risks. Researchers followed 305 adults with bipolar disorder for three years, with 13 check-ups along the way. They compared people who reported trauma in childhood with people who did not, and tracked blood
What was studied: Two new studies used large health records to look at GLP-1 medicines (the drug family that includes semaglutide) and mental health in everyday care. The first, by researchers at the US National Institutes of Health, used Medicare records of people with type 2 diabetes. It compared
What was studied: Children born early (before 35 weeks) are more likely to develop ADHD or autism. In the Omega Tots trial in Ohio, toddlers born early got either a daily omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acid supplement (DHA plus arachidonic acid) or a placebo for 6 months around
What it is: A WBUR news story (October 21, 2026) about the new McLean Center for Metabolic Psychiatry at McLean Hospital, near Boston. It is funded by a $20 million grant from the Baszucki Group, a philanthropy started by the family of a young man whose bipolar disorder improved on
What was studied: Two new papers looked at GLP-1 medicines (the drug family that includes semaglutide) in people with schizophrenia, who often gain weight and develop blood sugar problems on antipsychotic medication. The first pooled 7 randomized trials with 481 people taking antipsychotics. The second used Danish national health