Chris Irvin, M.S.

Nutrition & Metabolic Health
Content Lead for @metabolic_mind

[Metabolic Mind @Metabolic_Mind]

New study offers hope for anorexia nervosa.

The first-ever pilot trial of ketogenic therapy for anorexia nervosa was just published.

Here's what @GuidoFrank and his research team at @UCSDMedSchool found. 🧵

[Bret Scher, MD @bschermd]

A new JAHA paper on high LDL in lean keto patients (LMHR phenotype) makes a curious omission: it never calls for studying hard outcomes like plaque progression.

As a cardiologist, I have to ask, have they already made up their minds? 🧵

[Chris Irvin, M.S. @TheKetologist]

TL;DR: Your brain is a metabolic organ.

Treat it like one.

Keto isn't just about weight. It's about giving your most important organ a fuel it can use despite existing metabolic dysfunction.

[Chris Irvin, M.S. @TheKetologist]

Most people think keto is just a weight loss hack.

But your brain runs incredibly well on ketones. Maybe even better than on glucose

Here's what your brain is actually doing on a ketogenic diet 🧵

[Chris Irvin, M.S. @TheKetologist]

Practical steps to start supporting your brain with metabolic health:

🥩 Prioritize protein + fat at every meal
📉 Start by cutting the ultra-processed carbs (then go keto if that’s not enough)
🩸Get a fasting insulin test (not just glucose)
😴 Fix your sleep (metabolic disruption also happens here)
🧪 Consider measuring ketones to find what your optimal ketone range is

[Metabolic Mind @Metabolic_Mind]

Fell out of ketosis? Don’t panic.

Here's what Harvard trained psychiatrist @GeorgiaEdeMD wants you to know about exactly how to bounce back fast.🧵

[Metabolic Mind @Metabolic_Mind]

Honey Nut Cheerios score higher than eggs on some food rating systems.

Lucky Charms outrank beef.

This is the state of nutrition science, and it's why @TyBealPhD spent 5 years building something better.

Full interview dropped yesterday. Here's what you need to know. 🧵

[Chris Irvin, M.S. @TheKetologist]

Great video from @bschermd highlighting more misleading research

[Metabolic Mind @Metabolic_Mind]

Headlines say: red meat causes diabetes and plant-based diets prevent cancer. 🥩 But do the studies actually support those claims?

@bschermd breaks down the research, the limitations of observational nutrition studies, and why context matters. 🧠🥦

[Chris Irvin, M.S. @TheKetologist]

Breakdown of the recent ApoE4 and meat study

[Metabolic Mind @Metabolic_Mind]

🧵A new study in JAMA Network Open found: among ApoE4 carriers, the highest genetic risk group for Alzheimer's, higher meat consumption was associated with a LOWER risk of dementia.

Not higher. Lower.

This directly challenges what many people have been told about dietary risks of ApoE4.

[Chris Irvin, M.S. @TheKetologist]

It’s interesting that a lot of the folks who say calories are all that matter for weight loss also say that you can’t gain muscle on keto 🤔

Seems like a contradiction to me 🤷‍♂️

[Chris Irvin, M.S. @TheKetologist]

Alzheimer’s and dementia are diseases of middle age.

This means we develop them in our 30s, 40, and 50s, we just don’t see the worst symptoms until we are at the end stages of life.

No matter how old you are, Alzheimer’s prevention starts now.

[Jan Ellison Baszucki @janellison]

Should government be able to shut down a privately funded clinical trial without cause?

Urgent plea: If you care about people battling mental illness, please help us by signing this petition to keep a government official from shutting down a landmark privately funded inpatient trial of medical keto for schizophrenia in Maryland.

Those of you who know our family's story know how personal this is for us. Our son might not be here today without medical keto therapy, and we desperately want others to have access to trials of this important treatment option. You can imagine how alarmed we are by this news as reported in @baltimoresun today:

https://t.co/G9eDCuI3Lm

In summary, Maryland’s Secretary of Health Laura Herrera Scott, MD, has halted a foundational ketogenic diet study among schizophrenia inpatients at the Spring Grove Hospital Center. The study is being conducted in conjunction with the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center at the University of Maryland. It is led by Professor Deanna Kelly, who has conducted more than 25 NIH and foundation-sponsored trials.

Notably, this landmark trial is the only inpatient study of ketogenic therapy for serious mental illness in the United States. Halting this trial needlessly slows the progress of metabolic psychiatry research and begs the question of who has the authority to decide what science should be pursued and on what grounds.

According to the Sun, the patient population at Spring Grove is “a vulnerable group of people, who often have a history of homelessness and untreated or treatment-resistant mental illnesses. Roughly 70% are Black. Many are from economically disadvantaged families or have fallen from higher socioeconomic levels due to illness or drug use.” We have to ask ourselves whether the Maryland Health Department should have the right to prevent these consenting patients from accessing new treatments through clinical research.

Before the Secretary’s action, repeated attempts were made to discuss the study and its potential with Secretary Herrera Scott. Advocates, patients, caregivers, and legislators also appealed to the Secretary, asking her to reconsider the decision. The Maryland Psychiatric Society, representing 775 psychiatrists in the state of Maryland, formally requested that the research be allowed to continue:

“The prospect of discontinuing essential research programs not only threatens the rights of patients but also undermines the efforts of dedicated healthcare professionals striving to provide the best possible care. The ramifications of such a decision extend far beyond the confines of these centers, impacting disadvantaged and disabled individuals across Maryland who rely on the benefits of esteemed and reliable research and clinical programs for access to innovative treatments and specialized care.”
https://t.co/XkFVQwUTwE

After a 16-week review, the Health Department found no health and safety concerns and confirmed the keto trial decision was not based on human subject concerns. It was described as a “procedural” decision and appears without clear cause.

I urge you to share this tweet widely and to sign the petition authored by @ChrisPalmerMD which calls on Secretary Herrera Scott to immediately reverse her decision: https://t.co/1QaMWlQHYu

You can also contact the Secretary directly and ask her to immediately reverse her decision:
Social media: Fundin
Email: [email protected]
Phone: [phone] (toll-free, Maryland), tdd: 1-800-735-2258 (toll-free)

Together, I hope we can persuade the secretary to overturn this decision and protect the rights of patients to access cutting-edge research.

[Chris Irvin, M.S. @TheKetologist]

@JDrewsyBC @markeatsmeat Haha this is gold

[Chris Irvin, M.S. @TheKetologist]

@CHILLHOP23 @GrantCardone I use perfect keto (I formulated this product) or LMNT. But caveat here is that with the flavors these are technically not 100% carnivore. But for most people that’s fine. If you need to go 100% than you could go with a capsule product