Replication FailureOpen accessMedicine· cited by 10

A Ketogenic Diet for Treatment-Resistant Depression

Min Gao; Megan Kirk; Heather Knight; Eva Lash; Moscho Michalopoulou; Nicola Guess; Richard Stevens; Michael J. Browning · 2026 · JAMA Psychiatry

WASTE classifies this as Replication Failure · AI classification, approximate

A previously reported effect did not replicate here — verify it holds before you build on it.

Abstract

Importance: Preclinical evidence and case reports suggest potential therapeutic benefits of ketogenic diets (KDs) in the treatment of depression, but evidence from well-controlled randomized clinical trials (RCTs) is lacking. Objective: To assess the efficacy of a KD compared with a control diet in adults with treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Design, Setting, and Participants: This RCT was conducted between February 22 and June 15, 2024. Participants aged 18 to 65 years with TRD and a score of 15 or greater on the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) from across the UK were include

Abstract by Min Gao; Megan Kirk; Heather Knight; Eva Lash; Moscho Michalopoulou; Nicola Guess; Richard Stevens; Michael J. Browning, JAMA Psychiatry (2026) — licensed CC BY 4.0.

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