How Diet Can Treat Depression: The Metabolic Marvel of Bile Acids

[@douglashenson4793]

It is heart breaking that Robin Williams suffered in secret. For all that he gave us, we could not help him. Thank you Nick for your tribute and thank you for having his son speak. I think there is hope now since the shocking loss of Robin Williams which may have helped propel new research into mental illness and how diet, gut biome, and metabolic health are key factors and may be the most important factors.

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

He truely was a remarkable human being

[@Macgee826]

Robin had a heart of gold ,not many in his line of work like him if any!

[@sfree322]

@@Magiczero598 Thank you for bringing this out. I was about to comment but then saw that you had said everything I wanted to clarify.

[@thelairel6664]

My n=1 experience has shown me first hand how much healthier and mentally resilient I am when I am eating a whole food low carb diet. Grew up being treated for bipolar, and spent a lot of my teens depressed, and if I start eating highly processed carbs my moods get incredibly unstable pretty quickly.

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Sounds like you've had quite the journey. I'm glad you're doing better.

[@PavanMehta]

This has been my journey as well. From teens to early 30s. On and off meds on standard indian vegetarian diet with some dairy in the mix. Switched to low carb in Jun 2024. Slipped again in Aug. Back to it since last few weeks and I feel a lot better.

[@DAMIAN_SVHETS]

what kind of cereal do you eat? As far as I know many cereals are high carbohydrate anyway. How do you keep to a low carbohydrate diet?

[@Mockoland]

​@@PavanMehta I feel you man

[@mmanda515]

​@@DAMIAN_SVHETS Cereal is one of the worst things these days. Filled with ultra processed chemicals, overloaded with sugars & carbs + seed oils. Meats, seafood, butter, bacon, eggs. If you want, low carb veggies & low sugar fruits like berries too. Repeat. After the first few days withdrawing from all the junk, it's easy peasy. NEVER felt better, never had better bloodwork, etc.

[@fiddlerJohn]

6:52 "The late great Robin Williams once said 'people don't fake depression they fake being okay.' Rob Williams' suicide, in 2014, was the moment that I realized that anybody can struggle with mental health issues, and it's often not visible, He was a figure that, in my childhood, was always a symbol of Joy, Humor and vitality the kind of person who could touch your heart without ever having met you."

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

I guess you’re saying you liked this quote?

[@fiddlerJohn]

9:31 "Remember mental health is holistic it's not just in your head it's in every part of your body. By taking care of your Metabolic Health you're also taking care of your Mental health."

[@fiddlerJohn]

@@nicknorwitzPhD Yes. Love Robin's quote, but I connect to your " the moment that I realized that anybody can struggle with mental health." That's it. Well said. Thank you.

[@rm6857]

most actors are abused by their parents, mostly actors. And they are broken since childhood and have problems with alcohol, drugs, have psyhoterapist since young age.

[@josephdillon9698]

I’m sorry but I got to disagree and not because of what’s happening today. My mom was born in 49 and she got hooked on feeling sorry for herself turning herself into a victim by making everyone around her a problem calling my dad an alcoholic who had vodka in secret places around the house. Blaming me and my siblings for ruining her life none of this was true she cleaned houses for theee hours a day was home by noon and didn’t do much. We walked on egg shells around her and we all hated her more and more but pretending to be depressed isn’t anything new. I heard of a woman who killed all her kids because she got addicted to feeling sorry for herself and people crying with her. She eventually couldn’t have more children and when an adopted child died they became suspicious. I believe the only one she didn’t kill was the first one. Men do this to they might beat their wives than feel sorry for themselves for what they had to do.

[@jeffhutjens]

Your wonky posts are exactly the kind of things I need to link all kinds of knowledge that floats around my mind. Thanks so much.

I'm still low carb because my depression and anxiety remission is highly corelated to what I eat. My hypothesis is that some foods increase or reduce inflammation in my brain and that's where my focus is, so I'm usually avoiding ultra-processed foods like seed oils. I also noticed that inflammation in my gut and mood instability usually go hand to hand. However exercise, good sleep, healthy relationships and a healthy mindset have also made wonders for my mental health and my life in general.

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Love to hear it. Go you!!

[@gratefulagoraphobe]

I was carnivore for 5 mths. I lost 5.5 inches of belly fat. I think I healed my metabolic health. It's like someone dusted my brain. The cobwebs cleared and I have been able to face my severe agoraphobia and ocd. My depression has pretty much gone and I'm positive about my future. It changed my outlook. Although I'm not in ketosis anymore, I think that my body needed the shock of 5 mths ketosis to heal. It's been game changing in a 20yr struggle

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

I love this for you.

[@gratefulagoraphobe]

@nicknorwitzPhD I think ketogenic therapy really need to be researched more. All I get from doctors is meds, more meds and psychologists, therapists just want to rehash the same things over and over. Don't get me wrong, there's a place for both sometimes. But you're wasting your time (and money) if you don't fix your metabolic health. A few weeks or months of ketosis can change your brain

[@Pa-we1lw]

I went carnivore for 4 months out of desperation to heal my gut. It worked and cleared my head, as well. I truly wish I enjoyed the diet.

[@reinotsurugi]

Keto and carnivore are GREAT for head clearing. I'm glad that people can see it now as therapy and not as a mandatory lifestyle. I've tried many things and am still seeking optimal for me. Too much keto amps me up too much. The problem is, we are divorced from the natural cycles that used to force behaviors. We used to eat seasonally. We used to have periods of scarcity. Periodization requires more discipline than most people can muster, but for many, it will be the key to better health.

[@gratefulagoraphobe]

@reinotsurugi I think that the shock of changes from going in and out of ketosis makes me feel great. Like you said, we had periods of scarcity and abundance. I'm trying to find what works best for me and too long on the same cycle isn't optimal for me

[@MsCeegee3]

Actually, to set the record straight for Robin Williams, he had Lewy Body Dementia (LBD). Once they looked at his brain, they couldn’t believe that he could speak or even function or think as long as he did -he was a walking miracle with very advanced LBD. It wasn’t actually depression that got him. He had been having wild hallucinations before he took his life. his wife made a documentary because she wanted other people to understand not only what happened to Robin but for people to know what LBD was about. Many people get missed… I believe the documentary is called Robin’s Wish. Robin had a very happy life and was a very happy person before the LBD.

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

I’ve seen Robin’s Wish. Excellent doc. Depression and LBD aren’t mutually exclusive

[@lads.7715]

LBD sufferers can go in and out of cognitive and memory issues early on, so they maybe wonder if they are having psychotic episodes and question reality. Moreover, it can be more commonly misdiagnosed as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s, resulting in them having severe reaction to the typical drugs given for those different diseases.

[@mollieanne]

my mom died for LBD too. I hate when they use Robin Williams as a case for depression when it was LBD.

[@MarmaladeINFP]

@@nicknorwitzPhD - I had depression for decades before effectively curing it through diet. I suspect depression is never isolated as mere mental illness. It's always the result of some other cause, physical or environmental: disease, mitochondrial dysfunction, malnutrition, microbiome imbalance, toxicity, stress, etc. To treat depression as unrelated to anything else is to profoundly misunderstand it.

[@helenahandkart1857]

I'm sure many would love to hear about this regarding people who have no gall bladder. I know I certainly would. Kind regards.

[@anthonycoyer7186]

I had my gallbladder removed a few years ago, 260 days on carnivore diet and I feel like a new man, no worries.

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

You still make bile acids without a gallbladder. I don’t think it has much bearing on these data tbh

[@mitunknowngirl]

I have searched. There's relevance here. Gallbladder removal increases risk of major depressive disorder and mental health issues. However, you can still train your body to produce more bile acids at the right time. Gradual increasing fatty meat and animal fat intake and supplementing tudca or bile salts at the very beginning would help.

[@ThePowerofRandomKnowledge]

​@@mitunknowngirlso interesting

[@clinhart]

@@mitunknowngirl Interesting. Matches my experience with gallbladder removal more than 20 years ago. Now I am on an almost carnivore diet for more than 8 months, no issue with fat digestion, I don't need bile salts. Mood and energy is also good - essentially reversed long-Covid by now.

[@galaxytrio]

Nick, I f'n love how you're connecting this fascinating info to life as most people expressive it, and that means emotion and emotional events including how lots of us were affected by Robin Williams. Brilliant.

[@nathanliteroy9835]

Only Robin Williams didn't die due to depression, it what the public thought initially, he died because he suffered from severe symptoms of Lewy Body Dementia and couldn't cope with them enymore.

[@Perry.Okeefe]

Cutting sugar and carbs from my diet changed my life, I was horribly depressed for most of my teen and adult life. It got so bad that I would spend most of the day in bed. Going keto made all those symptoms go away.

[@cleob9956]

Your research and videos are amazing. So grateful that they’re short. Thank you.

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Thank you very much. Glad you enjoy. 😊

[@60-DayCarnivoreChallenge]

I have noticed massive changes in my mental health and mindset just 30 days after I went very low carb carnivore. Before I used to eat what is often considered a healthy diet. Lots of fruit, veggies, vegetable oils and much less animal fats than now. I didnt change anything else in my life other than my diet and I've felt much more drive and motivation recently, I used to feel quite lazy almost everyday and didnt get much done, a feeling which is now almost completely gone. I feel more productive than ever before in my life really and I'm just starting out. I'm looking forward to what more this diet can bring me.

[@BeckyJB888]

I have a similar story 🎉🎉

[@CarniYiayia]

I truly, sincerely miss Robin. May he rest in peace and his memory be eternal.

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@Dr_Boult]

Excellent video and while I'll be one of (likely few) to go read the paper It would have been nice to see your videos. And +1 for the reach out to Williams, that was a nice surprise and good addition!.

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Thanks! Glad you appreciate it. Hope you like the paper

[@jessicacampbell1821]

Really appreciate all the great content you're putting out Nick and this is such in important topic for so many people. I've been an ethical vegan for over 15 years but work within a low-carb research group and so came across your papers and channel - I really believe we can all make more progress by asking questions without polarising everything. Keep up the awesome work! (No idea how you put all this out while going through med school!)

[@TemoteControl]

Can speak from experience - anytime I fall of keto/carnivore - my mental health deteriorates.. diagnose bipolar and have found so many benefits with ketosis… working to heal my addiction to carbs and sugar…

[@willemvanriet7160]

Mental health benefits is what will finally make keto go mainstream

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Hope so!

[@Macgee826]

Dunno mate big pharma will do everything in their power to prevent that.too much money to be lost

[@rossbabcock3790]

Cured bipolar, GAD, T2 diabetes and addiction in me! Get away from the 'death' in processed foods!

[@FoxGhost7]

And then there is me, allergic to soy and peas, with bad tolerance of milk protein and gout. I am really struggling to make a high protein diet that doesn't fuck me in one way or another. I can't just eat chicken and eggs for months.

[@Domn879]

@@FoxGhost7Beef bro, only way to go.

[@KittehNow]

I went keto 4 months ago. I NEVER knew how bad I actually felt, until I started feeling good. I STRONGLY URGE everyone to at least take a moment and think about whether or not they might like to feel better and significantly lower the likelihood of developing several horrific diseases, simply by making very doable lifestyle changes. This video is a great example of the many free resources out there to help us. THANK YOU FOR A GREAT VIDEO😊I'm not necessarily suggesting keto, but consider the many many other changes you might do to improve your health, before its too late.

[@austinswift1602]

awesome Nick! Thank you for educating us on this important discovery!

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Very welcome :)

[@brcage]

This makes so much sense.. i was hit with debilitating OCD/Instrusive thoughts which has ruined my life, after being forced to take anti-acid long term due to a hiatal hernia i developed...

[@PalinaZ]

@@brcage Please look up N-acetylcysteine for OCD. It's just an amino acid but one that can do wonderful things in therapeutic dosages.

[@g-forcefundamentals2912]

From a new subscriber... The science is great and the presentation length of about 10 min is just right.

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Appreciate it! Welcome welcome!

[@johnswitzer6566]

Of all the seasoned comedians, and I’ve met a few, more than a few,I’ve made this one observation. Though paradoxical,you have only to scratch the surface to find pathos. Continued success, Chef John

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Robin was something special

[@johnswitzer6566]

@@nicknorwitzPhD -just like a comet in the canyon in the morning..

[@ProdicleSon.]

I’ve been carnivore/keto for the last year after suffering for 8 years with mental health issues caused by poor lifestyle choices such as eating junk food, drinking too much and not getting enough sleep. My body and mind had enough and I physically could not function anymore. I tried different antidepressants and exercise but it was like putting a band aid over a massive gash. It didn’t work. My last try was to give the carnivore diet a go and after that first steak I had my life has changed in ways I could never imagine. I could feel my brain turning on again. I could laugh and be present like I once could when I was younger. I dove deep into this issue of how diet has such a profound impact on our mental health and try to spread this information. It’s only a matter of time until this becomes mainstream and people can finally start to heal themselves without using all these pharmaceuticals that don’t even address the issue. The issue being our habits and lifestyle choices.

[@davidgrimes4726]

Amazing video! Also very interesting that bile acid have direct effects on HPA! I would have assumed secondary effects in terms of nutrient absorption or shaping the microbiome.

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

I found it very cool too :)… evidently

[@jeep-australia]

I've experienced it firsthand. My emotions were all over the place to the point where I was actually asking myself, 'Who am I?' I was feeling super happy or super sad, like I was on a rollercoaster. I was, this isnt me why any i feeling this way Just from watching sad or happy movies. Since switching to carnivore, I haven’t had this at all. I've been more balanced, and the emotional highs and lows are much more stable. Bile type matters

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Love this for you

[@galaxytrio]

So interesting, Nick! Love you enthusiasm. I assume Takeda is the name of the relevant researcher

[@A_Dome_Dream]

Depression can be caused by so many things relating to diet so it's great to see that we are starting to understand it more. I know that the mainstream understanding right now is that depression is caused by chemical Imbalances due to genetics, but I don't buy it. Some maybe, but why do we have such a rise in depression in the last few decades? Our diets have changed, we are bombarded with forever chemicals that disrupt our microbiome and digestion, we can't go more than 5 minutes without being sold or advertised some super processed foods, etc.

[@canileaveitblank1476]

Fun fact: there’s absolutely no test to show “chemical imbalance” in the human body. It’s just a term that started being used, but never, ever proven. ❤️🍀

[@iss8504]

Depression has many causes. Menopause and perimenopause can cause it too. I was on keto and it didn't help my mood until hrt was added.

[@slaterider]

Gut microbiome and specifically "Lactobacillus Reuteri" plays an important role in the bile acid deconjugation and up regulation of TGR5 receptors. I have personally found supplementing Lactobacillus Reuteri has dramatically helped my mental health. Research has also found that L. Reuteri has diminished in human biome in the last 40 yrs. along with an increase in mental health issues.

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Very happy you've found something that works. Perhaps you want to share your research and strain/supplement for fellow viewers?

[@itzakpoelzig330]

Pottengers Human has some valuable videos about this.

[@ThePowerofRandomKnowledge]

I just took some very strong antibiotics because of sibo and I have been feeling really bad mentally

[@DAMIAN_SVHETS]

What strain are you taking and how much yoghurt do you eat each day ? Thank you.

[@slaterider]

@@DAMIAN_SVHETS I follow Dr. Davis's yogurt recipe with the Bio Gaia Gastrus chewable tablets. I eat at least a 1/2 cup a day.

[@AnimalFarm341]

Interesting. Tudca, a bile acid, shows promise in Parkinson’s.

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Really? Have a citation?

[@AnimalFarm341]

@@nicknorwitzPhD www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9166453/

[@kevinroelofs739]

I dont have a citation, but you have my personal anecdotal evidence. I'm a Veteran with severe PTSD and Depression ​and the combination of TUDCA and Myo-Inositol has done wonders for me. I dont sit with anxiety all day anymore and my outlook on life has changed considerably @nicknorwitzPhD

[@amacaddict]

After I started taking tudca, my gastroparesis went away completely.

[@shane8695]

@@amacaddict really!? can u elaborate pls

[@karenohanlon4183]

I would also add life remains very stressful for those who are disadvantaged. Being lower class has a drastic affect on health outcomes. Interesting to see that since Covid the top 1% became even more wealthy. Thank you Nick for all you do to help educate and inform the people who most need your knowledge.

[@IndubitableBabble]

That was addressed in the rat study

[@FlameForgedSoul]

So...we're back to the Four Humours? Wild.

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

lol. In a way I suppose… although with far greater resolution

[@oldguy5458]

Nick, Thanks for all you do..Best Regards

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Thank you. Funny handle btw

[@Robin318-r9p]

O' Captain, My Captain! Thanks Nick...keep helping all of us!

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Dead Poet’s Society… amazing movie

[@mattamiller]

Nice video. Need a follow-up video on how to optimize and increase bile production

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Didn’t I hit that in the video?

[@jackiedelvalle]

​@@nicknorwitzPhDMaybe it needs to be put in simpler language - I missed that too.

[@Julia29853]

I didnt see it either. You can take Tudca as a supplement, but I dont think he explained if there is a way to encourage your body to make more on its own.

[@mattamiller]

@@nicknorwitzPhD I guess I missed it. What's the time stamp?

[@eagsalazar]

@nicknorwitzPhD, I was also curious if you felt supplementing with Tudca had value here.

[@CatRichWorld]

Your videos are so good, thank you Nick.

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Thank you Cat Rich!

[@sarahjarrett2155]

Well done, Nick!

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Thanks

[@3buzzy]

Keep going Nick! You’re doing great 👍

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Thank you! Will do!

[@cynthiafasulo3828]

One of my own special people. Poignant video. Sure hit home. Metabolic truth is finally emerging. How can we thank you?!

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Thanks. Just keep engaging with me here and on other platforms. That's the greatest thank you.

[@Djynni]

I loved Robin Williams and was deeply touched by his death. I think it's great that you included his son in this video.

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Thanks! Was so happy Zac was willing 😊

[@nathanliteroy9835]

Sorry, but using Robin Williams as a case for promoting things that have to do with depression is just distasteful, he didn't die because he was depressed, and he couldn't be cured by metabolic changes due to diet, he had Lewy Body Dementia meaning a severe swiftly developing systemic disorder that caused loss contreol of his body, hallucinations, paranoia, insominia, confusion, etc.

[@LS-im5ki]

Thanks for putting this comment here ,I agree.Celebrity ?

[@elebenty5709]

Fair, but Robin's son wasn't being distasteful.

[@nathanliteroy9835]

@@elebenty5709 Robin's son is not the one who misleads the public by the video and gets to have a monetary gain

[@elebenty5709]

@nathanliteroy9835 but he is part of the video, works for mental health, and is obviously on board with the message. Think of it this way, they aren't claiming this cures dementia. They claim it eases depression and supports healthy metabolism.

[@Kqt7029]

It is possible that he could have benefited from a keto diet. And i dont think Nick does this for money, he does this because he as a true doctor wants to help people and for that needs to reach to people. That IS why he uses Robin Williams as example.

[@willemvanriet7160]

So another reason to not just remove your gal bladder. Rather change your diet. Can clear the ducts in a month but doctors always knee jerk to surgery…

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

You still make BA without a gallbladder

[@itzakpoelzig330]

Yeah, but my understanding is that the gallbladder is there to modulate its release. There is no such thing as a throwaway organ.

[@joeberrouard3743]

@@itzakpoelzig330what about the appendix?

[@SkedgySky]

​@@itzakpoelzig330unless it's filled with gigantic stones

[@Zeon7510]

​@@joeberrouard3743 it's still useful: the appendix is a reservoir of our gut bacteria (although this wasn't intended when it was a "useful organ") After a round of antibiotics, the hard to reach microbes from the appendix seeds the gut again with microbes that may have completly died from the antibiotics (or something like that).

[@dacisky]

This was a profound video,thank you Nick.

[@DuaneHewitt]

Takeda is a Japanese pharmaceutical company so perhaps the protein was discovered there and was named to denote that.

[@johneubank8543]

so glad his son has found health and happiness

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Me too

[@RJStrasser]

Fascinating. What implications does this have for those of us who don't have a gallbladder? As I understand it, our bile never gets very concentrated.

[@keto-rebellion]

A side effect of keto is that... I'm always ...let me find the word.., BUOYANT. Like a cork bobbing on the ocean. Try to push me down? I BOB right BACK UP. Brain chemistry SO different.

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Love it 😍

[@arnoldfrackenmeyer8157]

I'm on the Federal Inflation Diet. Food prices go up, my waistline goes down.

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Lol

[@Julia29853]

😂

[@kajwaverider9353]

People “discover” things people have been talking about for 40 years and then give themselves Harvard degrees

[@mmanda515]

Love this & agree. I also think for those following keto or carnivore, cutting out all the ultra processed chemicals & garbage in 'foods' these days helps tremendously too. Otherwise, it's like putting diesel in a gas engine. Worse & worse over time, the entire car will fail.

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Absolutely

[@hannahattermann5249]

Please do a video about the Rotterdam study. It associates insulin levels and plaque in the arteries. Thank you.

[@faylouise8169]

Little talked-about topic, 'Bile Brain' LOL, have you read these articles? "Bile acids (BA) activate receptors and ion channels. Nuclear receptors activated by BA include the farnesoid X receptor (FXR), pregnane X receptor (PXR), vitamin D receptor (VDR), liver X receptor (LXR), and glucocorticoid receptor (GR). Unconjugated BA might be able to cross the plasma membrane, and conjugated BA might cross the plasma membrane using transporters." So in looking at bile in the brain, gut, liver, vitamin D, a healthy bile entrohepatic system means a healthy brain bile system, the two are of course connected. - The Biosynthesis, Signaling, and Neurological Functions of Bile Acids: - - Bile acid receptors and signaling crosstalk in the liver, gut and brain: - - Insulin and Bile Acids in Cholesterol Homeostasis: New Players in Diabetes-Associated Atherosclerosis: - thanks. (couldn't directly link....

[@Domn879]

‘People don’t fake depression, they fake being OK’. Yep. Mom died at the start of the year and I couldn’t lie any more. Seriously only diet and exercise have the power to heal I need.

[@clinhart]

Interesting. Can this explain why after having my gallbladder removed, I felt like I somehow lost my mental grit? I felt more limp. This was a pretty significant mental shift after that surgery, and I never had an explanation for it. I can imagine that removing the gallbladder alters the levels and timing of bile acids in the bloodstream. Also I had a 1 1/2 year depression after that surgery, but that's not that clear cut to have been caused by that surgery because I had a burnout before, and I also had pancreatitis which only slowly healed. So that may also have contributed.

[@ThePowerofRandomKnowledge]

There is a connection indeed www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4460135/#:~:text=Among%20patients%20with%20gallstones%2C%20those,cholecystectomy%20%5B25%E2%80%9327%5D.

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Sorry to hear about all that. Sounds like there was a lot going on. Hope you’re doing better now

[@clinhart]

@@nicknorwitzPhD Thank you, and yes, I do better now. It was more than 20 years ago.

[@jonahblock]

Giving up fried foods and soda did wonders for me

[@EMP469]

If you look up Nutrition Detective he came up with Toxic Bile Theory, many ppl on his program are recovering from things like acutane use, decades of thyroid issues w/ meds, and much more. Nutrition Detective episode 71 on youtube, he explains it. God bless you all.

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Thanks for the suggestion

[@itzakpoelzig330]

Thanks, I'll definitely give him a gander!

[@jiminy_cricket777]

It seems to me like the connection between low carb eating and relief of depression has to do with the fact that eating a higher fat diet will cause more bile secretion.. bile being what is used to digest fats. Why not try to make this connection in the video? That is one way to make interesting content that does more than summarize someone else's research. Sorry to be negative, I'm trying to offer some feedback that isn't just fawning and praise. You did choose an interesting topic and I happened to learn something I didn't know, so thank you for that. But you could do better.

[@7hilladelphia]

Yes. That is the bomb ay. And if you get stressed, poor slerp y'crave sweets or, I do, and I forget .... so start over again next day. Never give up 😂❤

[@mollieanne]

Robin Williams had Lewy Bodies Dementia so not sure why you have Robin Williams on your picture. My mom died from this too and it is horrid. SO he killed himself from that not from depression.

[@eagsalazar]

Hi Nick, thanks for this great content! Have you made a video that summarizes what I should *do*? Like "Check these 3 things", if a,b,c, then do Keto, focus on exercise of type X, sometimes consume carbs using strategy Y, and take supplements m,n,o..."? As interesting as your videos are, I'm struggling to make sense of it all and translate your content into a coherent plan (beyond "do keto").

[@shelleyhodgkinson1341]

So interesting! Keep it coming!

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Thank you! Will do!

[@AmpuTeeHee]

Is there a link then to depression and gallstones or gallbladder removal?

[@tulisotilas]

When I discussed about depression treatment in Finland (In the worst possible city for mental health treatment, but alas) what I got from discussing excercise and diet was: Here are the generic guidelines (mostly carbs), and I don't know if it helps. Even doctors seem to be confused or not acknowledging the effects of metabolic health. I was asked what I ate, but it was obvious the professionals had drawn no connection between gut health and mental health. This was scientifically proven (afaik) already by then. This was 3-5 years ago. Now with personal experience, which is not generalizable, I know that my depression is mainly controlled with sleep, excercise, avoiding excess sugar, and with social activities. I got most of this from therapy, but doctors don't seem to push it.

[@cynthiagilbreth1352]

Luckily, I have never had mental health issues. That being said I am amazed at how much my mental well being has improved since I’ve been on keto way of eating.

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

There's good ... and there's great! If you can have the latter, take it!

[@msmachiavella]

Any data on those who have had gall bladder removal ???

[@janbeck7989]

Well done!

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Thanks

[@ernesthader1109]

Low carb and ketogenic diets was being used to treat mental disorders as far back as 1930's. Why is this information not being tackled and researched extensively.

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Incentive structure 💰

[@michaelwensley]

An American with a Rugby ball on the shelf. Nice. Some love affairs never die. I feel ya, brother.

[@gstlynx]

Thanks Doc. Great presentation.

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Glad you liked it!

[@greglemon57]

Fix your diet= Fix your health!

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

👍👍

[@lewynld]

I am completely confounded by Nick's caloric intake during his experiments and how he can fail to gain weight. Could you please consider sharing metabolic labs in a future video?

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Re the 6000 Cal expt? What do you want to know?

[@lewynld]

@@nicknorwitzPhD Did you do fasting insulin pre and post experiment? Ldl, triglycerides, apo b, any of those markers?

[@kelleemerson9510]

I worked with a woman around 50 at the time that was super skinny. I said something about her eating more and she said she has never been able to gain weight and ate a ton with no results. Even had a doctor prescribe something and it didn't work. Seems her metabolism is stuck on high. My guess is she wouldn't survive a whole week without food.

[@polespinosa4858]

Depression its a defense mechanism. If you keep on fighting you basically destroy yourself.

[@capgains]

Can you elaborate ?

[@polespinosa4858]

@@capgains Stress. Depression puts you in hibernation mode. Its the safest mode in an hostile enviroment. If you keep trying when you cant, you get traumatized. And just keep getting revictimized. Its social pressure to function which harms depressed people. Creating CPTSD due to invalidation, guilt tripping, gaslighting... When you are depressed or get diagnosed other mental health conditions, you get ignored and blamed any other genuine health issues to your diagnosis. You cant get real help. Spending too many mental resources just to get understood. And drugs... They dont solve the problem. If anything they stabilize your mood, impeding self regulation. Drugs are not expected in our system, we have not evolved any regulatory mechanisms for them other than elimination, like toxins. The effect its mostly symptomatic. Solving whatever dysfunction your body has will suficice for mood and cognition improvement. Depression can get psychotic when It goes too far, needing some mania to survive and get to a better place. With meds you get stuck in a scary place where you dont want to be nor experiencie life as It is. If you have been there, you know.

[@andrewrivera4029]

I weird side effect I get from a carb cheat is I feel a little more emotional!?!? When I’m back on 0 carb that tends to go.

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

You’re not alone there.

[@quake2u]

I can believe people say they couldn't see he was suffering or had deep issues inside.

[@nijabudeenmohammedn5354]

I have anxiety symptoms how to overcome it by diet my current diet is 5 egg on morning with 80g rice cake lunch 150g fish with 80g potato on dinner 100g chicken with 80g potato include 80g fruits and salad on lunch and dinner

[@kimberlyf4888]

Nick, do you think there is connection between the lower levels of deuterium in the foods that typically make up a keto (and especially carnivore) diet and the effects those diets have on both metabolic and mental health?

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

I rarely say never but I think it’s unlikely that is a main driving factor

[@marlenegold280]

Unfortunately, Robin Williams abused alcohol and cocaine (maybe other drugs) to excessive for years. He loved donuts… likely other carbs. All these abuses cause known nutritional deficiencies, metabolism issues, including depression and cardiac issues. In 2009, Robin had open heart surgery to fix his aortic valve, his mitral valve, and correct an irregular heartbeat. Depression is one known side effect of cardiac surgery. Cocaine will increase risk of Dementia after years of use; alcohol will too. He chose a vegetarian diet after the cardiac surgery; seems that wasn’t helpful. He passed away 5 years after the open heart surgery. Sad.

[@LS-im5ki]

Thanks for putting out that side info ,he was a human being .

[@autismion]

I was eating keto for a while. things like avocado/cucumber/tomato/tuna salad. Still having unhealthy relationships kept me depressed. But it's possible I was still doing it wrong, maybe sugar alcohols weren't helping.

[@qyoinqyuri]

Mr. Norwitz, have you explained your thoughts on coffee and/or caffeine consumption? Would love to know what you think about the subject. I've been struggling with my health and caffeine addiction is one of the most glaring issues I have in my diet.

[@jackiedelvalle]

R Williams seemed a lovely soul 🥺

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Certainly… remarkable human

[@michaeljasper2225]

Does losing the gall bladder make a difference in quantity and utility of bile?

[@polibm6510]

Isn't Takeda also a pharmaceutical company?

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

I didn't know that.

[@mattlevault5140]

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited Global Headquarters 1-1, Nihonbashi-Honcho 2-chome, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-8668, Japan

[@1timbarrett]

Yes, it is Japan’s largest pharmaceutical company. 🇯🇵 💊

[@anthonysalvato3]

Does this mean an increase in cortisol always leads to a decrease in TGR5? Or is it primarily chronically elevated cortisol that has this effect? I know there's research about leptin suppressing hunger via the HPA axis, so maybe the link to obesity and depression is related to chronically elevated cortisol due to impaired leptin signaling, which would both impair hunger suppression and chronically decrease TGR5. I want to link a study but I don't know if youtube treats links from comments as spam.

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

You should be able to link a study. And I think chronically elevated cortisol would be the problem. You do need cortisol. It has a purpose. If you didn't have any, that would be a problem. IDK what role leptin could play in all this... it may associate and be an epiphenomenon. If you want more on leptin signaling, see a prior video I did on leptin resistance in the brain. Cool stuff.

[@meatdog]

I sure hope you had Robin Williams family's permission to exploit this man's misery. He did not want to disappear into the madness of ALZHEIMERS and severe depression and did what he needed to do with his own destiny.

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Yes, his oldest son and members of his foundation’s approved this video and thumbnail. His oldest son also spoke in it. And he had Lewy Body disease, not Alzheimer’s.

[@BCResilience]

Great one! Too bad people won't know about the tribute without actually watching the video.

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Ya, well the idea of a KZbin is for people to watch the video afterall

[@jenlambie14]

Two questions.. Does metabolic health have an impact regarding dementia ? Also does stress and/or trauma affect our DNA & can metabolic health change that ?

[@arifaahamed7239]

Takeda is a common family name in Japan ; I guess someone named Takeda found the gene and named in his name 😊

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

I wish the story were more interesting 🧐

[@ninapoe]

Does fasting produce the same amount of bile acids as eating a calorie-neutral keto diet? Just wondering, because I can get to the same ketone levels either way but I'd like to know if one might have more of an antidepressant effect than the other.

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

I suspect fasting and ketogenic diets have different effects on bile acids.

[@mr8966]

Not being glib - but following on the Oreo Cookies and 720 Eggs videos - perhaps you should consider a one month 100% animal fat carnivore diet?? I would hazard a guess that it would draw more than the first two videos combined and put to bed the ‘saturated-fat-bad’ dogmatists.

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Will consider

[@karenohanlon4183]

Go for it Nick.

[@edrozenrozen9600]

Question. Do bile acids come into your digestive system during fasting?

[@gwpainter4606]

Nick, what does this mean if I'm on a bile acid sequestrant to reduce cholesterol? What unintended consequences should I watch out for?

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

I don’t think I can answer this personal question in a KZbin comment. Sorry

[@sapienoptima]

Really? You couldn't find why it is named Takeda? After Shigeki Takeda? 'Identification of G protein-coupled receptor genes from the human genome sequence' Shigeki Takeda, Shiro Kadowaki, Tatsuya Haga, Hirotomo Takaesu, Shigeki Mitaku First published: 08 May 2002. Mine (TGFR5) must be super low. I've been carnivore for 15 months only lost 10/80 lbs and still mental fog, etc. My father had vascular dementia and I already have lesions in my bilateral prefrontal cortex. VA doesn't give a rip about it. I'm still in that tube mentally/emotionally. To those that think carnivore is a miracle cure for everyone, it isn't. But my allergies are way less which is why I'm still on it.

[@jaymcn]

What are your thoughts on ray peat?

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

I like coconuts 🥥 … how’s that? Tbh, no I don’t think the dietary approach has much legitimacy IMHO, based on what I’ve seen. Just one opinion

[@craftycalley]

My brain is exploding. Any chance of a simplified version?

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Studies are showing that certain diets can treat cases of depression. I review a study speaking to one mechanism that might be involved.

[@peterfaber7124]

Another great video,.. but to spice things up a little, Nick,.... It's not "these data".... The correct way is to say "this data set". ChatGPT agrees with me: "The focus on language precision, like using "these data," can sometimes overshadow the more important aspect-what the data is actually referring to. By being overly rigid with language, there's a risk of losing clarity about the substance or context, which is more critical in conveying the point. Precision in the content itself is what truly matters, not just in the words used to describe it." 🙃

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

“These data” is perfectly correct ✅

[@desromic]

To be clear, Robin Williams had Lewy Body Dementia, which is not a mental health problem like depression, it's a neurological disease that causes psychosis. So he wasn't just depressed and hiding it, he was losing touch with reality and couldn't understand what was happening to him.

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

I’ve seen Robin’s Wish. Mental health problems and neurodegenerative diseases aren’t mutually exclusive. Also his son pre-viewed this video.

[@maidomaidonaidekka]

武田(Takeda) is the last name of the person... I assume it was named after someone like Aloysius "Alois" Alzheimer of Alzheimer's disease. ☺

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

So a guy name Takeda discovered TGR5? That’s boring 🥱

[@kevinroelofs739]

TUDCA has helped me with depression. It's bile salts.

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

Pretty amazing. I haven't heard of it having that clinical use case. Tell us more.

[@Deanriley]

I see a Nobel Prize in your future.

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

I wouldn’t count on it… but I would say no if offered… I’m in my 20s so I have time 🤣

[@ilariabertini968]

powerful!

[@nicknorwitzPhD]

I know! And Robin ❤️

[@ilariabertini968]

@@nicknorwitzPhD 🥰

[@handyhacker11]

I will still try therapy & meds

[@Deepthoughts-bn6is]

so are we screwed if we lost our gallbladder?