The 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans have arrived, and they’re sparking serious debate. Are we finally seeing a meaningful shift toward metabolic health? What do the guidelines get right, and where is there still room for improvement?

To unpack it all, Dr. Bret Scher is joined by two long-time voices in nutrition science: Dr. David Ludwig and Gary Taubes. Together, they dig into what the new guidelines get right, what they overlook, and what this all means for public health, clinical practice, and the food industry.

They explore:

1. The shifting stance on animal protein, and the controversy it’s stirred
2. A long-overdue move away from refined carbohydrates
3. Why the term “ultra-processed food” was intentionally left out
4. The important nod to low-carb diets for chronic disease
5. How school lunches and government food programs may (or may not) change
6. The tension between dietary health and environmental goals
7. Why robust clinical trials, not just policy documents, are urgently needed

This lively discussion blends agreement, disagreement, and deep insights into what these guidelines mean, not just on paper, but in real life. Whether you're a clinician, policymaker, parent, or just trying to eat healthier, this episode will help you rethink the “official” nutrition narrative.

👉 Subscribe to Metabolic Mind for more conversations covering metabolic health, nutrition, food as medicine, and more.

#MetabolicMind #FoodAsMedicine #DietaryGuidelines

👉Do you have a question about ketogenic therapy or metabolic psychiatry? Submit your question to our team here: metabolicmind.org/questions

Expert Featured:

Gary Taubes

1. taubes@gmail.com
2. https://x.com/garytaubes

Dr. David Ludwig

1. David.Ludwig@childrens.harvard.edu
2. https://x.com/davidludwigmd

Resources Mentioned:

1. https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/

Free CME Clinician Trainings:

Are you a clinician who would like to learn more about the science behind these therapies and how to implement them in practice? Earn CME with our growing library of courses from some of the top experts in the field including Dr. Chris Palmer, Dr. Georgia Ede, Dr. Matthew Bernstein and Dr. Bret Scher with more coming soon.

Our courses have been made FREE by grants from Baszucki Group, so we can spread these powerful therapies as widely as possible. Earn...

Can a ketogenic diet affect cardiovascular risk? Do nuts belong in a low-carb diet? What about ice cream, supplements, and electrolytes?

In this episode of Metabolic Mailbag, Dr. Bret Scher tackles some of the most common and misunderstood questions about ketogenic therapy for metabolic and mental health. From concerns about LDL cholesterol to fears of liver and kidney damage, this conversation cuts through the noise with nuance, evidence, and practical guidance.

This episode covers:

1. LDL cholesterol spikes on a ketogenic diet: what’s normal, what’s not, and how to think beyond one lab number
2. Statins vs. individualized risk assessment (imaging, metabolic markers, trends over time)
3. How nuts fit into a ketogenic diet and when they become a problem
4. Ketogenic diets and liver/kidney health: what human data actually shows
5. “Good keto” vs. “bad keto” and the role of whole foods
6. Supplements, electrolytes, and when they’re truly needed
7. Snacking, sweeteners, keto desserts, and staying in ketosis

Whether you’re just starting a ketogenic diet or fine-tuning it for long-term metabolic or mental health, this episode offers clarity where confusion is common. By unpacking real-world questions with a clinical lens, Dr. Scher empowers you to think critically, personalize your approach, and make decisions rooted in human evidence—not fear or headlines.

Do you have more questions? Check out our other Mailbag Q&A episodes with Dr. Bret Scher and Dr. Georgia Ede:

1. Episode 1: https://youtu.be/PDgM-SD3Fx4
2. Episode 2: https://youtu.be/3m6Fm0nXaMQ
3. Episode 3: https://youtu.be/UgaaYl6RPbs
4. Episode 4: https://youtu.be/roMq4YU58rc
5. Episode 5: https://youtu.be/_eSVU5_P7Ys
6. Episode 6: https://youtu.be/TcfGZ3m-lzE

🔎 Have questions about how to apply metabolic therapies effectively? Submit them at metabolicmind.org/questions to be featured in a future Metabolic Mailbag episode.

#MetabolicMind #KetogenicTherapy #MetabolicPsychiatry #QA

Expert Featured:

1. Dr. Bret Scher
2. https://x.com/bschermd

Is carb-loading really the key to endurance and performance? A groundbreaking 100-page publication led by Dr. Andrew Koutnik says it’s time to question the dogma.

For decades, athletes have been told that more carbs mean better performance. Strategies like carb-loading before and using sugary gels during exercise have become staples of endurance performance.

But recent research has unveiled a shocking truth. Many athletes, even those who look healthy on the outside, are showing glucose levels consistent with prediabetes on the inside.

In this interview, Dr. Bret Scher and Dr. Andrew Koutnik unpack the new landmark publication that challenges outdated sports nutrition guidelines and reveals another approach to fueling human performance.

📌 What you’ll learn:

1. How carb-loading is increasing the risk of prediabetes in fit, lean, athletes
2. How glycogen and carbohydrate intake have been mistaken as the primary predictors of performance
3. Why maintaining stable blood glucose is the real key to performance
4. A new model for fueling that prioritizes brain energy and metabolic health

This conversation is for athletes at every level, from elite competitors to everyday movers, and for anyone curious about how metabolism shapes performance, resilience, and long-term health.

👉 Subscribe to Metabolic Mind to stay up-to-date on the latest in metabolic health, ketogenic therapy, and mental wellbeing: https://www.youtube.com/@metabolicmind.

🔎 Have questions about how to apply metabolic therapies effectively? Submit them at metabolicmind.org/questions to be featured in a future Metabolic Mailbag episode.

📨 Sign up for the Metabolic Mind Newsletter for the latest research, science, and tools for metabolic therapy at https://www.metabolicmind.org/about-us/newsletter/

#MetabolicMind #KetogenicTherapy #SportsNutrition

Expert Featured:

Dr. Andrew Koutnik

1. X.com/@AKoutnik
2. instagram.com/andrewkoutnikphd
3. youtube.com/andrewkoutnikphd
4. www.andrewkoutnik.com

Resources Mentioned:

Carbohydrate Ingestion on Exercise Metabolism and Physical Performance

1. https://doi.org/10.1210/endrev/bnaf038

Coalition For Metabolic Health

In this special Metabolic Mailbag episode, cardiologist Dr. Bret Scher steps into the hot seat to answer your most pressing questions about ketogenic therapy, heart health, and metabolic markers. Drawing directly from listener questions, this conversation tackles the confusion and concern many people face when lab results change after starting a ketogenic diet.

📌 In this video, you’ll learn:

1. Why LDL may rise on a ketogenic diet and when that change is clinically meaningful
2. What cholesterol markers actually tell us about heart disease risk
3. How to think about hyper-responders and familial hypercholesterolemia (FH)
4. How to interpret CRP and other inflammation markers in context
5. Whether you really need to track ketones and affordable ways to do it
6. How often to test labs like LDL, CRP, and other key markers

There’s a lot of confusion around ketogenic diets, cholesterol markers, and heart disease risk. In this episode, Dr. Scher debunks some of the most common myths and offers a clearer, more nuanced understanding of how ketogenic therapy can impact, and often improve, metabolic and cardiovascular health.

🔎 Have questions about how to apply metabolic therapies effectively? Submit them at metabolicmind.org/questions to be featured in a future Metabolic Mailbag episode.

#MetabolicMind #KetogenicTherapy #Q&A #HeartHealth

Expert Featured:

1. Dr. Bret Scher
2. https://x.com/bschermd
3. https://www.linkedin.com/in/bret-scher-08baaa102/

Free CME Clinician Trainings:

Are you a clinician who would like to learn more about the science behind these therapies and how to implement them in practice? Earn CME with our growing library of courses from some of the top experts in the field including Dr. Chris Palmer, Dr. Georgia Ede, Dr. Matthew Bernstein and Dr. Bret Scher with more coming soon.

Our courses have been made FREE by grants from Baszucki Group, so we can spread these powerful therapies as widely as possible. Earn CME/CNE credits: https://www.metabolicmind.org/for-clinicians/trainings-courses/?utm_medium=organic-social&utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=cme-yt

Follow our channel for more information and education from Bret Scher, MD, FACC, including interviews with leading experts in Metabolic Psychiatry.

Learn more about metabolic psychiatry and find helpful resources at https://metabolicmind.org/

About us:

Metabolic Mind is a non-profit initiative of Baszucki Group working to transform the study and treatment of mental disorders by exploring the connection between metabolism and brain health. We...

The science of metabolic psychiatry is advancing, but the movement behind it is just getting started. In this episode, Dr. Bret Scher sits down with Natasha Smikles and Eddie Rodriguez from Metabolic Collective, a new nonprofit working to build an international advocacy network for ketogenic and metabolic therapies.

Their goal: accelerate awareness, adoption, and support for metabolic interventions in mental health.

They cover:

1. The personal journeys that led Natasha and Eddie to metabolic therapy
2. Why lived experience is such a powerful driver of change
3. Why Metabolic Collective was created, and who it’s for
4. How Metabolic Collective is organizing community-led advocacy and education
5. What tools, resources, and events are available to help you get involved
6. How to support others, start a local group, or bring metabolic psychiatry into your community

Metabolic psychiatry is growing, and movements like this are helping close the gap between research and real-world impact. From mental health challenges to neurological disorders, the Metabolic Collective hopes to spread the word about metabolic therapies and empower patients with alternative options to standard of care.

👉Learn more about the Metabolic Collective at https://metaboliccollective.org. 👉Read the Metabolic Collective case for support at https://metaboliccollective.org/case-for-support/.

#MetabolicMind #KetogenicTherapy #MetabolicPsychiatry

🔎 Have questions about how to apply metabolic therapies effectively? Submit them at metabolicmind.org/questions to be featured in a future Metabolic Mailbag episode.

Experts Featured:

Natasha Smikles

1. natasha@metaboliccollective.org
2. https://www.instagram.com/natasha.smikles/
3. https://x.com/NatashaSmikleshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/natasha-smikles-93753523a/

Eddie Rodriguez

1. https://www.instagram.com/brainheal_th_/?hl=en
2. https://www.youtube.com/@BrainHeal_th_
3. https://x.com/BrainHealth919

Resources Mentioned:

Is caffeine sabotaging your mental health progress? Should you try a carnivore diet if keto isn't working? What if your meds lower ketones?

In this new Metabolic Mailbag episode, Dr. Georgia Ede joins Dr. Bret Scher to answer your most pressing questions about metabolic therapies, mental health, and more.

Together, they dive into nuanced, evidence-informed conversations about:

1. The real impact of caffeine on mood, sleep, and ketosis
2. Whether the carnivore diet is “too high” in protein
3. Why some people see mental health improvements on carnivore when a ketogenic diet hasn’t worked
4. What to do when medications interfere with ketone levels, and why deprescription must be done safely and strategically
5. And more

Metabolic psychiatry is a promising frontier, and we’re here to empower individuals navigating serious mental illness with tools and knowledge rooted in science, compassion, and real-world experience.

🔎Have questions about how to apply metabolic therapies effectively? Submit them at metabolicmind.org/questions to be featured in a future Metabolic Mailbag episode.

🔔 Subscribe to Metabolic Mind and join the growing community exploring metabolic therapies for mental health: https://www.youtube.com/@metabolicmind

#MetabolicMind #KetogenicTherapy #FoodAsMedicine #QuestionAndAnswer

Expert Featured:

Dr. Bret Scher

1. https://x.com/bschermd/
2. https://www.linkedin.com/in/bret-scher-08baaa102/

Dr. Georgia Ede

1. https://www.diagnosisdiet.com/
2. https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgiaedemd
3. https://www.facebook.com/GeorgiaEdeMd/
4. https://www.instagram.com/georgiaedemd/?hl=en

Resources Mentioned:

Change Your Diet, Change Your Mind by Dr. Georgia Ede

1. https://www.amazon.com/Change-Your-Diet-Mind-Powerful/dp/1538739070

Taper Down Slowly: A Beginners Guide to Psychiatric Drug Tapering (Part 1)

1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVMvi-vU5E8

Go Slowly: A Beginners Guide to Psychiatric Drug Tapering (Part 2)

Do SSRIs help your brain?

SSRI medications are among the most widely prescribed antidepressants, but what if we’ve misunderstood how they work? In this interview, Dr. Bret Scher sits down with biochemist and nutrition scientist Dr. Chris Masterjohn to explore a deeper, more systemic view of mental health and how we treat it.

Dr. Masterjohn reveals why serotonin isn’t just a “mood booster,” how SSRIs may be disrupting mitochondrial function, and why focusing on lifestyle strategies that support brain energy metabolism could unlock new paths for treating depression.

🔍 What you’ll learn:

1. Chris’s personal journey from veganism to carnivore
2. The importance of testing for nutrient deficiencies
3. How mitochondria influence mood and cognition
4. Why SSRIs may disrupt brain energy metabolism
5. The truth about serotonin and morning sunlight
6. Why exercise & nutrition often outperform medication
7. What SSRIs really do (and what they don’t)

If you've ever questioned the serotonin theory of depression, or sensed there’s more to the story than what mainstream medicine tells us, this conversation fills in some of the missing pieces.

🔎 Have questions about how to apply metabolic therapies effectively? Submit them at metabolicmind.org/questions to be featured in a future Metabolic Mailbag episode.

👉 Subscribe to Metabolic Mind for more interviews, research, and updates in the field of metabolic psychiatry.

Expert Featured:

Dr. Chris Masterjohn

1. https://www.chrismasterjohn-phd.com/
2. https://substack.com/@chrismasterjohnphd
3. https://x.com/ChrisMasterjohn
4. https://www.facebook.com/chrismasterjohn/
5. https://www.instagram.com/chrismasterjohn/

Resources Mentioned:

Substack: Prozac is a Performance Enhancing Drug

1. https://chrismasterjohnphd.substack.com/p/prozac-is-a-performance-enhancing

Mitome: Mitochondrial Analysis

1. https://www.mito.me/

Free CME Clinician Trainings:

Are you a clinician...

Is carb-cycling okay on a ketogenic diet? What about high histamine foods?

In this episode of Metabolic Mailbag, Dr. Bret Scher and Dr. Georgia Ede answers questions on everything from the best sources of dietary fat to how to handle anxiety, perimenopause, and alcohol while maintaining ketosis.

They unpack how to build a nutrient-dense, brain-supportive ketogenic diet using whole foods, why “keto-friendly” processed products can sometimes derail progress, and when supplements might be beneficial. You’ll also learn why histamine sensitivity, caffeine, or cycling in and out of ketosis can affect mood, and how to troubleshoot each.

This conversation covers:

• Why a whole food ketogenic diet can be ideal for mental health
• How to identify the best fat sources and avoid “factory fats”
• Ketogenic dieting for women’s health
• Why anxiety can worsen mid-journey, and how to adapt
• The truth about alcohol, carb cycling, and ketosis

If you’re exploring ketogenic therapy for mental or metabolic health, this episode offers practical, science-based guidance to help you refine and personalize your approach.

🔎 Have questions about ketogenic diets or how to apply ketogenic therapy effectively? Submit them at metabolicmind.org/questions to be featured in a future Metabolic Mailbag episode.

👉Stay up to date with the latest, news, insights, and research on metabolic psychiatry by subscribing to Metabolic Mind: https://www.youtube.com/@metabolicmind

#MetabolicMind #KetogenicTherapy #FoodAsMedicine #QuestionAndAnswer

Expert Featured:

Dr. Bret Scher

• https://x.com/bschermd/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/bret-scher-08baaa102/

Dr. Georgia Ede

• https://www.diagnosisdiet.com/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgiaedemd
• https://www.facebook.com/GeorgiaEdeMd/
• https://www.instagram.com/georgiaedemd/?hl=en

Resources Mentioned:

• Dr. Bret Scher’s Carb Cycling Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5bUc7TbS6o
• Dr Madison Kackley: Keto for Women https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQ8aGNwGB9c

Free CME Clinician Trainings:

Are you a clinician who would like to learn more about the science behind these therapies and how to implement them in practice? Earn CME with our growing library of courses from some of the top experts in the field including Dr. Chris Palmer, Dr. Georgia Ede, Dr. Matthew Bernstein and Dr. Bret Scher with more coming soon.

Our courses have been made FREE by grants from Baszucki Group, so we can spread these powerful therapies as widely as possible. Earn CME/CNE credits: