Your brain runs on what you eat. So what happens when you fuel it with fat instead of sugar?

Drew Decker and Ben join together to discuss his study on the ketogenic diet and depression in college students and how a simple dietary shift led to a 70% reduction in depression scores. No tracking apps, no dieticians, no hand-holding, just students with a budget, a plan, and a mission to feel better.

Drew’s journey started after a traumatic brain injury in the military and led him to Dr. Jeff Volek’s lab, where he’s now leading research into how ketosis may impact mental health, PTSD, inflammation, BDNF, energy metabolism and more.

This is one of those episodes that’s equal parts hopeful, data-driven and deeply personal.

🧠 Ketosis as a tool for mental health

📉 The downside of keto? Pretty capped.

🥑 How college students stuck to keto on a tight budget

🧬 BDNF, energy metabolism & brain inflammation

🧠 PTSD, trauma & the future of metabolic psychiatry

💊 Exogenous vs endogenous ketones

🥩 Animal-based, dairy-based, veggie-heavy — what actually matters

📚 The ketogenic diet as metabolic medicine

Find Drew:

Instagram - @drew_d_decker

ResearchGate

Mentioned in this episode:

Keto-Mojo

Feasibility of Ketogenic Diet in College Students with Depression - A pilot study

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Instagram  @degreesofhealth

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