63: Dr. Robert Lustig: Metabolic Psychiatry - How Our Brains and Moods Are Governed by Our Metabolism

In this compelling extract from IMMH 2023, Dr. Robert Lustig, a globally recognized  paediatric neuroendocrinologist, delves into the intricate connections between diet, metabolic health and mental health. Dr. Lustig, with a career marked by extensive research and advocacy, shows us how dietary choices profoundly influence brain function and neurochemistry and contribute to various mental health disorders. His pioneering work underscores the critical role of metabolic health for maintaining optimal mental well-being. Dr. Lustig has a stellar academic and clinical career, with a BSc in Nutritional Biochemistry from MIT, an MD from Cornell University Medical College, and an MSL from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. He is Emeritus Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and throughout his career has made significant contributions to the understanding of the adverse effects of sugar and processed foods on public health, and has been instrumental in advocating for changes in dietary guidelines and public health policies aimed at combating the global epidemic of chronic metabolic diseases. Dr. Lustig's extensive research portfolio includes over 125 peer-reviewed articles published in renowned journals such as Nature, The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism and The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. He is also an acclaimed author, with notable books including Fat Chance: Beating the Odds Against Sugar, Processed Food, Obesity, and Disease, The Hacking of the American Mind: The Science Behind the Corporate Takeover of Our Bodies and Brains, and Metabolical: The Lure and Lies of Processed Food, Nutrition, and Modern Medicine. In this episode, learn about: The alarming rise in global metabolic and mental health disorders and their intricate connections Mechanisms by which sugar and fructose function as mitochondrial toxins and cause oxidative stress in neuronal cells, contributing to neurological and psychiatric disorders The therapeutic potential of ketogenic diets in treating neuropsychiatric conditions, including bipolar disorder and schizophrenia The effects of insulin resistance on neuronal energy metabolism and its implications for mental health The impact of gut microbiota and the gut-brain axis on mental health, emphasising dietary interventions to support these systems Evidence-based dietary interventions for improved metabolic and mental health outcomes The role of chronic low-grade inflammation in mood disorders and the influence of dietary factors in modulating inflammatory states We are thrilled that Dr. Lustig is one of our keynote speakers at the IMMH 2024 Conference in Washington DC from 10-13 October, and will be giving two presentations on Technology Addiction in Children and "Amygdala Unchained" Ground Zero for the Syndemic and the Meta-Crisis For more information and to register, visit IMMH. www.immh.org