Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Health experts debunk RFK Jr’s unfounded claim on ‘curing’ schizophrenia

Realted: RFK Jr marvels at Trump's health despite his 'unhinged' eating habits
  • Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Health and Human Services Secretary, controversially claimed that the keto diet can cure schizophrenia during a visit to Tennessee.
  • This assertion was made as part of his national tour promoting changes to federal dietary guidelines, which now encourage higher protein and fat intake and avoidance of carbohydrates.
  • Health experts swiftly refuted Kennedy's statement, calling it a "vast overstatement" and "simply misleading," with no credible evidence to support the claim that keto diets cure schizophrenia.
  • Kennedy referenced a 2019 paper by Dr. Christopher Palmer, which described two patients with schizophrenia experiencing remission on a keto diet, but experts highlight that "might be helpful" is not equivalent to a cure.
  • The Secretary has a history of scepticism towards conventional medicine, having previously criticised ADHD medication and replaced the CDC's vaccine advisory board with sceptics.
In full

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in