• LowExperience2368
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    8 hours ago

    My aunt thinks that keto will help me feel less anxious. Hmmmm, where is the science behind that

    • StudSpud The Starchy
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      6 hours ago

      Family/friends telling you how you should eat is not okay to me, it can lead to EDs.

      It might be better to determine what is causing the anxiety - whether it’s stressors, trauma, fear of the future or past etc. before going down the diet route.

      You don’t want to put undue stress on your body by going on a specific diet that isn’t suited to you.

      If you do commit to a certain diet or nutritional change, ensure that you are getting all the vitamins and minerals you need as well. Vitamin/mineral deficiencies can lead to very adverse affects, as well as too much of certain vitamins (see that news article about B6 overdoses https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-01-08/vitamin-b6-toxicity-peripheral-neuropathy-health-supplements/104793006).

      • LowExperience2368
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        3 hours ago

        Thanks for the link on B6 :) Yeah such a restrictive diet would not work well for me

    • Thornburywitch
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      7 hours ago

      The only physical effect I can think of that might be relevant is that sticking to such an extreme diet occupies all available brainspace, leaving no room for anxiety. But you’d pay a heavy price for not doing anything other than watch your diet and stress out over whether something was or was not keto. As with any extreme diet, you really have to make sure you’re getting all your dietary needs met, and extreme diets really really limit your options. And they all have a built-in guilt for failure stress included.

      I have a feeling that taking this option really isn’t wise, but you do you. If you wanted to try it for a while to see if it helped, well why not. But I also wouldn’t beat myself up if it turned out not to be helpful.

      And then you can say to aunt, well I tried it and it didn’t work for me. Which might shut her up.

      • LowExperience2368
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        6 hours ago

        Yeah I think in this case, the costs will outweigh the benefits.

        It doesn’t really work for her either because she’s keto one month, and then the next, she isn’t.

        • Thornburywitch
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          5 hours ago

          doesn’t really work for her either because she’s keto one month, and then the next, she isn’t.

          Ringing endorsement that.

    • Seagoon_
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      8 hours ago

      I think her controlling your diet will make her feel less anxious.

    • Force_majeure123
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      8 hours ago

      I’ve personally been on keto on multiple occasions and definitely noticed improved mental health, including reducing anxiety.
      I feel like it’s the best diet for me but it’s hard to keep it up, most of my social events revolve around meals and alcohol and it’s just annoying and tricky to stay in keto - and it’s really an all or nothing kind of diet