The Gut-Brain Connection: Why Your Mental Health Starts in the Microbiome

The connection between mental health and metabolic health is far
deeper than once believed, with growing evidence showing a
powerful, bidirectional relationship. Inflammation, poor diet, and
gut dysfunction are now recognized as key drivers of both physical
and psychological illness—often hiding in plain sight. By
addressing root causes such as blood sugar imbalances, nutritional
deficiencies, and microbiome disruption, many chronic mental health
conditions can improve or even resolve. This emerging science
challenges the traditional separation of mind and body, pointing
instead to an integrated approach where healing the body becomes
essential for healing the brain. Recognizing this link is crucial
in shifting the future of mental health care. In this episode, I
discuss, along with Dr. Chris Palmer and Dr. Shebani Sethi, why our
diet is so closely related to the state of our mental health. Dr.
Chris Palmer is a psychiatrist and researcher working at the
interface of metabolism and mental health. He is the Director of
the Department of Postgraduate and Continuing Education at McLean
Hospital and an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard
Medical School. For over 25 years, he has held leadership roles in
psychiatric education, conducted research, and worked with people
who have treatment-resistant mental illnesses. He has been
pioneering the use of the medical ketogenic diet in the treatment
of psychiatric disorders - conducting research in this area,
treating patients, writing, and speaking around the world on this
topic. More broadly, he is interested in the roles of metabolism
and metabolic interventions on brain health. Dr. Shebani Sethi is a
double board-certified physician in Obesity Medicine and
Psychiatry. She is the Founding Director of Stanford University’s
Metabolic Psychiatry program and Silicon Valley Metabolic
Psychiatry, a new center in the San Francisco Bay Area focused on
optimizing brain health by integrating low carb nutrition,
comprehensive psychiatric care, and treatment of obesity with
associated metabolic disease.  This episode is brought to you
by BIOptimizers. Head to bioptimizers.com/hyman and use code
HYMAN10 to save 10%. Full-length episodes can be found here: The
Hidden Connection Between Gut Health & Mental Health That
Therapy and Drugs Cannot Fix A Harvard Psychiatrist Rethinks Mental
Health As A Metabolic Disease How Does Ultra-Processed Food Affect
Our Mental Health?