Transform Your Mental Health With Diet & Lifestyle | Dr. Chris Palmer

Andrew Huberman

Mar 31, 2025

Episode description

My guest is Dr. Chris Palmer, M.D., a board-certified psychiatrist and professor at Harvard Medical School. He explains how specific nutrition, exercise, supplement-based, and other factors can improve mitochondrial health and thereby provide relief from adult and childhood ADHD, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and symptoms of autism. We discuss mitochondrial biology, whether vaccines can impact inflammation and mitochondrial health, and the potential ramifications. We also review creatine, methylene blue, and urolithin A, as well as the role of B vitamins and iron in treating depression. By the end of this episode, you will understand the powerful link between metabolic health and mental health, and the lifestyle, dietary, and other factors you can leverage to help overcome common mental health challenges and disorders.

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*Dr. Chris Palmer*
Brain Energy (book): https://amzn.to/4j4pus2
Personal website: https://www.chrispalmermd.com
Harvard academic profile: https://cmecatalog.hms.harvard.edu/faculty-staff/christopher-palmer
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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-palmer-01713032

*Timestamps*
00:00:00 Dr. Chris Palmer
00:02:15 Integrating Metabolic, Mental & Physical Health; Childhood Trauma & Risk
00:10:46 Sponsors: Our Place & LMNT
00:13:44 Depression Causes, Molecule Model?, Neuroplasticity?; Metabolism
00:22:20 Mitochondrial Functions, Stress Response, Mental Health
00:31:09 Sponsors: AG1 & Eight Sleep
00:33:59 Mitochondrial Health & 6 Pillars of Lifestyle Medicine
00:39:38 Stimulants, Mitochondria, Dopamine; Alcohol
00:45:47 Nicotine; Substance Use, Metabolic Health & Disease
00:52:23 Children, Energy & Metabolic Function; Diseases of Aging & Mental Disorders
00:59:18 Sponsor: Function
01:01:06 Diet & Metabolism; Ultra-Processed Foods, Additives, GRAS
01:09:30 Rebellious Spirit, Ultra-Processed Foods & Food Industry Funding
01:19:14 Ketogenic Diet, Epilepsy, Schizophrenia, Bipolar
01:22:52 Ketogenic Diet, Fasting & Mitochondria; Gut Microbiome, Brain Metabolism
01:30:06 Low-Fat Diets; Tool: Occasional Fasts; Ketogenic Diet; Intermittent Fasting
01:38:40 Nutrition Research, Food Industry Lobbyists; Ultra-Processed Foods, Addiction
01:46:55 Creatine & Mitochondrial Health
01:52:34 Methylene Blue & Mitochondria; Serotonin Syndrome
02:02:58 Urolithin A, Mitochondria Function; Supplements & Appropriate Use
02:11:14 Vitamin Deficiencies, Iron Deficiency
02:16:06 Vitamin B12 & Folate Deficiency, Autoimmune Disorders
02:24:48 Mental Illness & Root Causes
02:29:02 Vaccines, Inflammation, Mitochondria, Autism
02:39:17 Neurodevelopmental Disorder Onset & Follow-Up
02:45:31 Vaccines, Autism, Future Research; Mother Obesity & Diabetes
02:51:23 Father Obesity & Autism; Poor Metabolic Health, Blood Biomarkers
02:56:44 Assessing Metabolic Health & Biomarkers; National Institutes of Health (NIH)
03:02:59 Future Directions, Bridging Mental & Physical Health
03:09:27 Zero-Cost Support, YouTube, Spotify & Apple Follow & Reviews, YouTube Feedback, Protocols Book, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter

#HubermanLab #Science #Health #MentalHealth #Nutrition

Disclaimer & Disclosures: https://www.hubermanlab.com/disclaimer

Episode description

Mindsip insights from this episode:

Prioritize parental metabolic health to reduce autism risk

Women with both obesity and diabetes have a quadruple risk of having an autistic child, highlighting the profound impact of parental metabolic health on neurodevelopment.

#autism

#obesity

Understand inflammation's impact on mitochondrial function in vaccine discussions

The debate over vaccine side effects can be framed by understanding that high inflammation, whether from an infection or a rare vaccine reaction, impairs mitochondrial function, which is critical for neurodevelopment.

#mitochondria

#vaccine

Address childhood trauma to enhance lifespan

Having six or more adverse childhood experiences is correlated with losing an average of 20 years of life, linking psychological trauma directly to physical health and mortality.

#lifespan

#trauma

Recognize mitochondria's role in neurotransmitter release and stress regulation

Mitochondria are not just energy factories; they actively orchestrate neurotransmitter release, regulate epigenetics, and control the body's stress response.

#mitochondria

#stress

Balance stimulant doses to enhance brain metabolism without damage

Low doses of stimulants can improve brain metabolism by boosting mitochondrial output, but high doses overstimulate them, causing damage through reactive oxygen species.

#mitochondria

#stimulant

Utilize low-dose nicotine to stimulate mitochondrial health

Nicotine in low doses can act as a stimulant for mitochondria, but finding the right balance is crucial as high doses can become toxic.

#mitochondria

#nicotine

Recognize depression as a disease of aging

Contrary to popular belief, the highest rates of antidepressant prescriptions are for people aged 65 and older, linking depression to the aging process and metabolic decline.

#aging

#depression

Leverage ketogenic diet's gut microbiome for brain health

In a study, transferring feces from children on a ketogenic diet to mice conferred seizure protection, suggesting the diet's benefits are mediated through the gut microbiome's effect on brain mitochondria.

#keto

#microbiome

Utilize Urolithin A to enhance muscle health in adults over 55

The supplement Urolithin A has randomized controlled trial data showing it can improve muscle mass and performance in adults over 55.

#muscle

#urolithin

Identify hidden autoimmune B12 deficiency to address neuropsychiatric symptoms

A newly discovered autoimmune condition prevents vitamin B12 from crossing the blood-brain barrier, causing severe neuropsychiatric symptoms even when blood levels appear normal.