FAT Metabolism and ATP Production

Today Show
How Following the Keto Diet Improved this Man's Mental Health

SIGNIFICANTLY, no one is claiming a Keto Diet is a CURE-ALL.

But there are reasons to believe it could help address some of the METABOLIC ASPECTS of Mental Illness.  Keto is lower carbs, high fat and moderate protein.

Fat can lead to greater ATP Production.  Is it heart healthy, maybe not.

People with Mental Illness are often faced with various "CATCH-22s" when it comes to treatment.

Metabolic Mind --- Feb. 22, 2024
New Harvard Study Explores Brain Energy Metabolism in Bipolar Disorder

Fatty acid metabolism consists of various metabolic processes involving or closely related to fatty acids, a family of molecules classified within the lipid macronutrient category. These processes can mainly be divided into (1) catabolic processes that generate energy and (2) anabolic processes where they serve as building blocks for other compounds.  

In catabolism, fatty acids are metabolized to produce energy, mainly in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). When compared to other macronutrient classes (carbohydrates and protein), fatty acids yield the most ATP on an energy per gram basis, when they are completely oxidized to CO2 and water by beta oxidation and the citric acid cycle.[2] Fatty acids (mainly in the form of triglycerides) are therefore the foremost storage form of fuel in most animals, and to a lesser extent in plants.  

In anabolism, intact fatty acids are important precursors to triglycerides, phospholipids, second messengers, hormones and ketone bodies. For example, phospholipids form the phospholipid bilayers out of which all the membranes of the cell are constructed from fatty acids. Phospholipids comprise the plasma membrane and other membranes that enclose all the organelles within the cells, such as the nucleus, the mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, and the Golgi apparatus. In another type of anabolism, fatty acids are modified to form other compounds such as second messengers and local hormones. The prostaglandins made from arachidonic acid stored in the cell membrane are probably the best-known of these local hormones.

------Wikipedia