Nutrition psychology. Mental health. The cases for a healthy liver and My big five for health

A current paper shows that ketogenesis, when your body makes ketones, “reprograms” your liver – inflammation goes away; your organism heals. Will this healing influence your mental health? Several studies link NAFLD and NASH with anxiety and depression. The rational implication: if you heal your liver, then you will likely heal your mind. This, of course, gave me more ammunition for my argument about diet and health, and for My big five for health. 2 pages.

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A current paper shows that ketogenesis, when your body makes ketones, “reprograms” your liver – inflammation goes away; your organism heals.

Link to source.

Will this healing influence your mental health?

That may be the case. Several studies link Non-alcohol fatty liver disease (NAFLD) with anxiety and depression (Shea et al. 2024; Xiao et al. 2021).

And in people with more severe liver disease, like non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), mental health issues were twice as prevalent (Xiao et al. 2021).

The rational implication: if you heal your liver, then you will likely heal your mind.

And as previous studies have demonstrated, everything from abstaining from sugar and other carbs, to apply a carnivore or ketogenic diet, will improve your mental health, and even put severe diseases/disorders into remission (Dobersek et al. 2024; Laurent and Taque, 2025; Newiss, 2025).

This, of course, gave me more ammunition for my argument about diet and health (Österberg, 2019, 2020 a b; 2022, 2023; 2024), and a reiteration of My big five for health:

1. Make sure that your meals contain >30 micro-nutrients, tryptophan, choline, as well as Docosahexaenoic (DHA) and Eicosapentaenoic (EPA) fatty acids (Österberg, 2019, 2020 a b; 2022, 2023; 2024).
   
   
2. Cook and eat together with other people, preferably with people you disagree with (Dunbar, 2017; Lustig, 2017).
   
   
3. spend time in nature (a park is fine), (Hartig et al. 1991; Kaplan and Kaplan, 1989; Ohly et al. 2016), get sunlight (Bogh et al. 2010; Landvreugd et al. 2025; Wang and Chen, 2020), and walk bare foot (grounding or earthing; Koniver, 2023).
   
   
4. elevate the corners of your mouth (Österberg, 2001).
   
   
5. Dance. Studies based on scientific methods demonstrate that this matrix will improve your cognitive function (flexibility; combinatory thinking) (Österberg Köping Olsson, 2018, 2021).

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Executive coaching for CEOs/managers and workshops to facilitate Organizational Performance, Learning, and Creativity for Problem Solving | Lectures: Nutrition for physical and mental health | Course/lecture: children's emotional and social adjustment and cognitive development | Language training - Swedish | Academy Competency | CV | Teaching skills and experience | Summary of research project | Instagram | Linkedin | YouTube-channel | TikTok | Twitter