New Study Brings Ketogenic Therapy for Bipolar Disorder Directly to Rural Alabama Homes

Leveraging Alabama’s agricultural strength, a new Baszucki Group-funded pilot study uses food bank delivery to expand metabolic psychiatry research into resource-poor rural areas

SAN MATEO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Baszucki Group today announced funding for a clinical study to examine the impact of ketogenic therapy on people living with bipolar disorder in rural Central Alabama. This study, led by researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine Montgomery Regional Campus, will partner with Heart of Alabama Food Bank (HAFB), sourcing Alabama-raised meats and produce to introduce metabolic psychiatry to a region characterized by a high prevalence of serious mental illness and severe shortages in psychiatric care.

Recent clinical trials have suggested that ketogenic therapy, which relies on a high-fat, moderate-protein, low-carb diet to shift how the body uses energy, may provide metabolic and psychiatric benefits for people with serious mental illnesses. The new trial provides a way to evaluate the therapy’s effect in an underserved population. Through an innovative collaboration, researchers will leverage HAFB’s established food distribution network to deliver ketogenic food boxes directly to participants’ homes.

The six-month trial will evaluate both the psychiatric and metabolic effects of ketogenic therapy alongside existing treatment modalities. Researchers plan to enroll up to 100 participants across four arms, including cohorts taking oral or long-acting injectable (LAI) mood-stabilizing medications.

“Our study addresses a stark reality: rural areas such as ours face a massive demand for mental health care and limited access to specialty services. Many individuals living with serious mental illness encounter financial, geographic, and other barriers to treatment, and some go without needed care. This study is designed to evaluate whether a community-based approach can help expand access to a promising intervention,” said lead investigator Will Rutland, MD, JD, MPH, Assistant Professor and Regional Chair of Psychiatry at UAB Montgomery.

To ensure participants can successfully maintain the dietary protocol, the study partners with both HAFB and Hatch, a nutrition-focused nonprofit organization, to source food that is consistent with a ketogenic diet.

“We know that access to nutritious food plays an important role in overall health, yet that access can be especially challenging for families in rural communities,” said John Lucas Jr., Interim CEO of Heart of Alabama Food Bank. “This partnership allows us to build on our existing food distribution network to support innovative research while helping remove food access barriers for participants. We’re proud to work alongside UAB to explore how food and nutrition can play a greater role in improving health outcomes.”

To lower other practical barriers to dietary change, study dietitians will provide individualized guidance on food preparation and meal planning. Secondary outcomes will track healthcare utilization markers, including hospital admissions and emergency department visits.

“This study reflects something we deeply believe: that the communities with the greatest need should have access to the most promising treatments,” said Julie Milder, PhD, Director of Neuroscience at Baszucki Group. “Dr. Rutland and his team are proposing a model that takes equity seriously — using existing community infrastructure to conduct rigorous research within a population that is historically underrepresented in clinical research.”

About Baszucki Group

Launched in 2021 by Roblox founder and Chief Executive Officer David Baszucki and best-selling author Jan Ellison Baszucki, Baszucki Group leverages grantmaking, impact investing, advocacy, storytelling, and community building to drive foundational change in science, medicine, farming, food, and environmental ecosystems. A primary focus of Baszucki Group is supporting initiatives at the intersection of metabolism, psychiatry, and neuroscience with the goal of improving mental health outcomes. To learn more about metabolic approaches to mental disorders and brain health, including ketogenic therapy, visit Metabolic Mind, a nonprofit initiative of Baszucki Group.