Diets and Disorders: Can Foods or Fasting Be Considered Psychopharmacologic Therapies?

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Most people agree that eating a “healthy diet” confers health benefits, but defining “healthy” foods and specific benefits is increasingly confusing and controversial. The $37 billion vitamin and supplement industry and the $14 billion functional and integrative medicine industry are both reflections of our patients’ desire to use dietary interventions to treat or prevent health conditions, whether or not there are data to support them. This article addresses dietary interventions that are purported to have psychopharmacologic properties for use in psychiatry.