Robert F. Kennedy Jr. declared a diet can “cure” schizophrenia—though the expert he likely cited says he never made that claim.
Since releasing his new U.S. nutritional guidelines in January, the health secretary has been on tour promoting his new “food pyramid,” including the claim that a Harvard doctor had “cured schizophrenia with keto diets.”
Yet Harvard psychiatrist Dr. Christopher Palmer, whose research Kennedy likely relied on, says he “never once used the word ‘cure’” in his work, according to The Guardian.
Palmer published two case studies in 2019 examining the link between schizophrenia symptom remission and a ketogenic diet—which involves eating high-fat, low-carbohydrate foods—and found that while the diet may ease symptoms, it does not “cure” the serious mental health condition, which can cause hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized thinking and behavior.
“I have never claimed to have cured any mental illness, including schizophrenia,” Palmer said, highlighting that his work is based on “only two” case studies, which can come with “tremendous amounts of bias.”
Kennedy, who is known for spreading anti-vaccine claims unsupported by research, for getting basic biology wrong, and for having no formal medical or scientific training, himself does not follow the keto diet he praises.
Instead, the leader of the “Make America Healthy Again” movement follows the “carnivore diet,” which allows only meat, poultry, eggs, seafood, fish, and some dairy.
“You know, I am on a carnivore diet, so I just eat meat and ferments, and I’m very happy with that,” Kennedy said ahead of the Super Bowl, when Fox News’ Sunday Briefing host Peter Doocy asked what he would snack on for the unofficial American holiday, which is known for staples like chicken wings, nachos, pizza, and dips.
“I’m going to probably have a yogurt,” Kennedy revealed—prompting online ridicule over his snack choice.
The secretary’s new pyramid mirrors some of his own eating habits, including red meat and animal fats, which directly contradict decades of recommendations and scientific evidence urging people to consume less saturated fat and more unsaturated fats.
Despite skepticism from the scientific community, Kennedy’s tour promoting his MAHA agenda shows no signs of slowing down. The 72-year-old recently teamed up with 55-year-old MAGA rocker Kid Rock to film a video of the pair toasting glasses of whole milk and working out together.
“I’ve teamed up with @KidRock to deliver two simple messages to the American people: GET ACTIVE + EAT REAL FOOD,” Kennedy posted on X last week.
While Kennedy has been educating Americans on different diets, he has failed to sway 79-year-old President Donald Trump, who is known for his love of Diet Coke and McDonald’s.
The Daily Beast has contacted the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for comment.
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