About this episode

Dr. Bret Scher and Erica Gerard discuss common questions about seed oils, anhedonia, ketogenic therapy, and more in this Metabolic Mailbag episode.

Why are seed oils suddenly everywhere in nutrition debates? What is anhedonia? Is the dawn phenomenon something to worry about? And how can you tell the difference between nutritional ketosis and ketoacidosis? In this Metabolic Mailbag episode, Dr. Bret Scher and producer Erica Gerard answer some of the most common questions from our community about ketogenic therapy, mental health, metabolism, and nutrition science. Topics discussed include: Why seed oils have become such a controversial topic and what the evidence actually shows Whether seed oils deserve their negative reputation What anhedonia is and why it can be one of the most challenging symptoms in mental health conditions like depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia Emerging research on ketogenic therapy and improvements in anhedonia Why debates between plant-based and ketogenic diets often miss the bigger picture The limitations of observational nutrition research Why there may not be one “best” diet for everyone What the dawn phenomenon is and why it may mean different things for people eating high-carb versus ketogenic diets The difference between nutritional ketosis and diabetic ketoacidosis Whether there is…

People in this episode

Host: Bret Scher

Guest: Erica Gerard

Topics covered

• seed oils
• anhedonia
• ketogenic therapy
• mental health
• nutrition science
• ketoacidosis
• dawn phenomenon

Keywords

• seed oils
• anhedonia
• ketoacidosis
• ketogenic diet
• mental health
• nutrition
• dawn phenomenon
• biomarkers

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Metabolic Mind

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• Dr. Dom D'Agostino on Why Metabolic Health Matters for the Brain · July 12, 2026 · 14 min
• First RCT of Keto for Schizophrenia & Bipolar Disorder: Results & Future Directions · July 10, 2026 · 21 min

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